cptrelentless wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2019 8:12 am If this is a translation of kjol then it means "bad air", according to kheng

(According to traditional Cambodian medicine, bad `air' in the body is the cause of many illnesses such as fainting, dizziness, stomach aches)

Common belief prior to the germ theory:
The miasma theory was accepted from ancient times in Europe and China. The theory was eventually given up by scientists and physicians after 1880, replaced by the germ theory of disease: specific germs, not miasma, caused specific diseases. However, cultural beliefs about getting rid of odor made the clean-up of waste a high priority for cities.

The miasma theory (also called the miasmatic theory) is an obsolete medical theory that held diseases—such as cholera, chlamydia, or the Black Death—were caused by a miasma (μίασμα, ancient Greek: "pollution"), a noxious form of "bad air", also known as night air. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory

malaria

1740, "unwholesome air, air contaminated with the poison producing intermittent and remittent fever," from Italian mal'aria, from mala aria, literally "bad air," from mala "bad" (fem. of malo, from Latin malus; see mal-) + aria "air" (see air (n.1)). Probably first used by Italian physician Francisco Torti (1658-1741). By 1866 it had come to be used of the disease itself (earlier malaria fever, by 1814). The disease, now known to be mosquito-borne, once was thought to be caused by foul air in marshy districts.https://www.etymonline.com/word/malaria

Many Cambodians also have superstitions. We have a scientific explanation for a lot of things. Without an understanding of the scientific explanation, some people have strange beliefs.

Beware of the wind people ! In case of wind, scratch it with a coin

JUDGEDREDD wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:19 am Whos wind?! I've had my fair share of erm.. bad wind but nothing that deadly.

Is this an argument for keeping your farts in..rather than out?

explorer wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2019 4:19 am

CEOCambodiaNews wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:11 am a man who was believed to be sleeping was found dead, likely due to wind

JUDGEDREDD wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:19 am Whos wind?! I've had my fair share of erm.. bad wind but nothing that deadly.

Most Cambodians have very little understanding of medical conditions. So they say things like his death was likely due to wind.

If you read about other deaths, and the causes, many of them are things which dont cause death. You need someone who understands medical conditions to investigate.

Many Cambodian people go to the doctor for trivial things. Yet when they have a serious medical condition, some of them dont do anything about it. This should hopefully improve as people become better educated.

T'was very much tongue in cheek

Username Taken wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:40 pm

clutchcargo wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2019 8:58 pm

JUDGEDREDD wrote: ↑Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:19 am Whos wind?! I've had my fair share of erm.. bad wind but nothing that deadly.

Is this an argument for keeping your farts in..rather than out?

Quite the opposite I would expect. Feels a whole lot better with it out.

No! I believe there is something about this, due to if I fart or politely pass wind if I go for a shit. The Khmers living on either side of the apartment will refer to my other half that I am going to die. Don't Khmer pass wind? I have got to the stage that I need to move and have space between me and my neighbour's so I can fart in peace.

A Korean would tell you this is obviously a case of the tropical version of 'fan death'.