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THE TRADITIONAL MEDICINES AND THEIR IMPORTANCE

Vijumon
Ph.D Scholar, Department of History, Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam.

Abstract
This article explains in detail about the six types of Traditional Medicines known as Siddha, Ayurveda, Varmakalai, Yoga, Kalaripayattu and Panchakarma. Siddha medicine is one of the oldest medical systems known to the mankind and its treatment is aimed at restoring balance to the mind – body system. Diet, life-style, Yoga and meditation play a major role not only in maintaining health, but also is curing disease. The Siddha medicine employs a variety of herbs and minerals, many of which were developed in the ancient past under advanced scientific techniques. Ayurveda in a wholistic system of medicine from India that uses a constitutional model. It’s aim is to provide guidance regarding food and life – style so that healthy people can stay healthy and folks with health challenges can improve their health. The Varmakalai is a martial art which is composed of hand-to-hand fighting, fighting with weapons and also martial gymnastics. It’s aim is to produce healthy and suitable individuals. Kalaripayettu is also an ancient martial art which includes strikes, kicks, grappling, weaponry and healing methods. The Panchakarma therapy is comprised of five basic types of advanced medical treatment for the execution of vitiated toxic materials from the body. Yoga brings about the harmonious integration of body and mind. Apart from all these types of traditional medicines the article gives us a clue how far the World Bank provides development assistance to our country for pravetyasing medicinal plants, conservation, cultivation,  processing and marketing. Thus all the relevant facts required for traditional medicines are analysed in this article.

Meaning
Traditional medicine is the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs, and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness1.

Traditional Medicine
The fundamental idea of traditional medicine is that “disease is a supernatural phenomenon governed by a hierarchy of vital power beginning with a most powerful deity followed by lesser spiritual entities, ancestral spirits, living persons, animals, plants and other objects”2. These greater forces act together with one another and can either diminish or improve an individual’s power. A lack of harmony leads to disease, and natural elements extracted from plants and animals can help to cure the illness.

Differences between Traditional and Alternative Medicine
This is a subject that has many different facets as to the appropriateness of seeking one style of medicine as compared to the other. Most people will seek a doctor or therapist practicing in accordance with their own particular healing beliefs. What is of most importance is that the client or patient finds a doctor or other health care professional that they like and trust. In general, alternative medicine is considered conservative and leaves more traditional treatment options open. Traditional medicine, also known as allopathic or Western medicine, is more drug and surgery oriented. It is the appropriate choice in life threatening health care situations. It must be remembered that each category of health care has certain limitations and that no one type of doctor has all of the treatment answers. Both allopathic and alternative treatments are valid options and are often complementary3.

Types of Traditional Medicine

The different types of Traditional medicines are

*    Siddha,
*    Ayurveda,
*    Varma Kalai,
*    Yoga,
*    Kalaripayattu and
*    Panchakarma.

Siddha Medicine
The word, ‘Siddha’ comes from the Tamil word for perfection. In Siddha medicine, the individual is a microcosm of the universe. The human body consists of the five primordial elements-earth, water, fire, air and space, the three humours – vatha, pitta and kapha and seven physical constituents. Food is the basic building material of the human body and gets processed into humours, tissues and wastes. The equilibrium of humours is considered as health and its disturbance or imbalance leads to a diseased state. There is equal emphasis on the body, mind and spirit and strives to restore the innate harmony of the individual. Treatment is aimed at restoring balance to the mind-body system. Diet, Life-style, yoga and meditation play a mojor role not only in maintaining health, but also in curing diseases4.

Siddha Medicine is one of the oldest medical systems known to mankind. Contemporary Tamil literature holds that the system of Siddha medicine originated in Southern India, in the State of Tamil Nadu, as part of the trio Indian medicines ayurveda, siddha and unani. Reported to have surfaced more than 2500 years ago, the Siddha system of medicine is considered one of the most ancient traditional medical systems5.

“Siddhargal” or Siddhars were the premier scientists of ancient days. Siddhars, mainly from Southern India laid the foundation for this system of medication. Siddhars were spiritual adepts who possessed the ashta siddhis, or the eight supernatural powers.

Siddha medicine employs a variety of herbs and minerals, many of which were developed in the ancient past under advanced scientific techniques, even by today’s standards. The development of medicine has been a continuous process in Asia although it has always taken a more natural approach to healing than western medicine. Siddha medicine, being one of the world’s most complex and intricate forms of medicine, is on the verge of being lost due to change, and Thanuology may be lost altogether6.

Many chronic diseases, considered incurable in western medicine, can be treated successfully with Siddha medicine. Most medicines are for the most part natural and processed in such a way as to be readily absorbed within each cell in the body, giving it proper nourishment to sustain a long and healthy life. Healthy cells within the body can reproduce new cells that are just as healthy, thus slowing the process of aging from the inside out. Some Siddha medical treatments claim that certain medicines are effective enough at this to be able to arrest aging altogether. Western medicine attempts to slow aging from the outside in which anti-wrinkle creams and skin surgery. Modern medicine could benefit from some of the hidden treasures in Siddha medicine if less importance was put on having a patent for their drugs than having an actual cure. The western medical techniques are, for the most part, too expensive for the average Indian citizen to use, so generally they seek the services of a Siddha physician or other holistic practitioner. Basic natural laws prevent the Siddha physician from gaining material wealth from the profession, so many charge only a minimal amount if any for their services. As mentioned earlier, this is an ancient science which is in danger of being lost without the assistance of dedicated students and the resources of others who can afford giving to help continue this science which is given for the benefit of humankind7.

Ayurveda
Ayurveda is a wholistic system of medicine from India that uses a constitutional model. Its aim is to provide guidance regarding food and lifestyle so that healthy people can stay healthy and folks with health challenges can improve their health Ayurveda recommendations will often be different for each person regarding which foods and which lifestyle they should follow in order to be completely healthy. This is due to it’s use of a constitutional model. Everything in Ayurveda is validated by observation, inquiry, direct examination and knowledge derived from the ancient texts. It understands that there are energetic forces that influence nature and human being. These forces are called the Tridoshas. Because Ayurveda sees a strong connection between the mind and the body, a huge amount of information is available regarding this relationship9.

Ayurveda is a discipline of the upaveda or “auxiliary knowledge”. It is treated as a supplement or appendix of the Vedas themselves, usually either the Rigveda or the Atharvaveda. The samhita of the Atharvaveda itself contains 114 hymns or incantations for the magical cure of diseases. Scholars have traced the origins of Ayurveda back to 5,000 B.C, originating as an oral tradition. Later, as medical texts, Ayurveda evolved from the Vedas10. There are various legendary accounts of the “origin of Ayurveda”, e.g., that the science was received by Dhanvantari or (Divodasa) from Brahma. Tradition also holds that a last text written by the sage Agnivesh, a student of the sage Bharadwaja, influenced the writings of Ayurveda11. There are three principal early texts on Ayurveda, all dating to the early centuries of the Common Era. These are the Charaka Samhita, the Sushruta Samhita and the medical portions of the Bower Manuscript (also known as the Bheda Samhita). The relative chronology of these texts is not entirely clear. The Charaka Samhita is often cited as primary; although it survived only as a recension dating to the 4th or 5th Century, it may be based on an original written between 100 BC and 100 C.E, in which case it would predate the other two texts. The Sushruta Samhita was written in the 3rd or 4th century. The Bower Manuscript is of particular interest because here the manuscript itself is ancient, dated to the early 6th century12. The earliest documented mention of the name Sushruta is found in the Bower Manuscript. The medical portions of the Bower Manuscript constitutes a collection of recipes which are connected to numerous ancient authorities, and may be based on an older medical tradition practised during the Maurya period, antedating both the Charaka and the Sushruta Samhitas.

Panchakarma
Ayurveda emphasizes preventative and healing therapies along with various methods of purification and rejuvenation13. Ayurveda is more than a mere healing system; it is a science and art of appropriate living which helps to achieve longevity. It can also guide every individual in the prevention of disease and long term maintenance of health. To achieve this balanced state of body, mind and consciousness, Ayurveda prescribes Panchakarma Therapy for the cleansing of body toxins14.

As the name suggests, Pancha in Sanskrit stands for five and Karma are the therapeutic measures,  therefore Panchakarma means five types of therapeutic measures. These are undertaken for the purification of the body and Ayurveda considers it necessary before the start of any other therapy15. The logic being that as a cloth needs to be purified or cleaned of impurities and dust before it can be permeated with a new colour, similarly the body needs to be purified before it can be permeated with new colours of youthfulness, health and vigor. In fact, most of the time, Panchakarma is an end in itself rather than a prelude to other therapeutic measures16.

The Panchakarma therapy of Ayurveda is comprised of five basic types of advanced treatment for the evacuation of vitiated Dosha (toxic materials) from the body17. One can consider this as a body de-tox program. There are so many subtypes of this therapy and different types of herbal massages, fomentations such as steam, external oil treatments, Basti (medicated enemas), Virechana (purgation through herbs), Vamana (emesis through herbs), Nasya (nasal administration of oils), are also incorporated. These practices are extremely helpful in relieving deep seated diseases as well as being beneficial for maintaining and improving physical and mental health18.

Yoga
No matter how each of us define wellbeing, what lies in the core concept is a healthy mind in a healthy body, empowered by an indomitable spirit. Yoga brings about this harmonious integration of mind, body and spirit. The term ‘yoga’ is not only confined to physical postures, but it signifies union with the supreme universal spirit as the word “yuj” which means unity (union of the mind and body). Thirumoolar, a great Saint of Siddha, preached and advocated many Yogic Thanthraas in his very old Tamil text Thirumathiram19.

References

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