Issue 21

April - May 2008

Ayurvedic Vision of Mental Health

Dr. Sundaran K., Govt. Mental Hospital, Kottakkal, Kerala

According to Ayurveda Mind is defined as the faculty which interprets the senses into action. The words we hear, the sights we see, the tastes we appreciate and the touch we feel all are subjects of Mind. The out come of the sensation through these manifest as the actions by tongue (words), arms, legs, sex organs, and the body systems. Mind is one among the eleven Indriyas i.e. five sensory (Jnanendriya) and five motor (Karmendriya) including Manas of a living organism. It designs the difference between living and non-living organisms.

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SCHIZOPHRENIA IN INDIAN MEDICINE

Dr. G.V. Ramana, Research Officer (Ay), Dr. H.K. Gupta, Research Officer (Psychiatry), Advance Centre for Ayurveda, CCRAS, NIMHANS, Bangalore

About 1% of general population is estimated to be suffering from schizophrenia. There are number of studies conducted earlier to estimate the incidence and prevalence rates of schizophrenia[2,3] and for estimating the burden of illness and cost on the society. The distribution of incidences relating to age, sex and other factors are also more useful for formulating an aetiological hypothesis.

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Medicinal Properties of Tulsi

Dr. P.K. Rai, Dr. Richa Rai, Dr. O.P. Singh, Department of Kayachikitsa, IMS, BHU.

Ocimum sanctum (also known as Holy basil in English, and Tulsi in Sanskrit) is a well known aromatic plant in the family Lamiaceae. Apart from its culinary uses, for which it is known across the world, it is also used as a medicinal plant. The plant is an erect, herbaceous, much-branched, softly hairy annual. It grows up to the height of about 75 cm to 90cm. The plant has tender leaves, usually smooth, up to 2.5cm in length, elliptic-oblong, acute or obtuse, entire or serrate, pubescent on both sides and minutely gland-dotted. The inflorescence is a long spike with tiny purple flowers.  The flowers are inclose whorled racemes, purplish or crimson. The nutlets are sub-globose or broadly ellipsoid, slightly compressed, nearly smooth, pale brown or reddish and show small black markings.

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Marma in Clinical Practice

Dr. K Praveen, Govt. Ayurveda College, Tripunithura, Kochi

As an introduction let’s have a look into the history of marma sastra. The word marma first finds mention in Adharvaveda. During the Vaidika kala the science was prevalent, probably as military science. During the Samhita kala, marma sastra got a new outlook as a science dealing with Marmasareera and Marmabhighada chikitsa and was considered as a branch of Salyatanthra. Acharya Agnivesa realized the presence of 107 Marmas and Acharya Caraka enumerated marma and among them Siras, Hridaya and Vasti are of vital clinical significance.

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PINAK - the Ayurvedic Antivenin

Dr. Geeta Pandurang Pawar, Shree-Bharadi Ayurvedic Pharmaceuticals, Karad and Dr. P.S.Pawar, Superintendent, Sasoon Hospital, Pune

Snakebite is the most important killing accident. It is worldwide problem. It is more predominant in hilly and wild areas, though snakebite cases are seen in all districts. Snakes do not bite on their own unless they are frightened or disturbed purposefully or inadverntly. It still remains a fairly common melody in farmers, trekkers, hill climbers etc. in rural area. Snakes are our friends, especially of farmers. Snakes are rat eaters who in turn eat valuable lot of food grains. They usually bite in self-defence. Only Cobra, Viper and Krait are generally poisonous in India. Rest are non-poisonous. Treatment in snakebite cases varies from place to place and from doctor to doctor.

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Sweet Flag - the aromatic plant

Dr. Preetha Sreekumar, MD, Department of Dravyagunavijnanam, Pankajakasthuri Ayurveda Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram

Sweet flag, known as Calamus, has a long reputation as a healing herb. Dry rhizomes of Acorus calamus Linn. constitute the drug Calamus of commerce.

Calamus is a highly valued herbal medicine in Indian and other European countries and form an ingredient of several drugs of Ayurveda, Unani and Modern systems of medicine.

This aromatic plant was used as incense in ancient Sumeria and Egypt, as well as in medieval Europe as an air freshener. The rhizome of the plant was so very popular with the indigenous Indians that it was used as a medicine of exchange and most Indians treasured it as a valuable commodity of various uses. Ayurveda consider Acorus as an excellent drug capable of improving memory and intellect. The Sanskrit term Vacha indicates its property of making speech clear. This wonder herb has been used extensively by almost all systems of medicine to provide effective relief from digestive problems.

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Towards a Positive Integration

Review of the book ‘Precise Diagnosis for Students & Practitioners’ - by Dr. K. Murali MD, Govt. Ayurveda College, Tripunithura, Kochi, Kerala

As a dominant system of medicine in our society, Western Medicine always subdues even the thought process of Ayurvedic physician in many a way. Trained in a Western way from primary-schools to colleges, most of the present generation are quite alien to Indian culture and knowledge systems. No wonder they find the Western knowledge more scientific and acceptable. Even while learning Ayurveda this trend persists. So there is only a half hearted effort to inculcate what is learned. But legally one is bound to stick on to Ayurveda.

Speaking frankly, this is not a problem of the novice. Even the policy makers of Ayurveda and its education are confused over the incorporation of Western knowledge- how far and how much. Also, there are different schools of thought.

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