Ayurveda
: Ancient Heritage in the Age of Globalisation
17
Ayurveda has eight branches that offer treatment
in these lines. These branches are – general medicine,
paediatrics, psychiatry, ENT and ophthalmology, surgery,
toxicology, rejuvenation medicine and reproductive
medicine. Among them the most developed branch was
surgery. Though many elaborative surgical procedures
are explained in the treatises and were practiced well,
only two procedures are in major application now –
ksharakarma
or a herbal cauterisation procedure for
piles and
ksharasutra
or herbal cauterization threading
for fistula-in-ano. The blood letting procedures like
jalooka
(leech) application and
siravyadha
(venesection)
that are widely practiced falls in the branch of surgery.
One allegation against all traditional medicines is
theirdisqualification tobeEvidenceBasedMedical systems.
This is a debate going on and on in both constructively
and destructively. Few facts that are meant to counter the
allegation are that systems are time tested and hence
need no additional evidence to support its use (Indian
Government gives license, without insisting on clinical
trials, for any formulations taken from the classical
treatises listed in the Drug and Cosmetics Act, as these
treatises have been in successful usage since time
immemorial) and that the concept of body and its
functions are entirely different in these systems and are
difficult to be assessed based on modern scientific tools.
