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Ayurveda—literally the 'science of life' (आयुश्) in Sanskrit—is a form of traditional medicine native to India. Evolving throughout its history, Ayurveda remains an influential system of medicine in South Asia.
Overview
Ayurveda believes in 'five great elements' (earth, water, fire, air and space) forming the universe, including the human body. Blood, flesh, fat, bone, marrow, chyle, and semen are the seven primary constituent elements of the body. Ayurveda also stresses a balance of three substances in the human body: spirit/air, phlegm, and bile, each representing divine forces.
In Ayurveda, the human body has 20 Guna (Hindi: गुन, meaning quality). The doctrine of three Dosas—vata (wind), pitta (bile) and kapha (phlegm)—is important. Traditional beliefs hold that humans posses a unique constellation of Dosas. Surgery and surgical instruments are employed. It is believed that building a healthy metabolic system, attaining good digestion, and proper excretion leads to vitality. Ayurveda also focuses on exercise, yoga, meditation, and massage.
History
Ayurveda traces its origins to the Vedas—the Atharvaveda in particular—and is connected to religion and mythology. The Sushruta Samhita of Sushruta appeared during the 1st millenium BCE. Dwivedi & Dwivedi (2007)— on the work of the surgeon Sushruta—write:
The main vehicle of the transmission of knowledge during that period was by oral method. The language used was Sanskrit — the vedic language of that period (2000-500 BC). The most authentic compilation of his teachings and work is presently available in a treatise called Sushruta Samhita. This contains 184 chapters and description of 1120 illnesses, 700 medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral sources and 57 preparations based on animal sources.
Underwood & Rhodes (2008) hold that this early phase of traditional Indian medicine identified 'fever (takman), cough, consumption, diarrhea, dropsy, abscesses, seizures, tumours, and skin diseases (including leprosy).' Treatment of complex ailments—including Angina pectoris, diabetes, hypertension, and stones—also ensued during this period. Plastic surgery, cataract surgery, puncturing to release fluids in the abdomen, extraction of foreign elements, treatment of anal fistulas, treating fractures, amputations, cesarean sections, and stitching of wounds were known. The use of herbs and surgical instruments became widespread.
The earliest surviving excavated written material which contains the works of Sushruta is the Bower Manuscript—dated to the 4th century CE. Other early works of Ayurveda include the Charaka Samhita, attributed to Charaka. Vagbhata also compiled his works on traditional medicine.
Practices
Hygiene
Hygiene—also a component of religious virtue to many Indians—is a strong belief. Hygienic living consisted of regular bathing, cleansing of teeth, skin care, and eye washing. Occasional anointing of the body with oil was also prescribed.
Diagnosis
For diagnosis the patient is to be questioned and all five senses are to be employed. The Charaka Samhita recommends a tenfold examination of the patient. The qualities to be judged are: constitution, abnormality, essence, stability, body measurements, diet suitability, psychic strength, digestive capacity, physical fitness and age. Hearing is used to observe the condition of breathing and speech. The study of the vital pressure points of marma is of special importance.
Chopra (2003) identifies five influential criteria for diagnosis: 'origin of the disease, prodrominal (precursory) symptoms, typical symptoms of the fully developed disease, observing the effect of therapeutic procedures and the pathological process.'
Diet
Ayurveda incorporates an entire system of dietary recommendations. Chopra (2003)—on the subject of Ayurveda dietetics—writes:
Ayurvedic dietetics comprise a host of recommendations, ranging from preparation and consumption of food, to healthy routines for day and night, sexual life, and rules for ethical conduct. In contrast to contemporary practitioners of New Age Ayurveda, older Ayurvedic authors tended to be religiously neutral. Even Buddhist authors refrained from trying to convert the patient to follow their particular religious ways.
Diet is an integral part of traditional Ayurveda, which stresses on vegetable drugs. Fats are used both for consumption and for external use. Hundreds of vegetable drugs are employed, including cardamom and cinnamon. Some animal products may also be used, for example milk, bones, and gallstones etc. Minerals—including sulfur, arsenic, lead, copper sulfate, gold—are also consumed as prescribed.
Treatment
Eight disciplines of Ayurveda treatment—mentioned both in the Sushruta Samhita and the Charaka Samhita—are given below:
- Treatment of diseases above the clavicle.
- Medicine.
- Spirit possession.
- Paediatrics.
- Toxicology.
- Prevention and building immunity.
- Aphrodisiacs
Substances used
Alcohol is used as a Narcotics for the patient undergoing operation in some cases. The advent of Islam introduced opium as a narcotic. Oil is used for multiple purposes. Both oil are tar are used to stop bleeding.
Current status
In Sri Lanka the number of traditional Ayurveda practitioners is greater than trained modern medicine professionals. The Government of India had become involved in promoting traditional medicine by 1997. Sharma & Bodeker report on the the various government activities in relation with Ayurveda:
In India the government became involved in traditional drug production when the Central Drug Research Institute patented two new drugs from ancient Ayurvedic formulas. One, a mixture of black pepper, long pepper, and ginger, allows for the dosage of the antibiotic rifampicin to be halved in the treatment of tuberculosis and other mycobacterial infections. The other is a memory tonic produced from the traditional plant called brahmi. Overseas patenting of turmeric and products of the neem tree caused controversy in India and other nations. In August the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office canceled a U.S. patent on the wound-healing properties of turmeric when the Indian government proved that records had existed for this use for centuries.
In India, over 100 colleges offer degrees in traditional Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurveda practitioners require a license in another stream of health care in the United States of America.
Notes
- ^ Chopra, page 75
- ^ Sharma & Bodeker in Encyclopedia Britannica 2008
- Chopra 2003
- ^ Underwood & Rhodes (2008)
- ^ Chopra, page 76
- ^ Chopra, page 77
- ^ MSN Encarta (2008). Ayurveda
- Indian medicine has a long history. Its earliest concepts are set out in the sacred writings called the Vedas, especially in the metrical passages of the Atharvaveda, which may possibly date as far back as the 2nd millennium BC. According to a later writer, the system of medicine called Āyurveda was received by a certain Dhanvantari from Brahma, and Dhanvantari was deified as the god of medicine. In later times his status was gradually reduced, until he was credited with having been an earthly king who died of snakebite. — Underwood & Rhodes (2008)
- ^ Dwivedi & Dwivedi (2007)
- Lock etc., page 836
- Kutumbian, pages XXXII-XXXIII
- ^ Chopra, page 79
- Chopra, page 78
- ^ Chopra, page 80
- Health and welfare (from Sri Lanka). Encyclopedia Britannica (2008).
References
- Chopra, A.S. (2003) in "Ayurveda", Medicine Across Cultures. edited by Selin, Helaine & Shapiro, H. 75-83. Kluwer Academic Publishers. United States of America: ISBN 1-4020-1166-0.
- Dwivedi, Girish & Dwivedi, Shridhar (2007). History of Medicine: Sushruta – the Clinician – Teacher par Excellence. National Informatics Centre (Government of India).
- Kutumbian, P. (2005). Ancient Indian Medicine. Orient Longman. ISBN 8125015213.
- Lock, Stephen etc. (2001). The Oxford Illustrated Companion to Medicine. USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192629506.
- Sharma, H. M. & Bodeker, Gerard C. in Alternative Medicine (1997) (medical system). Encyclopedia Britannica 2008.
- Underwood, E. Ashworth & Rhodes, P. (2008) in medicine, history of. Encyclopedia Britannica 2008.
See also
- Traditional medicine
- List of herbs and minerals in Ayurveda
- Rasayanas
- Chyawanprash
- Research and innovations in Ayurveda
- Charaka
- Sri Lankan Ayurvedic tradition
- Traditional medicine
- Yoga (alternative medicine)
- Panchakarma
