Abstract

INDIAN HEALTH AND MEDICINAL SYSTEM: FROM ANCIENT INDIA TO PRESENT WORLD.

*Shaifali Dubey, Ankita Gupta, Mayuri Mishra and Sonam Singh

ABSTRACT

Today we have number of therapeutic agents, techniques, methodologies and ways for treatment of different diseases but the astonishing aspect is that what was being done and how these diseases were cured and treated in the ancient time. Ancient Indian health system includes practice of yoga for maintaining balance of physical and spiritual energy/health, shastrakarma dealing with surgery and ayurveda. The ayurvedic treatment plans were having many valuable medicinal plants. Sushruta Samhita (6th century BC) describes 700 medicinal plants. Actually our past and present medicinal system is connected in some way like the ayurvedic plants which were the treatment source are now undergoing the research for exploring their utility. The phytoconstituents of these plants are being processed for development of semi-synthetic analogues or the formulations of these are in market. Like the today‟s concept of digestion, metabolism and immune system the Charak Samhita also discuss it in detail. The present system is categorized on the basis of different systems of body like respiratory, digestive, reproductive, genetics etc. These were worked under category of root cause of disease of different system under the imbalance of three doshas-bile, phlegm and wind. The genetic concept of Charak and theory about blindness arising due to the defect in the ovum and the sperm is surprising here. Although deep insight shows connectivity of ancient and present era medicinal system yet the form and execution techniques and practice of medicines have been changed to a great extent. But if again moving back and capturing from our present we can generate a better fit for the health and medicinal system of future.

Keywords: Ancient indian medicine, therapeutic agents, medicinal plants, semi-synthetic analogues.