BENG is an old Arabic word for stuff that makes one sleep, be it a hypnotic or an anesthetic. For many years, the word has been used generically in Egypt, as well as many Arab countries to stand for anesthesia. Several derivatives of the word including a verb, nouns and adjectives are widely derived and used in Egyptian slang. I remember reading the word many years ago in the classical work "1001 Nights" or "Alf Leila w Leila". One of the heroes was drugged by a tablet of "purified Beng" placed in his drink. He only woke up after he had vomited the drug. Having taken anesthesia as a profession, I was amazed by the association of vomiting with the sleep drug. Till today, the concept is deeply rooted in popular culture (Baladi), where people believe that following an anesthetic, the subject will not wake up properly till he has vomited the "Beng".
I have started this blog to be a medium for exchange of ideas about science, history, politics, pop culture, and the like, among friends and colleagues in the anesthesia community in Egypt and elsewhere.
I have started this blog to be a medium for exchange of ideas about science, history, politics, pop culture, and the like, among friends and colleagues in the anesthesia community in Egypt and elsewhere.
