THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE FOR HOMOEOPATHS

Dr.S.K.M.SASTRY M.D(Hom.)
With out being aware of the laborious foundations upon which an edifice is built we can gain but a superficial idea of the great superstructure". --WYNDHAM E.B.LLOYD
ORIGIN-?
The development of medicine from early times is a fascinating study and at the same time rewarding. Today the stage is reached when many regard it as precision oriented medical system. But how did man reach such advanced stage in the matter of giving relief from pain? This question inevitably takes us back to the origin of subject itself. It is very difficult to date back the origin of medicine At the most, it could be presumed that it has begun with life itself. The sole mission of life is to exist at it's best. Whenever there is a problem for it's existence it struggles. At every event of struggle it learns something new and tries to remedy that suffering by some means. Perhaps, this way the medicine began. This could be appreciated by seeing how lower animals make an attempt to heal their wounds or sufferings. Osler, the great writer on modern medicine refers to natural Phlebotomy by Hippopotamus. It knows for it thrusts itself against sharp reed in the river bank when it feels it needs Phlebotomy. The use of emetics by the dog, the use of enema by Ibis, the use of Valerian by cats, use of some antidotal herbs for snake poison by Mongese, Licking of the wounds and painful parts by animals etc., are the best examples observed in Nature.
Atharvana Veda mentions number of such instances from which man can learn the use of medicines from the birds and animals. Hence hardly there is any difference between the origin of life and the origin of medicine and they remain as mysteries.
ANCIENT MEDICINE
In the ancient times man must have opted a shelter from nature to protect himself from various illnesses. He started believing the diseases and calamities were due to the wrath of Gods and Evil spirits. He resorted to Mantras and Tantras. Healing was one of the attributes of it and who ever healed wounds or diseases or disorders were considered as Gods. Treatment was taken as an instrument to preach the religion and almost the healing art was Mythicized. The contribution of therapeutics has been found in various countries at various periods of time.
Perhaps, China, India, Egypt, Babylon and Greece are the contemporary countries where certain relevant records of the ancient times exist. Other countries also must have practiced in their own way but no clear evidence is available.
In India,the medicine is traced back to Vedic period and the whole treatise was named as AYURVEDA (the science of life). Thousands of years before Christian era itself ancient civilisation could be traced. Vedas, Brahmanas and Puranas 800 - 700 BC Indus valleys confirm it's existence from ancient times. In China from 1500 B.C, in Egypt, Babylon and Greece also nothing precisely known beyond 700 BC Some where 5000 B.C to 3000 B.C traces of medicine prevailed with all mythological figures.
EVOLUTION OF MEDICINE IN INDIA
In India, the epochal records of history reveal that the medicine descended from the Lord of Absolute Knowledge 'BRAHMA'. He taught it to DAKSHA. ASHWIN TWINS obtained it from him and blessed INDRA with it.
DHANWANTARIINDRA expounded it further to BHARADWAJA, , KASHYAPA, VASISHTA, ATRI and BHRIGU. ATREYA PUNARVASU learnt the science of life from BHARADWAJA, who extended it to AGNIVESA, BHELA, JATUKARNA, PARASARA, HARITHA, KSHARAPANI and others. DHANVANTRI passed it on to SUSRUTHA, AUPADHENAVA, VAITARANA, AURABHRA, KARTAVIRYA, GOPURAKSHITA, BHOJA AND OTHERS. KASHYAPA, VASISHTA, ATRI AND BHRIGU EXTENDED IT TO THEIR SONS AND DISCIPLES.
The total treatment was classified into two groups.
1.Medical 2.Surgical. Atreya Punarvasu dealt with Medical part and Divodasa Dhanwantari described Surgical method.
Ancient Surgical methodAs India being considered to be RATNAGARBHA India was always a focal point for foreigners and subjected to frequent wars. India lost many valuable manuscripts, inscriptions and stone tablets. Whatever that is available now is not even loose ends of the Medical History. Connecting all that unfortunately is not a total success. Continuous medical thought was disturbed and there by blind sentimental followers came to existence. They did not reveal the secretes of their treatment to others except to their dear ones. This was another set back for medicine why it did not progress to the extent it ought to. It became priestly, magical and empirical medicine. Jains, Buddhists developed this art in the form of inscriptions on monoliths, stone tablets and metal plates, paintings, sculptures in the caves etc.
Ashta Chakras, Rakta Prasaranam (Blood Circulation, vata, Pitta and Kapha the Tridoshas (3 main defects), Shishu Jananam (Delivery), Rasa rakta Sapta dhatus (7 Elements), Names of the diseases, Signs and Symptoms and treatment, Medicines, Sources of Medicines, Preparation of Medicines etc,. are found in Atharva Veda. PANCHA MAHA BHUTHAS (Five Proto elements) namely PRITHVI (earth), JALA (water), AGNI (light or fire), VAYU (air) and AKASHA (sky) constitute total creation and Man takes no exemption. In the Man the SMELL is akin with THE EARTH; the JALA is equal to RASA; the RUPA is identical to AGNI; the SPARSA is comparable to VAYU and SABDA is synonymous to AKASA. Man is hence called “SHAT DHATUMAYAM” The functions of the Five Proto elements, the Five Sense Organs, Mind and Soul unitedly called as Life. It takes birth lives for some time and dies. HITAYUVU (life of Benevolence), AHITAYUVU (life of malevolence), SUKHAYUVU (life of joy) AND DUKHAYUVU (woeful life) are the four fundamental natures on which life exists.
There were four theories which came into force due to different faiths of people of those days. They are namely BRAHMIC (Medicine descended from Brahma), SHAIVIC (Tantric and Rasa), SAMANTHA BHADRIC(Jain and Buddhist) AND AGASTHYIC (Siddha). Apart from the above BHOOTAVIDYA was also practiced.
From BUDDHA period onwards really medicine flourished in India which roughly goes back to 700 BC JEEVAKA was one of the famous MONK who developed medicine.
IN CHINA AND JAPAN:
ConfuciusChinese claim that medicine existed as early as from 2500 BC The authority of growth of medicine is from Buddhist period onwards.
Buddhists were considered to be the early pioneers of immunisation followed by dietics, Hydrotherapy, massage etc., They used to say "The great doctor is he who treats not some one who is already ill but somebody who is yet to be ill". They became famous for "Bare Foot Doctors". ACUPUNCTURE (acus = needle + puncture) was one of their approach of therapies. They used to insert hair-thin needles, singly or in combination, into strategic points on the to ease the pain and treat myriad of ailments. It is based on the belief that disease is caused by imbalances in the flow of Ch'i, the life energy, through a series of "meridians" that crisscross the body. Each of these pathways associated with an internal organ; they appear just under the skin at more than 360 points.
According to this theory of acupuncture, when needles are stuck into the skin at these points and twirled, they correct the flow of energy, thus stopping pain and restoring health. They used to believe two principles THE YANG and THE YIN. Lin Tan (600 B.C) was also known as Lao Tzu: according to him, health depended upon the interplay of two cosmic forces, - "Yin" and "Yang", - the negative and the positive force. " Yin", the female force was associated with evil and its dominance resulted in disease. YANG was considered to be an active masculine and YIN was considered passive feminine principle "Yang", the male force had an opposite and favourable effect in man. The body was composed of five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal and water), which were kept in balance by " Yin" and "Yang". Their disturbance resulted in ill-health.
The interplay and interchange of these forces creates functional change in the universe. The Magnetic properties and it's use on health was expounded in around I AD ACUPRESSURE (acus = needle + pressure) pressing against the wounded arteries by passing through needles into the tissues on either side of the artery to occlude it. JAPANESE also followed Acupressure in the form of SHIATSU (Shi=finger, Atsu=pressure).
IN EGYPT AND BABYLONIA:
Imhotep, the god of Healing
It is not certain whether Egyptians brought the medicine to lime light or Babylonians. Some say that Egyptians borrowed medicine from Babilonians and they have popularised. They also used to consider that the Gods of medicine were IMHOTOP and HORUS. On Himatop and Horus they constructed temples. The physicians got training from temples. The primitive medicine of Egypt speaks that the diseases were due to absorption of some harmful substances in the intestines and then putrefied Blood. They called it as Pus disease.
There was a practice of using Purgatives and Blood letting to purify the blood and thereby to alleviate the diseases. EBERS PAPYRUS a famous doctor of 1500 BC wrote many books on medicine. As early as 3,000 B.C. evidence of brain surgery is found in papyrus writings in Egypt. "Brain," the actual word itself, is used here for the first time in any language
The Stars role in causing diseases .Here ASTRONOMY, ASTROLOGY dominated the medicine. Ebers wrote on about 700 drugs and their classification. The eye doctors and tooth doctors were also existed during those days. They first inoculated against Small Pox.
IN GREECE:
Possibly the Greeks had borrowed much from the then existing medical knowledge of other parts of the World during their battles. They were Doctors, Philosophers, and as well Warriors. Medicine dominated the Mythological Texts. The origin and growth of medicine was believed to have descended from LORD APOLLO (The SUN GOD) who heard the cry of suffering and gave birth to ASCLEPIUS with an uncanny gift of healing the Sick.
Asclepius was considered to have the powers to restore life to the dead. This use of powers caused annoyance to JEWS and they killed Asclepius with a Thunder Bolt. Later on the sons of Asclepius MACHOAN and PODALARIUS and his daughter HYGEIA were blessed by their father SURGERY, THERAPEUTICS and WOMEN DISEASES respectively. They were worshipped as Gods and Goddess of the healing art. Many disciples came forward to learn the arts of Surgery, Therapeutics and Women diseases. They were called as ASCLEPIADS. Till 500 BC it was all Myth in the Greece. Asclepiads and Priests were alone allowed to practice medicine. Other communities had no right to practice this Science. The Priests were treated as existing Almighties in those days. With ALEXANDER'S conquests the world came to know about Greek system of Medicine. It is all ambiguous whether they had any of their original medicine or merely the lore of medical knowledge they got from other parts of the world. Historically speaking Greeks have achieved more recognition in the development of medicine from 500 B.C onwards. Temples of health erected.
Regarding the development of medicine in the Ancient times from other countries is not clear till 500 BC After that only we get some relevant records from various parts of the world.
HISTORY OF MEDICINE FROM 500 BC - 2 AD
IN INDIA:
Ayurveda really flourished during BUDDHA period. NALANDA,TAKSHASILA UNIVERSITIES had special departments. Many students came from various parts of the world like China, Greece, Tibet etc, to learn medicine. The monks became famous in treating the diseases. They used to serve people with their art. ALEXANDER got surprised to see that many soldiers who were bitten by Snakes restored back by Indian Doctors. Mourya Chandra Gupta of 400 B.C established many clinics and formulated some ethics and codes. Doctors were allowed for postmortem examinations to know the cause of death. During this time birth and death registers were also maintained.
Later on ASHOKA and KANISHKA too propagated medicine. SUSHRUTHA SAMHITA, CHARAK SAMHITA and DHANVANTARI NIGHANTUVV are the illustrious Treatises where in Surgical, Therapeutical and Pharmaceutical informations made available. DHANVANTARI is considered as THE HINDU GOD OF MEDICINE (The Incarnation of Lord Vishnu). The total essence of Medicine is possessed by him. DHANVANTARI NIGHANTUVU goes by his name. The period of SUSHRUTHA is mentioned at different times in Vedas and Puranas (The Sacred Books). It is not clear his time of existence. The Sushrutha Samhita is a MASTER PIECE of Ayurveda which deals with Sutra, Nidana, Chikitsa and Kalpa Volumes. Surgical Treatment is elaborately discussed and special attention has been paid. Surgical treatment was inevitable during the Great Battles of RAMAYANA and MAHABHARATA. There have been instances where setting up of fractures, amputations, excision of Tumors repairing of Hernias and couching of Cataracts were widely practiced. However, Surgery in India suffered a set back due to the predominance of Buddhist principle "AHIMSA" (Non Violence).
CHARAKA of 2 B.C or 2 A.D or whether belonged to any single person or a group of persons is not confirmed but CHARAKA SAMHITA is considered as MASTER PIECE OF INDIAN SYSTEM OF MEDICINE. It consists of 8 big volumes namely Sutrasthana, Nidanasthana, Vimanasthana, Sarirakasthana, Indriyasthana, Chikitsasthana, Kalpasthana and Siddhisthana. Ayurveda elaborately discusses General principles for an Ideal Physician, Patient, Knowledge of medicines, Conduct and Ethics, Causes of diseases, Anatomy, Physiology, Toxicology, Personal hygiene, Psychotherapy, Treatment, Diet and Regimen etc., Ayurveda gave importance to 1.Physician 2.Patient 3.Medicine and 4.Service. Sushruta samhita also affirms the main targets of physician. Surgical part is more dealt in Sushruta samhita. TRIDOSHA THEORY of Ayurveda is the main guideline in treating the diseases. Vata, Pitta and Kapha influence the Blood and movement of the Pulse. All the diseases are due to discordance of these Tridoshas. Vata, Pitta and Kapha and they are responsible for the maintenance of body form and shape. It is believed that the correction of these THREE DOSHAS would enable to restore health. Treatment is classified into Two-Fold method known as VIPARITHA CHIKITSA (Treatment by Contraries) and TADARTHAKARI CHIKITSA (Treatment by Similars). Viparita Chikitsa aims at 1.Hetu Viparita Contrary to the Cause) relating to Aushadha (Medicine), Anna(Diet) and Vihara (Activities of life); 2.Vyadhi Viparita (the opposite treatment based on diseases); 3.Hetu Vyadhi (The treatment based on both Hetu (cause) and Vyadhi (disease). Tardhakari Chikitsa treats diseases by 1.Hetu Tardhakari (similar causes), 2.Vyadhi Tardhakari (similar diseases) and 3.Hetu Tardhakari (similars by both causes and diseases).The Pharmacology of Ayurveda Reveals that the Medicines are prepared from Plants, Animals and Minerals.
IN GREECE: he father of Modern Medicine HIPPOCRATES OF COS (460-377 B.C) was an Asclepiad was supposed to have followed the Traditional Priest oriented medicine but for the first time in the medical world deviated and laid foundation to scientific medicine. His acceptable theory is that every disease is subject to Natural Laws and should therefore, carefully be observed. Since all the bodies have a natural tendency to recovery a proper medicine should be chosen. He formulated the rules and regulations for all practitioners. A Pledge embodying a code of ethics were drafted by Hippocrates which is popularly known as HIPPOCRATIC OATH and every medical man is morally bound by that. Hippocrates and his followers believed in "Vis Medicatrix Naturae" (The healing power of the Vital Force). He was also a Hygienist and studied climate, water supply, clothing, habits of eating and drinking. Hippocrates (460 - 370 B.C.) was an astute Greek physician who was born on the island of Cos, but probably practised on Rhodes. He was the first to maintain records of his patients complaints and his own observations. With this began the study of symptoms and signs and their correlation. With the use of several such records it was possible to diagnose similar conditions in other patients. Among his contributions to medicine are the descriptions of the face in the terminal stages of life [ Hippocratic facies ] . It was Hippocrates who enunciated the physician 's oath , now known as the "Hippocratic Oath".The following is an abstract from the famous Hippocratic oath.
" I swear by Apollo, the healer, invoking all the Gods and Goddesses to be my witnesses, that I will fulfil this Oath and this written convenant to the best of my ability and judgment. I will look upon him who shall have taught me this art even as one of my own parents. I will impart this art by precept, by lecture and by every mode of teaching. The regime I adopt shall be for the benefit of the patient according to my ability and judgement, and not for their hurt or for any wrong. In my attendance on the sick or even part there from, whatsoever things I see or hear, concerning the life of men, which ought not to be spoken abroad, I will keep silence thereon, counting such things to be as sacred secrets".
His aphorisms are also famous, some of which state : "Life is short and the art long; opportunity is fleeting, experience fallacious, judgement is difficult." "In every disease, it is a good sign when the patient's intellect is sound and he enjoys his food; the opposite is a bad sign." " In winter occur pleurisy, pneumonia, colds, sore throat, headache, dizziness, apoplexy." It was Hippocrates who gave a humane and philosophical face to medicine. He is rightly considered the " Father of medicine
"ARISTOTLE (384 B.C) was a great philosopher, scientist, logician, dramatist and a poet. The growth of medicine was carried out by him after Hippocrates. Medicine, here took literal touch, philosophical outlook, logical explanation, artistic shape and scientific approach.
Pythagoras (570-489 B.C.) was a mathematician and a physicist ; Although known to all as the discoverer of the theorem in geometry which goes by his name, he was also known for his profound influence on medicine. According to him, diseases were due to disturbances of four humours: (1) Black bile was cold and dry. (2) Yellow bile was hot and dry, (3) Phlegm was cold and moist and (4) Blood was hot and moist. There is a similarity between Pythagoras' concept of diseases and the Ayurvedic concept enunciated al teast two centuries earlier.
Aristotle enunciated what is widely known as THE THEORY OF HUMOURS. According to the Theory Of Humorous the human body is composed of four basic elements including Air, Fire, Water and Earth. All these four elements take the shape of Blood, Phlegm, Yellow bile and black bile and influence Sanguinine (excess of Vigor and Confidence), Phlegmatic (Sluggish and indifferent), Choleric (Anger and Wrath) and Melancholic (A state of prolonged depression) Temperaments respectively. The Vata (Sanguinine), Pitta (Yellow and Black bile) and Kapha (Choleric) theory of Ayurveda seem to be similar to the Theory of Humors. He states that any imbalance in these humors lead to the diseases. Another remarkable achievement of him is in the field of Logic and he wrote a great treatise on logic which goes by name "ORGANON". Aristotle's idea refers to both Psychological and Physiological aspects of health. Aristotle evolved a concept of CATHARSIS. This idea is very pertinent to the Psychosomatic disorders. By depicting a greater tragedy in his drama he could help the patients of such psychosomatic disorders. However one generally accepted version of it is that a great tragedy must lead to Catharsis thereby purging of emotions is possible and one becomes realistic. This notion of Similarity existed during those days.
Later ERASISTRATUS (304-245 B.C?) followed Aristotle. He believed that most of the diseases afflicting body were due to excess of Blood. He also propounded the concept of respiration and circulation of blood in the body. He initiated Empirical Schools which is named as TRIPOD SYSTEM (Observation, History and Judgment) of analysis of the diseases. He developed the theory of blood letting to cure the various ailments.
Aristotle's contemporary HEROPHALIS (290 B.C?) was the first Anatomist who dissected a human body and discovered rather vaguely arteries and veins and something faintly he noticed nervous system. This was the time when in Greece some chemicals as balms, as herbs were used to preserve dead bodies. However, the preservation was not prolonged one. In India the method of preserving dead bodies was mastered much earlier. The earliest instances go back to RAMAYANA the Indian Epic in which Dasharadha's body was preserved till the return of Bharatha his son. From Greece midpoint of interest in medicine passed over to Alexandria. It is an irony of history that the careful experimental science of Hippocrates was totally ignored in the centuries immediately following. Healing was never more confused than in the middle of the second century AD Many number of schools appeared after Hippocrates - dogmatics, empiricists, Herophilism, Erasistratism etc,.
IN ROME:
By the time we come to CHRISTIAN ERA the Roman Physician ELDER (23-79 AD) believed that the foundation of medicine had it's development from 300BC onwards. According to him they were in the habit of importing medicine from GREECE. Roman Medicine the earliest works in Latin DEMEDICINA (Concerning Medicine) written by AULUS CORNELIUS CELSUS(1A.D) is very famous Roman Medical ideas became dominant particularly on Surgery and the subject of balanced diet. They were the great organisers of Ancient world. By the end of First Century A.D they were famous for establishing "NATIONAL HEALTH CENTERS" particularly to serve army.
Roman Medicine is much debited to CLADIUS GALEN (130-201A.D) born in Greece but settled in Rome. He tried to explain respiration and circulation relying upon monkeys and pigs. The health consciousness received a fillip during this period. He produced more than 500 works on medical and philosophical subjects. Most of them have been lost. He was appointed as Royal Physician to Emperor AURELIUS (121-180 A.D). Galen believed that the food that is taken in turns into white fluid and goes to liver to form blood there by to become humors and vital spirits in the heart to carry out the various functions of the nervous system in order to maintain health. He expounded that diseases occur due to Predisposing factors, Exciting factors and Environmental factors. His theories were not questioned up to 17th Century. He was a medical dictator in his times and he was called as a mixture of good and evil.
HISTORY OF MEDICINE 200 A.D TO MIDDLE AGES
IN INDIA:
KANISHKA (200 AD) a Buddhist emperor of India contributed allot for the development of medicine. It is believed that he maintained CHARAKA the author of the authentic Treatise Charaka Samhita of Ayurveda in his court. The reference about Charaka is found much prior to and after Kanishka at different ages as Rishi of the pre Panini's age/Patanjali, Incarnation of Sesha the serpent king. It is also believed that charaka does not refer to a particular individual and Charaka Samhita is nothing but the research work of research oriented physicians.
VIKRAMARKA (400 AD), HARSHAVARDHANA (700 AD) during their time encouraged Ayurvedic Treatment. The DARK AGE for Ayurveda started from 600 AD onwards due to frequent wars. With changes in the political condition in India, the torch which was lighted thousands of years ago by the sages grew dim till the time of Independent India. IN ROME:
Around 400 AD when superstition reigned supreme, the Christian Church opposed both the ancient and medieval thought of medicine. They propounded the idea that the diseases were due to sins man committed and the solution was to surrender to Almighty. Slowly they discarded the earlier schools of thought. Apart from that the Roman Empire also fell down from 500-1500. All medical schools also disappeared, dissecting the dead bodies were prohibited. There was no much of progress in medicine. This period was the DARK AGE for Roman medicine too.
ARABIC MEDICINE:
Around 700 AD when Europe was passing through the Dark ages the ARABS stole a march over the rest of civilisation. Medical arose in the east. MOSLEMS had conquered much of the east and had absorbed then surviving system of Greek medicine.
They translated Greco- Roman medical literature into ARABIC and some of the ancient medicine and named it as ARABIC MEDICINE which is now popularly known as UNANI. Most of their writings belonged to Galen and Hippocrates were translated and incorporated into their Heritage. They established their medical schools in Bhagdad, Damascus, Cairo and other Moslem Capitals.
OSLER says "ARABS LIT A BRILLIANT TORCH FROM GREECIAN LAMPS". Islam enjoyed a GOLDEN AGE between 750-1050 AD. RHAZES(865-923) was a famous Arabic Physician who differentiated for the first time Small Pox and Measles. His writings were authority till 16th Century. Another popular Persian Physician was AVICENNA(980-1037). He wrote MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA in the beginning of 11th Century. He described about guinea worm to the medical world for the first time. The another famous work was "CANON". His work was commended till 17th Century. Art of distillation goes to their credit. Alcohol, Alkali, Tartar, etc. are originally from Arabs.ABULCASIS, AVENZOOR AND AVERROES were the other great writers who contributed in the development of medicine. They introduced Polypharmacy.
HISTORY OF MEDICINE DURING MIDDLE AGES
By the 13th Century medicine became popular and many schools were opened. The practice of dissection had become a part and part of the study of Medical course. The habit of making and keeping up of case histories started during this period. There was a dramatic improvement in the medical profession probably due to Epidemic Plague. They tried and failed in preventing and curing the Plague.
They strictly followed the foot steps of what Aristotle, Galen and Avicenna's theories with out disputing their pronouncements. A few names like CASSIDORUS OF ITALY, ACTIUS, ALEXANDER OF TRALLES, PAUL AND AEGINA etc. were famous during this period.
HISTORY OF MEDICINE DURING RENAISSANCE PERIOD
The revival of learning started during 15th Century. Due to fall of Constantinople during 1453 by Islamic forces Greek Scholars fled away to west with many of their books and manuscripts and started learning medicine. They spread their Knowledge in ITALY and published many books. Fifteenth century was also a period of Revolutions in the fields of Politics, Industries, Medicine and Religion. Persons of outstanding were born in every part of Europe. Poets, Philosophers, Painters, Musicians, Mathematicians and Scientists appeared in number and swept off age-long superstitions and dogmas from the minds of the people. Medicine was revived by PARACELSUS(1490-1541). He was a philosopher, Alchemist and a physician. He over threw the absolute sovereignty of Hippocrates, Galen and Avicenna. He condemned the theories of Galen and commented "SHOE BUCKLES KNOW BETTER THAN HIM". He publicly burnt the works of Avecenna and attacked superstition and dogma in medicine. He said that medicine should not deal with a set of man made rules, but knowledge of all creation. He considered the human body to be the microcosm which mirrored the macrocosm and all the diseases were spiritual not physical in origin. They must be treated with some thing of spiritual nature. He was a good Chemist and was reputed as Chemical Physician.
During the Medieval Age most universities in Europen we staffed by Aristotelian professors who taught Galenic medicine and the Christian world view. They were quite well know for their resistance to any new thought or diversity. The hold of the orthodoxy was not seriously challenged until the great medical revolution inspired by Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim, commonly known as Paracelsus (1493-1541). Paracelsus felt that Hippocrates was the Father of Medicine not Galen and he tried to remove the distortions that were superimposed on the original Hippocratic Canon. He upheld the ancient traditions of the vital force in the form of the "archeus", and called for a return to the Hippocratic theorem that diseases can be cured by medicines which are similar in nature to the disease to be treated. Vide Compendiun Philosophae, 1568 by Paracelsus.
"The similars cure similars, the scorpion cures scorpion, mercury cures mercury. the poison is mortal for man except, if in the organism there is another poison with which it may fight, in which case the patient regains his health".
Paracelsus moreover elucidated the ancient "Doctrine of signatures" and integrated it into his Neo-Hippocratic revolution. This doctrine uses an analogy of the shape, size, colour, taste, nature of habitat, processes of development, etc., of a particular substance to deduce its potential medicinal powers on "homologous" parts of the human body. This method is common to old folk healing which taught that the walnut was "brain food" and the "kidney bean" is good for the kidneys and that the yellow color of Chelidonium made it suitable for "bilious" liver complaints. All of these correspondances have some reality and can be found in traditional Chinese medicine and the Aryur Veda of India.
Many of the remedies of the homeopathic materia medica reflect the doctrine of signatures. For example, clues to the use of Pulsatilla come from its common name, the Wind Flower, which is derived from observation that this gentle, delicate plant bends even in the softest breeze (yielding disposition). In Greek mythology it is said that Pulsatilla has grown from the tears of Venus, Goddess of Love. The relationship between this archetypal story and the weepy, sentimental, affectionate nature of Pulsatilla can not be overlooked. Many remedies clearly demonstrate the doctrine of signatures as well as the truth of Jungian Psychology. Such a set of correspondance can not be merely explainded away as accidents.
Paracelsus also recorded the toxic affects of various minerals on miners and used those same minerals in special preparations to cure the diseases. He realized that to be used as remedies toxic minerals, plants, and poisons needed to be transformed by alchemy, and given in individual small doses. The Paracelsian pharmacy was developed to release the essential energy, or "arcanna" of substances, and neutralize their toxicity. This approach to the materia Medica was radically different from Galenism and stimulated a new spirit of openness in the study of healing as well as a return to Hippocratic principles. Paracelsus's works were banned by the professors of many of the medical schools, but they were well known to many of the students anyway. At one medical school in France the students rioted because the teaching of Paracelsus was removed from the curriculum.
The suppression of the alchemists continued when Jan Baptista Von Helment (1578-1644), who described himself as a "Hippocratic and Hermetic Physician", was brought before the Inquisitional courts in 1627 for teaching Paracelsian doctrines. Von Helment apologized and was allowed to go free until he was arrested again in 1634 and charged with departing from the "true philosophy" by practicing superstitious diabolical arts as well as teaching the "Cimmerian darkness" of Paracelsian chemistry. The good doctor was placed under house arrest for two years and it was only in 1642, two years before his death, that Von Helment was allowed to publish his works. His son, Franciscus Von Helment, compiled his father's remaining writings and published them in 1648. Even many of the more conservative physicians were attracted by the new chemistry that Paracelsus and Von Helment had developed but remained skeptical of their alchemical interests. The work of Hippocrates and Paracelsus greatly furthered the traditions of vitalism and the doctrine of similars, and set the stage for the birth of Hahnemannian Homeopathy in 19th century.
The persons with new thought were given extreme punishments more so with Galen's theories. He distilled absolute Alcohol and drank it and died thinking that it was the elixir of life. MACHAEL SERVETUS (1509 - 1553) was burnt for discovering Pulmonary circulation, ANDREAS VASALIUS (1515-1604), a Belgian who is considered as the Father of Modern Anatomy; conducted many dissections and wrote a book "DE HUMAN CORPORIS FABRICA" in the year 1543. He was hounded out of PADUA, for defining Galen
SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURY MEDICINE
WILLIAM HARVEY(1578-1657) faced a lot of criticism for discovering systemic circulation. Then comes ROGER BACON (1571-1626) an experimental genius attempted to enlighten medical profession. He was the father of the objective and realistic tradition in modern philosophy. He renovated the Hippocrates and Aristotle's Logic which was not properly understood till that time. He indicated the methods of inquiry and in later days he was known as father of objective and realistic in modern philosophy. He promulgates that man has to take all reasons from the pages of Nature directly. Man does nothing more, in art, than bring them nearer to another, or put them apart. The rest is performed by the nature. Nature directs man to a particular direction in the usage of diet, exercise, medical appliances. As long as he follows that the heath would be maintained. He advocated that Surgeons could only bring parts together but nature cures/heals that. Bacon believed," Truth is the daughter of time not of authority". His Immortal work is "NOVUM ORGANUM" or new instrument for the reconstruction and advancement of sciences.
Theory of contagion' was enunciated by FRACASTORIUS(1483-1553). AMBROISE PARE(1517-1590) revived Surgery. RENE DESCRATES(1596-1650) viewed things with the eyes of Galileo. He was much influenced by the mathematical calculations and attributed mathematics in the field of medicine. He believed mind and body were separate entities and developed speculative medicine. Descrates was the father of subjective and idealistic tradition of modern philosophy.
ROBERT BOYLE(1626)'s and FRANCIS DE LA BOC SYLVIUS introduced chemical medicines. He was influenced by Bacon and gave a call to physicians of all times to give up the greater pleasure in ascertaining the certainties of diseases, there genesis, propagation mutual affinities, natural termination, and morbid alterations of the body, and take to methods of inquiry to obtain the greatest possible command over the uncertainties on which the restoration of the sick and relief of suffering depend. The physicians are desired to give up blending of many medicines in one prescription; they are also desired to give up searching for imaginary causes.
By entering into Seventeenth Century Physics and Chemistry started explaining the principles of practice of medicine in practical terms. Galenical vegetable drugs were replaced by chemicals. Due to the influence of Physics and Chemistry "Iatro-Chemical and Iatro-physical or Iatro-mechanical schools appeared. LEEWENHOEK (1632-1723), a Dutch Scientist; demonstrated Red Blood Corpuscles for the first time. MARCELLO MALPPIGHI (1628-1694) of Bologna invented Microscope in 1661. He also showed how Blood reaches arteries to veins and then to capillaries in 1670. AUENBRUGER discovered the importance of percussion in 1761. Hippocratic Method was promulgated by another English physician THOMAS SYDENHAM (1605-1689). He believed that all theories were valueless if they failed to describe Signs and Symptoms. He tried to place the whole living man in front of a physician trying to cure the sick. He put two alternatives before the profession- either to follow Hippocrates to observe and follow nature, imitate her methods of cure, assist her to open gates or to attack the malady with specifics, a term ridiculed by the physician belonging to the Dogmatic or so called rationalist group. The efficacy of specifics was doubted by them. Sydenham believed affinities of different diseases to the parts of the body for some mysterious reasons.
EIGHTEENTH CENTURY MEDICINE
The Eighteenth Century Medicine was full of wonderful discoveries. There had been brilliant achievements in Sciences--in Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy and in Mathematics. Natural Laws Newton's gravitation and Planetory movements inspired physicians to go for some definite laws in the medical field. Consequent to that Large crop of "systems" came into existence particularly in Germany and in Scotland. Dr.Richard Mead, the fashionable physician, tried the theories of mechanics or mathematics in his practice.
Hoffman (1660 - 1734) of Halle University was teaching that life is based on the presence of some kind of universal fluid or ether: while Stahl postulated a conscious soul whose efforts, often ill-directed, to throw off some adverse influence constituted disease. Stahl's theory was a kind of animism that rejected all sorts of mechanical explanation.
John Brown, the Scottish physician introduced Brunonian theory, which held that the phenomena of life depend on stimulus. The diseases were either due to lack of stimulus (the asthenic) or due to too much stimulus (the asthenic). Luckily, most of the diseases belonged to asthenic and they needed stimulants. He had two remedies Alcohol and Opium, the former for stimulation and the latter for depressive action. It did not survive because it destroyed more people than the French revolution and the Napoleonic wars combined. Brossais theory explains that the diseases of the organs were due to irritation of the organ. He selected stomach as seat of many troubles and also he advocated that the excess of blood was creating all sorts of diseases. He propagated purging and blood-letting as part of treatment for most of the diseases. In the year 1833 they imported about 41.5 millions of leeches into France for blood-letting purpose.
Some times two kinds of treatment was also recommended. We find many practitioners hopes on purges, on clysters, on bleeding, on mineral waters, shot gun prescriptions or whatever remedies their systems demanded. Apart from the above Royal Touch, Witch Craft, and Astrology were also being practiced by the traditional practitioners though they have been considered as blind methods. These systems were widely practiced in first half of the eighteenth century. There were no principles and plans to guide therapeutics and everything was a great mess. There have been of course medicine made some advances in Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Preventive medicine, etc. The science of preventive medicine has made a considerable progress in 18th century. James Lind, a naval surgeon, advocated intake of fresh vegetables for the prevention of scurvy in 1753. LAENNEC discovered Stethoscope in 1819. JENNER discovered Vaccination in 1796. SKODA (1805 - 1885) invented the methods of percussion physical examination by such means it became easier to note down the signs and symptoms. The Materia Medica became bulky and the medicines were indiscriminately used. He enunciated the Theory of Therapeutic Nihilism (Total emancipation of drugs ). OLIVER WENDELL HOLMES opposed the use of Opium, Wine, rather entire Materia Medica and should be sunk to the bottom of sea to save mankind but, it might be worse for fish.
GREGORY (1753 - 1821) advocated venesection, leeching, emetics, and drastic purgatives (as much as 20 gms of calomel). The miracle was the survival of patients who were subjected to this kind of treatment. This kind of symptomatic treatment was called as Allopathy (other suffering). This is now known as modern medicine.
The Baconian Philosophic wisdom lost it's wisdom in the understanding man. Many schools of thought entered into the field of medicine such as materialism, mechanism, vitalism, and naturalism. They deal with matter as reality, laws of mechanics, Life as reality, and laws of nature respectively. Medical men have been broadly grouped into Dogmatists, Empirics and the methodists.
DOGMATISM :- They believe in the speculative reasoning based on "Prori" principles or self evident truths.Dogmatists saw an under lying cause in every disease. They made attempts to remove the causes so that they could cure the diseases. They were of firm opinion that the cure of disease was not possible if they ignored the cause. They theorised the causes, nature of diseases and nature of action of drugs on human beings. They became more subjective and most of the times the causes were based on mere presumptions. They tried to find out various causes right from stars of space to underneath ground made the detection of causes more complicated. It has further worsened after the development of Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology etc, as they concentrated more on imaginary internal causes. Due to these factors they erred in diagnosis and prognosis of diseases and, rather, they left the medical profession in a great choas.
EMPIRICISM :- The Empirists approach is based on the school of experiment and experience without due regard to science - a practice of quackary. The collection of data from the reports was alone their tool to prescribe. The mind and senses are less applied and often lead to no satisfactory results. Though, there is a source of accidental discovery of curative medicines many a time this method was a misleading one. This experimental science frequently produced so many so called scientists with false statistics.
METHODISM OR ROUTINISM :- They are in fact the nosologists or the classifiers of diseases. They strictly adhere to a particular order without any deviation ignoring the facts. They consider disease as a altered condition of the state of health and a continuous dynamic progress. Their treatment was based on Physiological and Pathological manifestations. From their point of view there exists no law of cure. They attempt to arrest disease by drugs which antidote the existing symptoms. Diuretics in dropsy, purgatives in constipated bowels etc, are typical examples. The medical men were awarded Allopathic (Allo=other; pathos=suffering) degrees to practice medicine.
The prejudiced concepts of Dogmatists, Empiricists and Methodists created more confusion in medicine. Neither of the schools ever tried to understand the real nature of man, life, health, disease in a scientific manner. It is essential for every true medical man to know the reasons for diseases, experiment, to have experience in medicine, to have observation capacity and a particular methodology in under standing the life processes including Physio-Pathological considerations in determining the complex nature of human beings.
The discovery of HOMOEOPATHY was the remarkable achievement of medical profession in eighteenth Century. The German HAHNEMANN, (1755 - 1842), the discoverer of homeopathy has first realised the importance of reasons for diseases, and application of experiment and experience and also unprejudiced observation in his medical practice. He firmly believed the operation of natural laws in the field of medicine. Homeopathy is the result of his efforts. The medicine took recourse to such practices like beating the insane, venesection, application of leeches, using large doses of strong medicines like mercury, calomel, quinine, arsenic, sulphuric acid, foxglove, silver, iodine and its ointments, etc. during those days. None of the doctors was really curing the sufferer. Instead, they were either palliating or suppressing or causing some artificial, drug - induced diseases in the individuals and the cases were becoming more and more complicated. This kind of practice left Dr.Hahnemann distraught. He gave up such medical practice and took to reading and translating medical books in different languages into German.
It was in 1790, while translating Cullen's Materia Medica into German that found a reference the " Peruvean bark " in curing ‘ague fever'(malaria) due to its bitterness and its stomach-irritant properties. This lead Dr.Hahnemann to question the very concept of the properties of the "Peruvian bark". If the bitter taste and stomach-irritant factors of the "Peruvian bark" (China or Cinchona bark) could cure the ague fever, he wondered why many other substances which also had similar properties could not. He himself took a decoction of the bark twice a day for a few days. He developed the fever, chills and sweating all of which are symptoms of malaria. He repeated that experiment on some healthy persons. They also produced these symptoms. Afterwards, when the same was administered to the sufferer it cured ague fever. This discovery impelled him to propound his Law Of Similars. He confirmed and reconfirmed this by conducting several experiments with several medicinal substances on several individuals. In the course of his reading, he found similar statements given by many other prior to him, but they were all rather vaguely formulated.
Hahnemann proposed a three fold classification of medical treatment. In heteropathic (Allopathic) treatment, medicines whose symptoms had no pathological relation to the patients were administered. For instance, a patient having pain in the abdomen was given a sedative which had no direct relation to the pain in the abdomen. It never cured the patient. When a medicine which had no relation to the disease was administered, Hahnemann ruled out any possibility of a cure.
In the Antipathic method of medicine, medicine whose induced symptoms were in opposition to those of the given disease was administered. For instance, a patient with constipation was prescribed a purgative or a patient with edema was prescribed a diuretic, etc. On account of this, the symptoms were temporarily alleviated- as long as the effect of the medicine lasted. After that there would be a relapse, some times in a more aggravated form. So, Hahnemann ruled out this method also. In homeopathy, medicines whose symptoms were found to be similar to the symptoms of the patient were administered. Hahnemann observed that in nature no such similar states ever existed together and a weaker one was always extinguished by the stronger. Of the above mentioned methods, Hahnemann adjudged the Law Of Similars to be the Therapeutic Law Of Nature for curing diseases. As it happens, any new thing is not very easily received, the same thing happened in the case of Dr. Hahnemann also. But egged on by the adage, sapere aude (dare to be wise), Hahnemann went on propounding his system.
The following facts which had been ignored or not given importance by the then practicing physicians were brought to light by him: Every living organism exists due to the presence of an invisible spirit or dynamics ( vital force / animating force). In the absence of that vital force, the material body is dead. This dynamis can be affected only by the spirit-like morbific (a disease - causing ) agent. As long as the vital force is healthy, man does not become sick.
Sickness is nothing but the expression of deviated vital force in the form of signs and symptoms. Normalcy could be restored by a spirit-like curative agent - not by any other means. The curative agent must also produce effects similar to those of the disease. Hahnemann also expounded the Theory of Vital Force (animating force of living), Miasma (disease causing agents), Potentisation (dynamism in the medicine), Individualisation ( each on his own) etc, and made his system more scientific.
SUMMMARY
Origin of medicine can be presumed to be as old as the origin of life. India, China & Japan, Egypt and Babylonia, Greece, are some of the contemporary countries where some relevant records of ancient medicine could be traced.
INDIAN MEDICINE (AYURVEDA - The Science of life)
· Indian medicine (Ayurveda) takes credit for the known facts from some thousands of years before Christian Era. Descended From BRAHMA - DAKSHA - ASHWINS - INDRA – BHARADWAJA - SAGES - further to Human race.
· Charak Samhita, Susrutha Samhita, Bhava Prakashika, Dhanwantari Nighantuvu etc, are the famous Ayurvedic Texts which propound the lore of Ayurveda.
· Co-Ordinance of Tridoshas such as Vata, Pitta, Kapha keep man Healthy, dis-coordinance of the same results into diseases and restoring the co-ordinance of them is nothing but cure. Most of the names of the diseases, signs and symptoms, sources of medicines, preparation of medicines etc, are mentioned in Atharvaveda.
· Circulation of blood, Delivery processes, Mind, Body and Soul and their existence and importances are widely described in medical texts.
· They classified treatment into Viparita Chikitsa (Treatment by contraries) and Tarthakari Chikitsa (Treatment by similars).
CHINESE AND JAPANESE MEDICINE:
· The medicine could be traced back as old as 2500 year before Christ.
· Immunisation and Preventive medicine, Hydro-therapy, massage etc, had been used in their routine practice
· Acupuncture (acus = needle) - The thin hairy needles are inserted into some strategic point to give relief from the pain was their popular method of treatment for all types of diseases. This treatment was based on the belief that the diseases were due to the Imbalance of life energy (CH'I) and that could be rectified by Acupuncture.
· The interplay and inter change of Yang (Masculine), and Yin (Feminine) principles were believed to play a major role to lalter the state of health.
· Acupressure (Acus = Needle) describes pressing against the wounded arteries by passing needles into tissues at definite points would alleviate the complaints. Japanese practice this Acupressure in the form of Shiatsu (Shi = finger,Atsu =pressure)
EGYPTIAN AND BABYLONIAN MEDICINE:
· There exists confusion whether Egyptian are first or Babylonians first in bringing up medicine. Probably it exists since1500 BC.
· Imhtop and Horus are considered as their Gods of medicine and Temples were reconstructed.
· They believed that the harmful substances that were absorbed into blood reulted the various diseases. The treatment was either cleaning the bowels or bloodletting to purify the blood.
· Astrology, Astronomy dominated the medicine.
· The eye doctors and tooth doctors existed during those days.
GRECIAN MEDICINE:
· One of the very ancient systems existed but, known to have come to lime light from 500 BC.
· Apollo (The Sun God) is believed to have given birth to Asclepius with an uncanny gift of medicine.
· Asclepius gave this to Machoan, Podalarius and to Hygeia who had specialised in Surgery, Therapeutics and Women diseases respectively.
· Hippocrates (The father of medicine), first deviated from traditional medicine to scientific medicine. He framed some natural laws to uphold the sanctity of medicine.
· Aristotle (384 BC) gave literal, philosophical outlook, Logical, artistic and scientific approach.
· Aristotle brought up the theory of Humours basing on Temperaments ( Sanguinine, Phlegmatic, Choleric).
· Erasistratus (304 - 245 BC?) developed Tripod System schools that taught observation, History and Judgement in healing art.
ROMAN MEDICINE:
· Elder The Roman Physician of 23 - 79 AD believe d that the medicine had existed even 300 BC.
· Though, the medicine had been an imported one they contributed allot in the development of medicine.
· Celsius 0f 1 AD was famous for his Surgery of those days. They established National Health Centres for the first time
· Galen of 2 AD tried to explain Circulation and Respiration relying on pigs and monkeys. He believed that food turns into white fluid in liver to form blood. He expounded the exciting factors, predisposing factors and environmental factors for causing various diseases.
ARABIAN MEDICINE:
· It is a saying by Osler that Arabs lit a brilliant Torch from Grecian lamps. Islam enjoyed Golden age between 750 - 1050 AD.
· Rhazes (865 - 923 AD) first time defferenciated Smallpox and Chickenpox.
· Avicenna of 1000 AD wrote medical encyclopaedia.
· Polypharmacy was promulgated by the Arabs.
· The popularly known Unani system is originally is derived from Arabs.
OTHER ASPECTS RELEVANT TO THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE
· Paracelsus of 15th century AD ridiculed Avecenna and propagated that the role of spirituality in medicine. In Paracelsus 1568 "The similars cure similars, the scorpion cures scorpion, mercury cures mercury. the poison is mortal for man except, if in the organism there is another poison with which it may fight, in which case the patient regains his health".
· Machael Servatus of 15th AD was burnt for his discovery of Pulmonary circulation.
· Vasalius of 16th century AD the Father of Anatomy was hounded by Pauda.
· William Harvey of 16th AD faced criticism for uncloaking Circulatory system.
· Sixteenth Century AD Bacon renovated Hippocratic and Aristotelian methods in his Philosophy.
· Ambrosia of 16th AD revived Surgery.
· Medicine was viewed in Physico - Chemico - mathematical terms.
· Leewenhoek's Red Blood Corpuscles, Malpighi's Microscope, Auenbruger's Percussion, Lennac's Stethoscope, Jenner's Vaccination etc, are some of the noteworthy points of Seventeenth and eighteenth Century.
· The remarkable achievement of all the centuries was the Discovery of Homeopathy by German Physician HAHNEMANN in eighteenth Century.
CONSOLIDATION OF ALL FACTS EXISTED TILL 18TH. CENTURY AD
· Ancient medicine was dominated by Mythology.
· The belief of Spirits and Evils reigned the medicine
· Tridosha Theory in Ayurveda, Humours Theory of Greece,
· The Yang and Yin Principles of China, Blood purification etc, excelled the medicine.
· Theory of Bloodletting, Application of leeches, Beating the insane, Witch-Craft etc, of folk methods were also more popular in treating the diseases.
· The diseases were either treated by the medicines which produce opposite symptoms or different symptoms or similar symptoms.
· Magneto-Therapy, Massage, Hydro-Therapy, Mineral Baths, Warm Baths etc, were also practiced as a part of Treatment.
· Dietics, Immunisation, Hygienic etc, cautions were taken to maintain Health.
· The remarkable Therapeutic Law of Nature was discovered during the last decade of Seventeenth Century by HAHNEMANN.
· The theory of Vital Force, the concept of disease, the dynamisation of drugs etc, were propounded in Homeopathy.
· Homoeopathy made an entry to India in 1837 by Dr. Henig Berger who treated Maharana Ranjit Singh of Patiala. From 1968 onwards the real progress in the field of Homoeopathy started by the establishment of number of colleges and hospitals.
Medical Institutions:
In 1812 the First Allopathic Medical College was established in calcutta by East India Company. Two more colleges in the years 1835 & 1846 were established in Hyderabad.
In 1901 the First Ayurvedic Medical College was established in Madras.
In 1952 the First HomoeoPathic Medical College was established in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal & Bihar.
EVOLUTION OF MEDICINE IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY
The development of medicine in 19th and 20th centuries is so much vast that it itself is a very big encyclopaedia and is as much difficult also to put it in brief. There are unlimited number of discoveries and inventions in every field of medicine and all of them are essentially important. In this only a brief account of broad areas are given below to have a rough idea. For details the readers are advised to consult the concerned books.
Dr.Wilhelm Heinrich Schussler (1821 - 1898), who used to practice Homeopathy; began the study of inorganic substances present in the blood and the tissues and which there act as the neutral means of function, into his practice as medical remedies.
He named it as BIO - CHEMIC THERAPY. The practice rests upon Twelve Tissue salts which are existent in the tissues. He expounded in his theory that the disturbance that occurs in the inorganic constituents of the tissues could only be rectified by proper application of homogenous inorganic salts, where as homeopathy has its curative ends by indirect means of heterogeneous substances. This theory was also welcomed by a sect of doctors.
Microbiology:
It is the Golden Age of Bacteriology. Medicine started depending more on these microorganisms and controlling them. Schwann discovered cell theory in 1835,Long operated under either anesthesia in 1842, Simpson discovered chloroform for anesthesia in 1847, Pasteur discovered anaerobic bacteria in 1861 and antirabies vaccine in 1885, Postulation theory of Robert Koch (1882), Cholera vaccine in 1892, Typhoid vaccine in 1898, BCG vaccine 1921, Pertusis vaccine in 1930, principles of antisera by Von Behring (1854-1917), Anti - Tetanus, Anti- Diphtheria, MMR (Mumps, Measles and Rubella) in second half of 19th century etc. are some of the important discoveries in noteworthy in the history of bacteriological medicine.
Medicine faces Anatomical, Physiological, Bacteriological, and Pathological consideration by the new approaches. Surgery is a boon to allopathic system of for it's tremendous progress.
The Union Government has recognised Allopathy(Allo = other: pathos= suffering) Homeopathy(Homos: similar, pathos: suffering). Ayurveda (Ayu: life, veda:science), Siddha (Medicine degree awarded by Tamilnadu), Naturopathy (Treatment by food supplement, herbal treatment, dietary changes and living closure to the principles of nature) and Unani (Indo-Arabic) systems of medicine.
Apart from the above Isopathy and Tautopathy (Iso : same, pathos : suffering) Biochemic (treatment by twelve tissue salts) and many other systems have been trying to come to lime light such as acupuncture, Yoga(Meditation), Magneto therapy (Treating with magnets), Hydrotherapy (By taking Water), Oil pulling (By pulling oil in the mouth), Radesthesia ( Dowsing = A sort of devinising the treatment by pendulum),etc. As a matter of fact there are only three major methods of treatment namely Heteropathy, Antipathy and Homeo- pathy that exist in nature.
The improvement in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology evolved to make Today's Modern Medicine as highly technical. Technically medicine made a tremendous progress in diagnosing the diseases Laboratory, X_Ray, Ultrasound Sonography etc. and by doing microvascular surgeries and so on. By this the medicine quantified the humanbeing and measured where as qualitative and psychological humanbeing is not given due importance.
“ MAN IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE MEDICINE GAVE HIGH PROFILE TO THE SPIRITUAL ASPECTS AND EXPLOITED IT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE FROM NATURE, BUT, FAILED. NOW, MAN IS GIVING HIGH PROFILE TO THE PHYSICAL ASPECTS THAN SPIRITUAL, BUT, STILL EXPLOITING THE NATURE AND CONSEQUENT TO THAT HE IS NEITHER SUCCESSFUL” - Dr.S.K.M.SASTRY
The ongoing progress in the field of medicine is certainly a never ending process and therefore to end the history of medicine remains to be a pending work as long as Man (PURUSHA) and Nature (STREE) do not merge with each other. Then, the main purpose of acquiring THE KNOWLEDGE OF MAN is complete, which is also the ultimate end of THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE i.e. TO KNOW THYSELF IS TO KNOW HEAL THYSELF.
REFERENCES
O.P. JAGGI(1973) INDIAN SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE
J.E. PARK TEXT BOOK OF SPM
JUGAL KISHORE(1974) SWASTH HIND
WHO(1970) -WORLD HEALTH
B.K.SARKAR- COMMENTARY ON ORGANON OF MEDICINE
PROF.G.S.RAMAIAH PHILOSOSOPHICAL ESSAYS
G.MUKHOPADHYAYA HISTORY OF INDIAN MEDICINE
VAVILLA VARU- CHARAK SAMHITA
WYNDHAM E B.LLOYD A HUNDRED YEARS OF MEDICINE
SINGER MEDICINE, OXFORD (1928)STEDMAN

HOMOEOPATHY A FRIEND INDEED TO THE SICK

Homoeopathy has its recognisable beginnings in the eighteenth century. Dr.Samuel initiated this system of medicine Hahnemann, who was born on 10th April 1755.
Since childhood, Dr.Hahnemann had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Despite being born in a poor family, and despite his Father’s conviction that the family could ill-afford his studies, he persevered with the help of- his teachers. His diligence led him to become an eminent allopathic doctor. Medicine in those times often took recourse to such practices as beating the insane, venesection, application of leeches, using large doses of strong medicines like mercury, calomel, quinine, Arsenic, sulphuric acid, foxglove, silver, iodine and its ointments, etc. None of the doctors was really curing the sufferer.
Instead, they were either palliating or suppressing or causing some artificial, drug - induced diseases in the individuals and the cases were becoming more and more complicated.
This kind of practice left Dr.Hahnemann distraught. He felt that the very purpose of his profession was defeated if he could not alleviate suffering by rational means. He did not want to cause further harm to the already suffering people by adopting such irrational practices. He gave up allopathic medical practice and took to reading and translating medical books in different languages into German.
It was in 1790, while translating Cullen's Materia Medica into German that found a reference the " Peruvian bark “ in curing `Ague fever’ (malaria) due to its bitterness and its stomach irritant properties. This lead Dr.Hahnemann to question the very concept of the properties of the "Peruvian bark", if the bitter taste and stomach-irritant factors of the "Peruvian bark"(China or Cinchona bark) could cure the ague fever, he wondered why many other substances, which also had similar properties, could not.
He himself took a decoction of the bark twice a day for a few days. He developed the fever, chills and sweating all of which are symptoms of malaria. He repeated that experiment on some healthy persons. They also produced these symptoms. Afterwards, when the it was administered to the sufferer it cured ague fever. This discovery impelled him to propound his Law Of Similar. He confirmed and reconfirmed this by conducting several experiments with several medicinal substances on several individuals. In the Course of his reading, he found similar statements given by many others prior to him, but they were all rather vaguely formulated.

Hahnemann proposed a three-fold classification of medical treatment. In homeopathic treatment, medicines whose symptoms had no Pathological relation to the patients were administered. For instance, a patient having pain in the abdomen was given a sedative, which had no direct relation to the pain in the abdomen. It never cured the patient. When a medicine that had no relation to the disease was administered, Hahnemann ruled out any possibility of a cure.
In the Antipathy method of medicine, medicine whose induced symptoms were in opposition to those of the given disease was administered. For instance, a patient with constipation was prescribed a purgative or a patient with oedema was prescribed a diuretic, etc. On account of this, the symptoms were temporarily alleviated- as long as the effect of the medicine lasted. After That there would be a relapse, some times in a more aggravated form. So, Hahnemann ruled out this method also.
In homeopathy, medicines whose symptoms were found to be similar to the symptoms of the patient were administered. Hahnemann observed that in nature no such similar states ever existed together and a weaker one was always extinguished by the stronger. Of the above-mentioned methods, Hahnemann adjudged the Law Of Similars to be the Therapeutic Law Of Nature for curing diseases.
As it happens, any new thing is not very easily received. The same thing happened in the case of Dr.Hahnemann. But egged on by the adage, sapere aude (dare to be wise), Hahnemann went on propounding his system.

The following facts that had been ignored or not given importance by the then practicing physicians were brought to light by him: Every living organism exists due to the presence of an invisible spirit or dynamis (vital force/ animating force). In the absence of that vital force, the material body is dead. This dynamis can be affected only by the spirit-like morbific (a disease - causing) agent. As long as the vital force is healthy, man does not become sick.
Sickness is nothing but the expression of deviated vital force in the form of signs and symptoms. Normalcy could be restored by a spirit-like curative agent - not by any other means. The curative agent must also produce effects similar to those of the disease.

HOMOEOPATHY IN INDIA
The application of the LAW OF SIMILARS attained recognition in India in the year 1839. Dr treated Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Henig Berger. Punjab takes the credit of introducing this system of medicine to India. till Independence, it did not become popular as we were ruled by the British, but since then homoeopathic institutions have started coming up. West Bengal took the lead, followed by Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Upton 1969 these were mostly run by private individuals and the government paid? Little attention to this system. But from 1970 onwards many institutions were recognised by the Government. There are now about 133 institutions offering under - graduate and graduate Courses in India and 28 research centers. A Central Council of Homoeopathy was also established in 1974 for the maintenance of Standards in homoeopathic colleges. In recent years PG Courses are offered by many Universities like Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Orissa etc., Andhra Pradesh is likely to start PG Courses from this academic year onwards. There is a good career for being a homoeopath. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has given a boost to Indigenous Systems of Medicine by treating ISM and Homoeopaths on par with graduates from modern system in the recruitment and in other service matters. There is a changing trend in the minds of People and many are opting Homoeopathy as the best alternative system of medicine. Many Public Sector Undertakings are encouraging homoeopathic system of Medicine unlike in the past. The leading PSUs like ONGC, NTPC are patronizing and giving honor to ISM and Homoeopathic System of medicine. Good days are ahead for homoeopathy in general and homoeopaths in particular.

Dr.S.K.M.SASTRY WELCOMES TO homoeo4you

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