An old Chinese woman was recently hospitalized after swallowing eight live frogs to treat the back pain caused by a herniated spine disc.
When suffering from back pain, most people will take some painkillers, maybe use some ointments, or see a doctor about it, but an old woman from Hangzhou, in China’s Zhejiang province, decided that the best course of action was to swallow frogs. After hearing a rumor that swallowing live frogs could help relieve back pain, the woman, surnamed Zhang, asked some relatives to catch some mid-sized amphibians for her, but didn’t tell them what she planned to do with them. She proceeded to swallow five live frogs one day, and followed that up with another three the next day. It wasn’t long before she started experiencing excruciating stomach pain.
Photo: Aurora K
At first, Zhang only felt a slight discomfort in her stomach, but the intensity of the pain increased over the following days. It was only when she could no longer bear it that she confessed to her family that she had swallowed eight live frogs. When she was rushed to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University, doctors conducted tests and ruled out the possibility of a tumor, but discovered an abnormally high number of oxyphil cells in his body – a telltale sign of certain diseases such as parasitic infections or blood disorders.
“Swallowing live frogs damaged the patient’s digestive system and allowed parasites to enter her system,” a doctor told reporters, adding that the patient had become infected with the Sparganum tapeworm, a parasite commonly found in people who eat or come into contact with live frogs and snakes.
After spending two weeks in the hospital, Mrs. Zhang made a full recovery and was discharged, but doctors wanted to use her case as a cautionary tale about the risks of folk remedies.
“In addition to swallowing frogs, many people also eat snake gall, raw fish gall, or cover their bodies with frog skin,” a doctor said. “Most of them are elderly and rarely discuss their health with their children and grandchildren, only going to the hospital when they are seriously ill.”
