Bitter Pills:Medicines & The Third World Poor | Page 137

favourites, a word from the Drug Company: 'Are you feeling
weak and tired? Do you find it hard to wake up in the morning?
You may be suffering from tired blood. What you need are the
new Vita-Meyerhov vitamin pills. You'll wake up every morning
feeling like dancing. Remember, Vita-Meyerhov'."
As Dona Luisa gets up and begins to make maize tortillas for
breakfast, the music and adve rtisements continue. But look. Her
husband, Don Lino, is still in bed. He feels too weak to get up.
Finally Dona Luisa coaxes him out of bed and gives him a cup
of coffee. He asks what there is for breakfast. She answers: "Just
tortillas. You know that's all we have."
Just then, they hear a knock on the door. (Bang, bang, bang.)
It is their neighbour who makes his living by selling medicines
that he buys in the city.
Today he is selling Vita-Meyerhov. Old Luisa is excited because
she just heard about Vita-Meyerhov on the radio. She is sure
that it will make her husband wake up strong and eager to work,
like before. The salesman tells them the bottle is worth 300 pesos
[ over £6 ] . But since they are such good friends, he will let them
have it for only 150 pesos.
But the old couple only have 50 pesos. So they have to sell their
2 chickens at 50 pesos each in order to pay for the vitamins.
As their neighbour, the salesman, walks away with the chickens,
the couple eagerly talk about how wonderful things will be when
old Lino's health is restored.
The next scene takes place a few weeks later. Again it is dawn,
the rooster crows: "Cock-a-doodle-doo", and Dona Luisa turns
on the radio. The beat of ranchero music drifts out into the silent
dawn. The radio announcer wishes a good morning to all, and
goes on with more praise for the products from the Drug
Company. While the radio announcer is praising the miraculous
Vita-Meyerhov, we see that old Lino is too weak to get out of
bed by himself. His wife tries to pull him out.
Lino, tries to get up, but falls to the ground. Dona Luisa cannot
lift him up herself.
Frightened, she runs out to get help from the village health
worker. The health worker comes running.
Between them, Dona Luisa and the health worker lift old Lino
back onto the bed. The health worker figures out that his
weakness comes from not eating well. The family has barely
enough maize to make tortillas, and none to trade for beans.
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