KOCHI: The practice of medicine has been going for in some form or other for over a million years. In prehistoric times, it is surmised that early humans came to know about the use of plants or herbs through trial and error methods. Early civilizations had their systems of medicine from Mesopotamia in the 18th Century BCE to the Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations which followed.
The Louvre Museum in Paris has a stone pillar dating back to the 18th century BCE on which is inscribed the code of Hammurabi, a Babylonian king of the time, which includes laws about the practice of medicine. But the system of medicine or allopathic medicine as it is commonly known today bears no resemblance to that practised in ancient times. Practices which were accepted have now been rejected and new methods are being discovered regularly.
Technology has reduced the human interface between the doctor and the patient and this will only worsen in the future. This is where Ayurveda – the science of Indian medicine stands apart. Ayurveda, the knowledge of life, has been practised unchanged with regard to its basic principles for thousands of years.
From passages in the Vedas dating back to the second millennium BCE to the Charaka-Samhita and Sushruta-Samhita which date back to the 1st and 7th century CE respectively, the core essence of Ayurveda has remained uniquely distinct and has stood the test of time.
Based on interconnectedness among individuals and the universe, the practice of Ayurveda individualizes treatment based on the understanding of the body’s constitution (Prakriti) and life forces (Dosha) using compounds of herbs or proprietary ingredients, as well as massage, diet, exercise, and lifestyle recommendations.
After a period of dormancy during the British rule, Ayurveda has been making its mark since independence and is today a globally recognized and respected system of medicine. Today, Ayurveda is accepted and practised across the country. Ayurveda has been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a complete system of natural medicine.
Ayurveda centres are spread not just across India, but across the globe! The Indian government supports this ancient Indian medical science including institutes for training Ayurvedic medical practitioners. It also actively promotes Ayurveda globally. The government is also supporting clinical and laboratory research on Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurveda has embraced modern technology to manufacture Ayurvedic medicines using the same ancient formulae and methodology in modern facilities that follow globally accepted good manufacturing practices (GMP).
There has been marked progress in the conduct of clinical trials and research which is the gold standard in Western medical research. In fact, the first-ever study of a traditional medical system sponsored by WHO was of Ayurvedic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis conducted in collaboration with the Indian Council for Medical Research in Coimbatore from 1977 to 1984.
A few years ago, another clinical trial, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, USA, of classical Ayurvedic outpatient treatment for RA showed the ayurvedic treatment to be equivalent in efficacy and with fewer adverse effects as compared to treatment with efficacy.
There is a need for more number of studies to ensure greater acceptance across the globe and in this our ayurvedic literature is a rich source of data and a valuable resource for researchers. It is said in the Charaka-Samhita that, the world is sustained by the combination of Satva (mind), Atma (soul) and Shareera (body) which constitute the basis for everything. Ayurveda can thus be the answer to everything that modern medicine fails to address. It is for us to delve deep into this science and make it part of our life.