Alternate systems

of medicine

Alternative medicine is any
healing practice, that does not
fall within the realm of
conventional medicine.

Alternative medicine methods:
diverse foundations and
methodologies. Methods may
incorporate or base themselves
on traditional medicine, folk
knowledge, spiritual beliefs, or
newly conceived approaches
to healing.

Examples: Ayurveda, Unani,
Homeopathy, siddha
Traditional indigenous system of medicine
Ayurveda is the combination of two Sanskrit words
ayu meaning life
ved meaning ancient repository of
knowledge
Combined together: Knowledge or
science of life

Not just a system of medicine but comprehensive guide
that places equal emphasis on the body, mind and
spirit, and it strives to maintain a healthy and
prosperous life.

Definition:
The science through which the
scholars could ascertain the factors
which are useful and harmful for life
and the causative factors as well as
the treatment of diseases.
History of ayurveda
Introduced in early vedic age, first of its kind in the world.
Indian Mythological lore:
Brahma:
Perceived
Ayurveda
Ashwini
kumaras:
Physicians of
Gods
Indra Dhanvantari
Eight
disciples
Archarya
Sushruta
Sushruta
Samhita
Mythical account: Originated in kaliyuga by Brahma who
wrote Upaveda consisting of:
Dharmashastra
Dharmaveda
Gandharva veda
Ayurveda

Three classic documented texts of ayurveda:
Charak Samhita (Acharya Charak)


Sushruta samhita (Acharya Sushruta)


Astangna Hridayam (Acharya Vagbhatta)

Branches of ayurveda
1) Kayachikitsa:
Branch dealing with principles and
methods of treatment of diseases
based on root cause of disease

2) Shalya Tantra:
Deals with surgical treatment of
diseases
3) Shalakya Tantra:
Deals with diagnosis and treatment of diseases
affecting eyes, ear, mouth, nose and throat
4) Kaumaryabhritya (pediatrics):
Deals with prenatal, postnatal and gynaecology.

5) Agad Tantra (Toxicology):
Deals with diagnosis and treatment of
poisoning
6) Rasayan tantra:
Maintenance of optimum life span of individual
7) Vajikaran tantra:
Branch of science explains the art of producing
healthy progeny for the creation of a better
society
8) Bhuta Vidya:
This branch of ayurveda specifically deals
with the diseases of mind or psychic
conditions, which was believed to be
caused by super natural forces.
Concepts of Ayurveda
1. Purush Vichaya Sharir
Similarities in structures and characteristics of
body of individual and universe described.
There are Panch Mahabhuttas
Prithvi (Earth)
Jal (Water)
Vayu (Air)
Agni (Fire)
Akash (Space)

There is believed to be one more mahabhutta
Braham (Soul)
2. Tridosha theory
Doshas - that which darkens or causes things to
decay.
Three doshas are:
Vata
Pitta
Kapha
The doshas are the three primary energetic
principles which regulate all physiological and
psychological process in the living organism.
A harmonious state between the doshas results in
homeostasis which is the required foundation for
good health.
A disharmonious imbalance results in a variety of
signs and symptoms
Each dosha is a synergy of two Mahabutas
Vata
Composed of air
Governs all movement in the mind and body
Too much vata leads to worries, insomnia,
cramps and constipation.
It controls blood flow, elimination of wastes,
breathing and the movement of thoughts across
the mind.
It is also responsible for the activation of the
nervous system, hearing and speech; and
expresses as enthusiasm and creativity
Vata is divided into five types depending upon the site
and specificity of its action. These are:
1] Prana - the main location in the head and controls the
five senses
2] Udana - it is located in the chest region and controls
speech and intellect
3] Vyana it is situated in heart and controls all the
voluntary body movements
4] Samana it is located in the stomach and controls
digestion
5] Apana - it is located in the anal region and controls the
expulsion of semen, menstrual blood, excreta and foetus.

At metaphysical level, it promotes the mental balance and
comprehension.
Pitta
Pitta is said to be composed of fire and
water
it governs all heat, metabolism and
transformation in the mind and body.
It controls how we digest food, how we
metabolize our sensory perceptions, and
how we discriminate between right and
wrong.
Too much it can lead to anger, criticism,
ulcers, rashes and thinning hair.
It is divided in five types:
1] Pachak it is located in the duodenum with the major
function being the digestion of food
2] Ranjak it is located in the stomach and forms blood
or Rakta
3] Sadhak it is located in the heart and controls the
proficiencies of the mind such as intellect,
4] Aalochak it is situated in the eyes that provides
vision
5] Bhrajak it is located in the skin that imparts pigment
to skin.

Metaphysically, it rules our ability to perceive ideas and
impressions and supposedly stimulates the intellect.
Kapha
It cements the elements in the body, providing the
material for physical structure and maintains the body
resistance by lubricating the joints; providing moisture to
the skin, helping to heal the wounds, filling the spaces in
the body; giving the biological strength, vigor and
stability, supporting memory retention and giving the
energy to the heart and lungs.
It is responsible for emotions of attachment, greed and
long-standing envy
It is also expressed in tendencies toward calmness,
forgiveness and love.
Too much Kapha leads to lethargy and weight gain, as
well as congestion and allergies.
The five types are:
1] Avalambak it is located in the chest and serves as
lubricant for throat and heart
2] Kledak - it is located in the stomach and assimilates
food
3] Tarpak it is located in the head and controls
intelligence
4] Shleshak it is present in all the joints and serves as
lubricator
5] Bodhak - it is located in the tongue and perceives
taste.
At a metaphysical level, it governs emotions including
love, compassion, forgiveness, loyalty and patience
Introduction
Proposed by Samuel
Hahnemann German
physician
Homeopathy:
from Greek hmoios - "like"
+ pthos - "suffering
Hahnemann coined the word
allopathy
Allopathy: from Greek allion
different + pathos - suffering
Dr. Samuel Hahnemann
(1755 - 1843)
Principles of homeopathy
Four basic principles
1. The simile principle
2. Principle of minimum dose
(Potentiation)
3. Principle of single remedy
4. Principle of individualisation

Simile principle
First definition of the Simile Principle was given in an
essay in Hufelands journal, in 1796 by Hahnemann
The great Homeopathic principle is (in Latin) similia
similibus curentur, meaning Let like be treated by
like.
First recorded by Hippocrates (470 400 BC)
wherein he stated that healing is found in the
methods of contraries and similars.
Hippocrates wrote that, Disease is eliminated
through remedies able to produce similar
symptoms.
Hahnemann came upon this principle through a fateful
combination of luck and systematic study
First, through close observation of his patients, he began to
see that when an individual with a mild illness became ill with a
similar but stronger illness, the first illness would be cured.
For example, he noticed that if a patient who had cowpox (a
mild virus) developed smallpox, he/she would lose the
symptoms of cowpox.
Similarly, he noted that patients with whooping cough who
developed measles became free of the symptoms of whooping
cough.
About this same time, Hahnemann was doing experiments with
different medicines of the day, one of which was cinchona bark
or quinine.
Hahnemann noticed that when he ingested cinchona bark, he
actually developed the same type of fever that was being cured
by use of the substance.

It encourages the defense
mechanisms of the body by irritation
It believes that a substance producing
a symptom in a healthy individual will
also cure the same symptom in the
patient.
Drugs are tested on healthy individual
to know the symptoms produced by
them and hence their therapeutic
indications
Principle of minimum dose
Minute stimuli initiate the activity of
living organisms, and those of
medium strength promote it, while
strong stimuli slow it down and very
strong ones stop it.
Thus, a very small dose is prescribed
so as not to bring about an enormous
aggravation of patients symptoms
Potentisation
One drop of mother tincture is added to a vial with 9 drops of
water.
The vial is succussed (shaken and pounded) 100 times.
To prepare a 12 X potency, the process of dilution and
succussion is performed 12 times. (there is virtually no
substance remaining)
To prepare a remedy at the C potency, instead of adding 9
drops of water to one drop of mother tincture, the process
involves adding 99 drops of water to one drop of mother
tincture.
A 30 C potency is prepared by repeating the process 30 times
To prepare a remedy at the 1 M potency, the process is
repeated 1000 times.
Principle of single remedy
Drug Proving testing of drugs on
healthy individuals
A homoeopathic remedy is chosen on the
basis of its similarity to the state of the vital
energy of the patient (symptoms come
from the deranged vital force).
Each patient only has one vital force,
therefore only one remedy needs to be
given to match it.
Thus for effecting real cure in the
patient, the practitioner has to find out
a single remedy that produces
symptoms with greatest similarity with
the symptoms existing in the patient.
Any other remedy would not be that
effective
Only one drug should be used at a
time.
Principle of individualisation
Human beings react differently to
diseases and medicines.

Thus each patient is treated
individually on the basis of his/ her
symptoms
The physician has to consider a
whole range of mental, emotional and
physical pathology in order to
understand how the patient is
reacting to the disease.

Accordingly he has to select the
appropriate remedy that will further
stimulate the patients defense
mechanism to combat the disease.

"The process of tailoring remedies
or treatments to cure a set of
symptoms in an individual instead
of basing treatment on the
common features of the disease is
known as individualisation"
Some points necessary to perform
INDIVIDUALISATION are:
Complete symptoms.
Modalities and Concomitant symptom.
Signs, appearance, behaviour, gait and
expressions.
Mental reactions and symptoms.
Past History, Family History, and Personal
History

Introduction
Unani Medicine as a healing
system was founded by Hakim Ibn
Sina.
It is also called as Unani Tibb or
Yunani Medicine.
It means Greek Medicine
It refers to a tradition of Graeco-
Arabic medicine
Based on the teachings of Greek
physician Hippocrates, and Roman
physician Galen, and developed into
an elaborate medical System by Ibn
Sina, Al-Zahrawi, Ibn Nafis and
Rhazes.
Hakim Ibn Sina.
Principle
Based on the concept of Four
Humors laid down by Hippocrates
Humor juice or liquid of any animal
or plant.
Health or sickness depends on the
harmony or disharmony of the four
humors.
The four humors are: blood, phlegm,
yellow bile and black bile
The resultant quality of the uniform
body is called its mizaj.

The temperament of a substance may
be a mizaj-e-mutadil (balanced one)
or a mizaj-e-ghair-mutadil
(imbalanced one).
Galens concept
The temperament of an individual
maybe Sanguine (Red, cheerfully
optimistic), Phlegmatic (sluggish,
clam), Choleric (extremely irritable) or
Melancholic (gloomy)

Any change in the temperament
causes change in the health state of
individual
Diagnosis & treatment
The Unani Physician (Hakim) diagnoses a disease by
feeling the Nabz (pulse) and rhythmic expansion of
arteries by fingers.
Stool and urine examination also help in diagnosis.
Four types of treatment lines are available:

(1) Ilaj bil tadbeer (regimental therapy),

(2) Ilaj bil Ghiza (dietotherapy),

(3) Ilaj bil dawa (Pharmacotherapy) and

(4) Jarahat (Surgery).
Introduction
The term Siddha means
achievements, and Siddhars
were saintly persons who
achieved results in their valuable
medicines.
18 siddhars contributed towards
the development of Siddha
The originator of siddha is Sage
Agasthya
Principles of Siddha
The universe consists of two essential
entities, matter and energy.
The Siddhas call them Siva (male) and
Shakti (female, creation).
The two co-exist and are inseparable
They are the primordial elements Bhutas
Munn(solid), Neer (fluid), Thee (radiance),
Vayu (gas) and Aakasam (ether)
These five elements (Bhutas) are present in
every substance, but in different proportions.
Earth, water, fire, air and space are
manifestations of these 5 elements
The human anatomy and physiology, causative
factor of diseases, the materials for the
treatment and cure of the diseases, the foods for
the sustenance of the body, all fall within the five
elemental categories
The physiological function in the body is
mediated by three substances (dravayas), which
are made up of the five elements.
They are Vatham, Pitham, and Karpam
Vatham Pitham Karpam
characteristic is dryness,
lightness, coldness &
motility
heat, mover of the nervous
force of the body
smoothness, firmness,
viscidity, heaviness
Formed by Aakasam and
Vayu, controls the nervous
action that constitute
movement, activity,
sensation,etc. Vatham
predominates in the bone.
Formed by Thee, controls
the metabolic activity of the
body, digestion,warmth,
luster, intellect, assimilation
etc. Pitham predominates
in the tissue blood.
Formed by munn and
Neer,controls the stability of
the body such as strength,
potency, smooth working of
joints. Karpam
predominates in other
tissues
Vatham predominates in
first one third of life when
activity, growth, sharpness
of function of sense, are
greater
Pitham predominates in the
second one third of life
Karpam predominates in the
last one third of life.
Diminishing activity of
various organs and limbs
Location pervades the body
Location- in alimentary
canal from cardiac end of
stomach to end of small
intestine
Location - in chest ,throat,
head and joints - acts as
thermostat of body
Siddha Pharmacy
The diagnosis is made through pulse reading,
body colour, voice, examination of urine and
tongue.

Medicines mentioned in the Pharmacopoeia of
Siddha includes mainly the mercury, sulfur, iron,
copper, arsenic and vegetable poisons.

This system of medicine is prevalent in southern
states of India and in countries where Tamil is
one of the spoken languages.