Hare Krishna Student Treated for a Bizarre Dermatological Condition

July 30, 2002
Los Angeles, CA

A student at Hare Krishna High was treated by Cedar Sinai emergency room staff for a bizarre dermatological condition. Nurses removed almost a full liter of pus from the youth's face, scalp and chin area.

The teenager, Haridas Das, 14, has had severe acne for a couple of years, but his parents forbade him using any of the conventional over the counter remedies, on account of a Hare Krishna belief that such treatments are not in accordance with the ancient Hindu texts know as the Vedas. The attending physician at Cedar Sinai, Dr. Murray Goldbergstein told reporters that the boy could have had almost 100% relief from his symptoms from any of a number of inexpensive remedies at the local pharmacy.

Apparently the boy also suffered psychological trauma from his condition at the hands of bullies at his school that taunted him with cruel nicknames such as 'pimple head' and 'zit-ananda'. Social workers are investigating the school, as well as the boy's household environment to determine the extent of abuse and whether or not to remand the youth to the care of a foster home. One of the nurses who worked on Haridas said that his head really did look like one huge zit and that he had trouble even opening and closing his eyes, due to the swollen condition of his entire head.