Branding by Horse Shoe in Gynecological Illness: A Case of Faith Healing

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the following rare case report and review to familiarize the physician and surgeon with the harmful method of branding by horseshoe to cure the illness. A young girl, going to be married soon, presented with acute pain in her abdomen at a tertiary care hospital. Ultrasonography indicated presence of an ovarian cyst and renal calculi. A horseshoe shaped recent burn mark was found over her abdomen, just below umbilicus. Burn as a therapeutic measure was adopted three days back by her near relatives to relieve her illness so that her marriage could be timely solemnized.