Bird's Eye View

I am very much happy to take you to the world of Ayurveda. In this modern era of globalization, Ayurveda is being given a serious attention in the form of an alternative medicine.  So it is time to know about Ayurveda initially and then study it in a deeper way. Before actually entering the field of Ayurveda, it would be better to have a bird’s eye view of the medical systems in general.

It’s a natural instinct that a person desires to live a long, healthy, joyful life. As far as these things keep on going smoothly, one generally doesn’t bother. When there happens to be a problem regarding health, the person wishes to get rid off it, at the earliest, with minimum expenses and preferably without any restrictions. There is nothing wrong in this thinking. But on practical level, it may take a totally different turn. Let me try to explain, how it happens.

First of all, let us understand the difference between a “Treatment” and “Drug or Medicine”. People have various notions about medical systems, as per their knowledge and experience and they spread their opinion quite freely. In India there are so many medical systems, which are in practice. The modern medicine is widely spread and it even receives first preference in most states of India. But in spite of this situation, there are a few practitioners of Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Naturopathy, Unani, Bio-chemic etc.

People try to differentiate between these parties according to the use of type of medicines or even by the mode of treatment. For example, the ‘injection route’ of medicine is known as modern medicine. Even scholar, learned persons from urban areas believe that injection gives immediate relief. So the doctor who gives injections is really a good doctor! What to speak of illiterate and village based people? Now with the rapid spread of ‘AIDS’, the use of injection is becoming less and people are turning more to capsules and tablets etc. On the other hand, people understand  ‘Homeopathy ‘ in the form of small sugar pills. So, one who gives such pill is a homeopathic doctor! People understand Ayurveda in the form of medicines such as herbs, decoctions, pills, matras (a special kind of medical preparation which is instantly effective by rubbing it in a media like honey etc.), medicated oils, asava (a kind of medicine with self generated alcohol), etc. So any person who gives such medicine is known as ‘Ayurvedic’ doctor. A naturopath may be known as a person who emphasizes on ‘fasting’.

These are general beliefs, I once again explain, they may vary from person to person according to their knowledge and experience. But then this belief does really create a problem. A fact should be well known that every medical system has its own theory about health, illness and solutions to these illnesses. Treatment is a part of this theory and medicine is a part of this treatment. But people understand medicine as a treatment and hence, may keep on asking, whether you know some medicine for this particular diseases etc. In this case, the whole credit goes to the medicine and the results are also quoted as drug results. So the people, even from medical system, try to emphasize drug oriented research.

In this situation, it would be worth to look back again to know “Treatment”. Treatment as explained early is really the outcome of the theory about the disease, e.g. According to ‘modern medicine’, as Aspirin’ has analgesic, antipyretic properties it becomes a drug in fever. Due to anti-coagulant property it becomes a drug in heart diseases. Since fever is due to infection, according to modern medicine, use of antibiotic is the treatment. Proper antibiotic may be chosen as a medicine according to the modern medicine.

Ayurveda on the other hand, thinks quite in a different way. Since the digestion is not proper in most of the cases of fever, “fasting” is a treatment for fever according to Ayurveda. Medicine with a bitter taste is a drug for fever according to Ayurveda.

One may try to understand, that, getting a disease or becoming ill is a complex phenomenon, involving many factors and achieving health again, is also dependent on so many factors. Every medical system has its own views about this and treatment and drug are a part and parcel of the systems.