An article in Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery examines whether "shoe-smell" is an effective treatment for epilepsy. The authors note:
Some
Eastern parts of the world like India have witnessed since time
immemorial, a practice of application of “shoe-smelling” in an attempt
to arrest the seizures. The practice consisted of bringing the sole of
shoe near the nostrils of the patient during the epileptic attack by
near-by attendants or passers-by in the event of the attack occurring in
a public place. The practice has continued and still remains a form of
first-aid treatment in developing countries especially in countryside
and rural areas. Although today, this age-old practice of “shoe-smell”
may sound ridiculous apart from being most unscientific, its persistence
as a remedy does tempt researchers to provide an insight to the reasons
and basis for this continuing practice.
What kind of shoe-smell were they talking about? Apparently it's stinky shoe smell. The stinkier the better. The authors were skeptical that shoe-smell could work, but they end up concluding that it probably did help:
strong
olfaction can aid in halting the progress of an epileptic seizure
and/or abort the generalization of a partial seizure especially of
temporal origin although more prospective studies are required to
establish a clear and firm relation between the two, i.e. strong odor
and seizure control. It may not therefore be incorrect to believe that
in olden days too, strong olfaction applied in the form of “shoe-smell”
did definitely play a suppressive role and thus exerted an inhibitory
influence on epilepsy.
Source:Weird Universe
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