Ayurveda - what is it? Ayurvedic medicine. One of the most valuable ideas of Indo-Tibetan medicine, ancient Ayurvedic and yogic medicine, as well as Eastern Human Science in general, is that all the wisdom of the physiological, natural cure

Ayurveda as a trend in alternative medicine originated in ancient India and is closely related to the Vedas. The Vedas are a universal science of life, a whole philosophical system. While Ayurveda is a method of prevention and treatment of various diseases, establishing harmonious relations between a person and the world, a person and society, this is the system of regulation of the body (the desire of the body to restore the damaged part), the nutrition system. Ayurveda: the science of life - what is it?

Today, Vedic medicine Ayurveda is of increasing interest. Let's try to understand what is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda: the science of life

Vedic medicine Ayurveda does not consider the treatment of a person as the treatment of a specific physical body, a disease in its manifestation. Ayurveda believes that if the disease appeared on the material level, then the elimination of symptoms is only the first step in recovery, the whole person must be treated, namely the body, soul, behavior, and the emotional and mental (intellectual development) levels must be regulated. Man is the unity of all of the above.

Western culture differs from Eastern culture primarily in that its inexorable love for the analysis of the division into parts of everything in the world. Oriental man, on the contrary, strives for unity.

Ayurveda (from the word "veda" - "knowledge") - the science of life extension or the art of life, one of the most universal systems created in the East. The formation of the science of Ayurveda took place in India about 5 thousand years ago and developed at the junction of religion, philosophy, medicine and the natural sciences, which were inextricably linked, today we can say that this is not just a teaching - this is Ayurveda treatment.

The basis of Ayurveda is the ancient Indian treatises - the Vedas, written in Sanskrit. A significant place in them is given to medical topics: more than a thousand names of medicinal plants are given, there are many medical terms, several interesting techniques are mentioned that were used in ancient times, but have not lost their significance even in our time.

In the science of Ayurveda, there are many texts devoted to the preservation and strengthening of human health. Ancient healers believed that the basis of well-being is absolute harmony, which can be approached by medicinal herbs, massage, nutrition specially selected for each person and other methods. Violation of harmony leads to diseases of the soul and body, inextricably linked with each other.

The science of Ayurveda relies on many techniques: treatment with oils and mummy, herbal and aromatherapy, vegetarianism and naturopathy, acupuncture, massage, urine therapy, etc.

Basic principles of Vedic medicine Ayurveda

Vedic medicine Ayurveda as a system of human health has five levels.

Many authors are grossly mistaken in reducing Ayurveda only to the system of nutrition and treatment of the body, since this is only the first and First level, it does not concern the rational principle in a person, and the treatment of the body is (no matter how miraculous the medicine) is only a temporary result. It is necessary to treat a person in all directions.

The first level of Vedic medicine in Ayurveda is the treatment of the body with all kinds of herbs, massage, special system nutrition and exercise.

The second level of Ayurveda is the level of purification, prevention of diseases of the body and psyche, as well as the creation and rooting of all kinds of useful habits in a person.

The third level of Vedic medicine is devoted to the character of a person, his relationship with everything around him.

The fourth is the transitional level of Ayurveda. Having reached it, many stop: there are some difficulties that people cannot always cope with due to a lack of strength - will, determination, confidence in the correctness of the decision made.

The fourth stage of Ayurveda requires spiritual mentor, here begins the directly theoretical, if I may say so, religious part. This is the level of asceticism, where people read mantras, various prayers, sing hymns, expand their consciousness in every possible way.

The fifth level of Vedic medicine represents spiritual practice: meditation is studied, and the higher laws of life are known.

Vedic medicine Ayurveda is aimed at connecting the body and soul of a person, developing his harmonious relationship with society and nature.

Doshas of Ayurveda

According to Ayurveda, nature is governed by three main forces called doshas. Each of them has its own name: Vata (wind), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (phlegm). Depending on the content of the elements, people are also divided into three groups.

Vata is the constitution of the "people of the wind". Representatives of this type are identified with the air element, the predominance of the energy of air and ether. Their main distinguishing feature is leanness, tall stature, dry skin. The behavior of people of the “wind” constitution is often unpredictable, and at any moment their mood can change. However, these people love everything new and often surprise others by changing themselves. People of this type are sanguine or melancholic, they are emotional, romantic and often naive. They do not have outstanding abilities, but thanks to perseverance they often achieve good results.

Vata in the science of Ayurveda

Vata is the strongest energy of the human body, responsible for the most important life processes: blood circulation, respiration, mental activity and muscle activity. Representatives of the “wind” constitution usually do not have good health, and in many respects it depends on the way of life. The weak points of Vata people are the bones, joints, as well as the organs of vision and hearing. They often suffer from insomnia, chronic diseases of the stomach, have problems with digestion, nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Pitta in the science of Ayurveda

Pitta is the constitution of "people of bile". Representatives of this type are identified with the elements of fire and water. This type includes people with a good figure and good posture. They are bold, assertive, they have a developed sense of humor, a desire for fame and achievement of a goal. In love, they give themselves entirely to their partner, but they also demand the same from him.

People of the "bile" constitution, as a rule, are choleric - they are emotional, quick-tempered, unbalanced, but quick-witted. People of the "bile" warehouse are prone to hasty decisions that are not always correct. These are passionate natures, but they are quickly disappointed, even if the goal is achieved and gives positive results.

People of this type do not have good health. To prolong life, they should be wary of colds and hypothermia, they need to eat right and observe personal hygiene. The weak points of people of the constitution of "bile" are the liver, kidneys, stomach and gallbladder. They suffer from many skin diseases, various allergies, hypertension or hypotension, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Kapha in the science of Ayurveda

Kapha are people of the "mucus" constitution. Representatives of this type are identified with the elements of earth and water. They usually don't tall, stocky, densely built, strong, but kind by nature. As a rule, they are satisfied with life, calm, reasonable, unperturbed, although they are slow - they are phlegmatic or sanguine. In life and in those around them, they value stability and reliability most of all, remember for a long time, but do not forget anything.

People of this type have high immunity, they are not susceptible to viral and other infections, they are naturally endowed with good health, among them there are many centenarians. At the same time, they often suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular, endocrine, respiratory systems, certain types of oncological diseases. Their weak points are the heart and head. Kapha type people need to carefully monitor their diet, daily routine, it is extremely important for them normal sleep and rest.

Eastern healers say: people with a predominance of one of the doshas are rare. In order for a person to be healthy and strong, beautiful and self-confident, a harmonious combination of all three doshas is necessary. However, in fact, there are no ideal people, since the combination of doshas is uneven and one or two predominate in any of us. This ratio determines the individuality of a person - his character, abilities, temperament, appearance and, of course, health.

Three types of food in Ayurveda

The ancient science of Ayurveda claims that for healthy life You need to eat in such a way that all three doshas remain in balance. According to Ayurveda, a person can have three types of natural constitution: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Depending on what type you are, you need to draw up a nutrition plan, and then your body will be in a state of harmony. The topic of our conversation today is nutrition in Ayurveda.

Vata constitution - you can eat sweet, salty food, heavy and oily, feel free to add various spices, but avoid spicy and bitter.

Pitta constitution - the use of cold dishes, drinks, various salads, cold milk, sweet fruits is recommended. Preference should be given to dishes with a bitter and sweet taste. Hot as well as light foods should be avoided.

Kapha constitution - light, warm and dry food, tart in taste, spicy, will do. Eat less salt, cold, heavy meals, refuse fatty foods.

Nutrition according to Ayurveda: general principles

In general, in Ayurvedic nutrition, great importance is attached to taste (for example, spicy food warms, stimulates metabolism, sweet helps the pancreas, bitter cleanses the liver, salt enhances appetite).

What should be Ayurveda - nutrition? Ayurveda gives some recommendations about food intake. Here is some of them.

You should only eat if you are very hungry.

If you have the thought that you should have a snack, you need to ask yourself a question and answer honestly: “Am I really hungry?” If you are not hungry, you do not need to overload the body: the food eaten at this moment will only bring harm.

For a healthy life, it is necessary to listen to your body, determine which dishes it has a special disposition for, and boldly introduce them into your diet.

Nutrition in Ayurveda is a harmonious interaction of the soul and body, therefore it attaches great importance to the inner voice, arguing that the intellect can make mistakes, while the voice comes from the heart, from the very being of a person.

It is very useful for a healthy life to drink hot water. It is recommended to drink only purified water, after boiling it. Take several sips after 1 hour and before meals. Hot water cleanses the body of toxins and rejuvenates it.

According to Ayurvedic nutritional science, it is advisable to avoid eating meat and replace it with fish or poultry.

The ancient sages - rishis - during their time on Earth discovered that suffering and pain entered the lives of people. So they gathered in the Himalayas and meditated for a long time. As a result of this, their leader Baradvaja accepted the knowledge of Ayurveda from the Absolute and passed it on to all the other sages orally. This tradition was preserved. long time, but 6000 years ago, the rishi Agni Vesa wrote a treatise on Ayurveda and handed over the first of these texts to his student Charaka. Since then, these texts on Ayurveda are called Charakasamgita. Charakasamgita consists of three large and three small treatises. In them, ancient Indian medicine - Ayurveda is presented in the form of ten sections.

There are eight specialties in Ayurveda:

Kayachikica - internal medicine.

Shalakaya - knowledge from diseases of the head, neck, to the subclavian region.

Shawl - surgery.

Agadya - tantra - toxicology.

Phutvidya - psychiatry.

Kaumarbhritya - pediatrics, obstetrics.

Rassayana - rejuvenation, strengthening the immune system.

Vajikorana - how to give the system additional energy.

Basic principles of ancient Indian medicine Ayurveda

Based on the knowledge that Shakti - Prakriti - Nature gives birth to five tatvas, five primary elements, ancient Indian medicine - Ayurveda indicates that this Nature is based on three basic principles, the three main rulers of nature are Doshas. These three Doshas are formed from the interaction between the five primary elements. So, the first Dosha is called Vata, it is formed from the interaction of such primary elements as Space and Air. The second Dosha - Pitta - is a combination of primary elements - Fire, Water. The third Dosha - Kapha - is a combination of Water and Earth.

Vata - governs movement, vitality, breath and blood.

Pitta - governs Fire, bile, digestion, metabolism.

Kapha governs structure, excretion and lymph.

These principles, individualized in each individual person, form the ten main types of Prakriti.

So, the main cosmic Primary Elements, the number of which is equal to five, are manifested in the human body as three fundamental principles, as three signs of Activity.

They were known in the Indo-Tibetan medicine tradition under the name "Tridosha". From Ether and Air, “body air” or Vata is born. Fire in conjunction with Water gives rise to "bodily fire" or Pitta. Earth with water forms body water or Kapha.

Three elements - Vata, Pitta and Kapha - are responsible for all biological, physiopathological and mental functions of the body, mind and consciousness. These three forces act both as the main component of the body and as a protective barrier against aggressive environmental factors, creating a normal psychological status of the body.

In Tibetan medicine traditions, these Forces are respectively called Rlung (“air”), Mkhris (“fire”) and Badkan (“water”). When these three forces are in perfect balance, the health of the body reaches its maximum. When these Three Forces are out of balance, disease develops.

The concept of the Three Forces, or "Tridosha", is very difficult to translate into the language of modern objective scientific concepts of the West, although understanding the essence of this model, according to many experts in Eastern medicine, should have a revolutionary impact on the improvement of Western medical theory in the future, not to mention on the development of practice, diagnosis and treatment in line with Eastern medicine.

Ancient Indian doctors believed that the Three Forces, Three Processes, Three Qualities-Energies perform their action constantly and immediately throughout the body, connecting different parts of the body and organs that are far from each other. The Three Forces are moving directly in everything and everywhere - in the tree, in the stream, and in every smallest particle of the human body. The movement of these three forces occurs in all organs and tissues, in every cell of the body. There is not a single place in the human body where all the Three Processes would not be constantly performed in their continuous interaction.

It is necessary to understand that the terms Watta, Pitta and Kapha are abstract concepts, complex constructs of the theoretical and applied model of Indo-Tibetan pathophysiology. They are of a complex systemic nature - a multi-level character both functionally and structurally. Therefore, at present they do not have an adequate interpretation in the language of modern pathophysiology, focused on the study of the relationship of certain specific functions with specific, clearly localized anatomical (organ or subcellular) structures. These Three Forces are systems that show signs of unity within the definition of each of them through a spectrum of functions and structural elements. And the causes of disease were considered in antiquity solely as violations of the harmonious unity of these regulating Forces.

It should not be forgotten that the Three Forces have not only a material-corporeal and subtle-energetic (“bio-field”) meaning, but also a highly-informational meaning, i.e. psychoenergetic. All Three Forces in their interaction cause highly spiritual processes in human consciousness. By the way, precisely because of its applicability, the concept of the Three Forces is actively used not only in medicine, but also in the psychosomatic practice of Yoga in the form of the concepts of “Prana” (in the narrow sense, one of the varieties of Vata), “inner fire” (one of the forms of Pitta) and “soma” (“life-giving nectar” is a form of Kapha, which is responsible for the energy supply of intuition and manifests itself in the base of the brain).

One of the most valuable ideas of Indo-Tibetan medicine, ancient Ayurvedic and Yogic medicine, as well as Eastern Human Science in general, is that all the wisdom of physiological, natural treatment has its full representation in the high spiritual spheres of human consciousness.

BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL TYPES OF PERSON

The first thing a doctor needs to do is to determine for each person his individual traits.

1 type - Cotton wool
Type 2 - Pitta
Type 3 - Kapha
Type 4 - Vata - Pitta
Type 5 - Pitta - Kapha
Type 6 - Pitta - Vata
Type 7 - Kapha - Pitta
Type 8 - Vata - Kapha
Type 9 - Kapha - Vata
Type 10 - Vata - Pitta - Kapha

Thus, with the help of pulse diagnostics, it determines which of the ten types a particular patient belongs to. Using the same pulse diagnosis, it determines the level of dysfunction in the human body. Further, based on the twenty approaches to treatment that exist in Ayurveda, he produces a treatment.

AYURVEDIC TREATMENTS

1. The first method of treatment is the method of influencing the patient's consciousness. To do this, he is taught in a special technique of transcendental meditation, the result of which is achieving a certain degree of silence. This brings the patient to the attainment of Pure Consciousness - as a state of connection of the individual with the source of his being.

2. The second method - where it is used premordial sound. it Vedic first sounds that synchronize the entire human essence. Their doctors select them individually for each patient and recommend saying them to yourself or listening to them a certain number of times a day to improve well-being.

3. The third method is intellectual, that is, they ask the patient to engage in self-knowledge of himself. Because cause of illness according to Ayurveda always lies in the errors of the intellect- (Pratya parade), therefore, having understood his wrong thoughts, actions, the patient gradually restores order in his nature.

4. The fourth approach is emotional. Explain to the patient that the underlying emotion is bliss. Having revived the bliss in the patient, doctors achieve that they revive the point of transition of his consciousness into his material body. And this leads to the harmonization of biochemical processes in the body.

5. The fifth approach is language. The essence of this method is to choose the right the right words for this patient, which could inspire hope for recovery.

6. Sixth - Gandarvaveda. This is the use of special melodic sounds, melodies selected according to the time of day, which, like premordial sounds, restore harmony within a person, cause the prevention and treatment of diseases.

7. The seventh approach at the level of feelings. Every sense can be used for healing. Thus, vision is used for color therapy, hearing - for sound therapy(music therapy), smell - for smell therapy(various aromas), taste - herbs - diet therapy, touch - massage.

8. Eighth - pulse diagnostics . Using this method, the doctor not only establishes a diagnosis, but also produces a treatment based on the feedback principle.

9. Ninth - psychopharmacological integrity. It is a mental technique similar to autogenic training.

10. Tenth - neuromuscular integration. In other words, these are yogic exercises - asanas.

11. Eleventh - neurorespiratory integration or breathing exercises - pranayama.

12. Twelfth - physiological cleansing various body cavities.

13. Thirteenth - diet therapy.

14. Fourteenth - herbs, minerals.

15. Fifteenth - scattered. This is a special category of herbal preparations for rejuvenation, longevity and strengthening the immune system.

16. Sixteenth - behavioral approach. Sick learn correct behavior in the family, society and in relation to oneself.

17. Seventeenth - JYOTISH which means study natal chart patient, that is, an astrological chart.

18. Eighteenth - Yagya is Vedic engineering that restores harmony between the environment and the person through Jyotish.

19. Nineteenth - creating a collective consciousness through transcendental meditation in groups.

20. Twentieth - peace to the world, health to the world.

Thus, we see that the responsibility of the Ayurvedic physician is not limited to one patient. He creates health not only for himself and the patient, but also for the whole world, which distinguishes Ayurvedic medicine from other oriental medicines. .

Many have heard about Indian Ayurveda, but few understand its true description. In Sanskrit, Ayurveda means life and knowledge.

The first in the world began to develop Indian and. The medical knowledge gained since then is applied all over the world. The main principles of medicine are based on Ayurveda - the traditional Indian system of healing. Ayurveda contains knowledge about longevity, health, which is passed down from generation to generation.

Knowledge of Ancient India

The first ideas about science, which has something similar to medicine, appeared in 2000 BC. e. According to literary sources that have survived to this day, people tried to explain the processes occurring in the body through philosophy. This was the beginning of the development of medicine in ancient India and the treatment of ailments. This knowledge was called the Vedas.

The explanation for this was the following interpretation: the human body is a shell of the soul, but it is tied to material wealth. The causes of bodily ailments are to be found in this imperfection of human nature.

The development of medicine in ancient India had a huge impact on Chinese medicine. If we briefly describe the development of medicine in India, then the following information is known: "Rigveda" is the oldest Vedic scripture that describes the treatment of bleeding, leprosy, and consumption. This scripture looked like a collection of magical rituals, and it was necessary to treat the disease by reading prayers and performing rituals.

Formation of Indian Ayurveda

Full medical knowledge was described at the beginning of our era. A system of healing called "Ayurveda" was formed at that time. This system implies "the doctrine of long life." The first experience of healing came from the Vaidyas, a small group of people living in the "wild life." They lived in the forests, among the mountains.

The history of medicine in Ancient India was based on five elements (air, fire, earth, air, ether), cosmic energy. The Vaidyas were the first to notice the dependence of a person's well-being on the cycles of the moon. Observing, they suggested that animals have analogues of human organs.

Development of Indian medicine

Medicine, alternative medicine in India were characterized by rapid development and received universal recognition. Ayurveda methods began to be used in the East.

acupuncture, plastic surgery, hirudotherapy (leech treatment), organ transplantation, acupuncture - people learned about these therapeutic, surgical methods thanks to Ayurvedic knowledge. In India, herbal preparations, infusions, and decoctions were widely used.

In the classical period of history, India dramatically changed its ideas about medicine. Healers began to forget about the supernatural causes of diseases and devoted more time to a person as a particle of the world.

Elements and fluids of Indian medicine

Five elements carry 3 fluids: mucus (located above the heart), bile (responsible for the area between the navel and the heart muscle), wind (the area below the navel). These 3 fluids and 5 elements form the 6 products of the human body:

the seed of a man;
fatty layer;
brain;
bones;
muscles;
blood.

For example, the wind is responsible for metabolism, excretion, blood circulation, and digestion. This is because the wind carries sound, freshness and coolness. Medicine in ancient India was based on peculiar knowledge, some of which may seem unusual and not at all like medical treatises:

Disease of the body begins with a disturbed flow of bile, wind and mucus. The severity and development depends on the degree of imbalance between the 3 primary elements.
Phlegm is a soft substance that acts as a lubricant, they are responsible for vigorous activity.
Bile refers to the fire element. It is responsible for body temperature, heart activity and digestive function.

Ayurveda in India: types of people

Depending on 3 liquids, types of people are distinguished according to Ayurveda. They have a different physique and susceptibility to diseases:

Wind or Vata - dominant nervous system They have difficulty gaining weight. They are like fireworks, they can do a powerful start, but quickly fatigue. According to the teachings of Ayurveda, they need to try to see the positive aspects in life. They form early wrinkles, problems with joints and muscles.
Slime or Kapha are tall people with a large physique. They are balanced and calm, optimists in life. The skin is thick, excellent health, but laziness is a negative quality. They are advised to stop eating bad food, observe the regime of the day and rest. Often there is obesity.
Bile or Pitt - have a normal physique and average height, they are assiduous, enterprising, have a mobile mind, and are active. They know how to defend their position, however, they get annoyed for any reason. People have a loud voice and a pleasant timbre. They need to learn how to direct energy to a useful cause. Suffer from skin pathologies, heart disease.

Description of types of people according to Ayurveda

Ayurveda: benefits for women

The fair sex uses the best Ayurvedic knowledge to improve their health and maintain beauty. Proper nutrition leads to the normalization of the state of mind and body. There is a term "Ayurvedic products", which include:

vegetables;
legumes;
dairy;
fruit.

There is different kinds ayurvedic massage. The procedure of treatment with the help of medicinal herbs is called Potli massage. Other massages include:

Abhyanga - massage using vegetable oil.
Nasya - massaging the nose.
During the Shirodhara procedure, a thin stream of oil is poured on the patient's forehead, which stimulates the activity of the brain and is good for the hair.
Foot massage stimulates all the necessary points, which helps the functioning of all body systems.

Oil is poured in a trickle on the "third eye"

An interesting fact: the level of medicine in India is the same as in Europe. Every year this country is visited by more than 270 thousand tourists who come for treatment. At first, in India, they studied medicine during an internship in the United States.

Then all clinics in India received the most respected accreditation - JCI. Undoubted advantage This country is the cost of services provided, it is much lower than in European countries, but the quality does not suffer.

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Ministry of Health of the Republic of Belarus

Vitebsk State Order of Friendship of Peoples Medical University

Department of Public Health and Health

on "History of Medicine"

on the topic: "Ancient Indian medicine"

Indo-Buddhist culture, which has developed relatively isolated over many centuries, differs significantly even from neighboring Islamic and Chinese civilizations. The dissimilarity of the Indian type of culture with the European one is expressed quite sharply and is reflected in the classic lines of R. Kipling: “The West is the West, the East is the East, and they will not leave their place…”.

Features of Indian culture can be reduced to several general provisions:

* introversion of the Indian way of thinking; unlike the Western (extraverted) type of thinking, all Indian reflection is directed "inward" human personality; it is the human individual and his happiness-unhappiness that is the object of Indian philosophy, religion and culture in general;

* the humanitarianism of Indian culture - the focus on the development of the spiritual and intellectual aspects of human existence, to the detriment of technical progress and other material conditions of life;

* the idea of unreality, the imaginary nature of the individual human "I";

* ideological orientation to the past; all concepts developed by Indian thought see the cultural ideal not in the future (which is typical of Europeans), but in the past;

* the desire for self-isolation and the declaration of self-sufficiency of one's own development path;

* solidity of Indian culture; its postulates regulate all levels of social life at once; the same Buddhism performs the functions of religion, philosophy, political doctrine, education systems, health care, and others combined.

All these characteristics of the ancient Indian mentality somehow affected the medical "theory" and practice of this ancient people. Some information about the beginning of healing has been preserved in the Rig Veda. She mentioned several ailments. First of all, wounds and bleeding, which is natural for the warlike Aryans - warriors who conquered the vast expanses of Eurasia on their war chariots. These daredevils did not pass, of course, and chronic diseases, including such terrible ones as leprosy, consumption. Ideas about diseases and their treatment were then especially densely saturated with magic. Ailments were attributed to the machinations of evil spirits, which only priests could resist. The Vedic hymns mention "wise men" who accompanied the nomadic Aryan tribes "with a bag full of medicinal plants". They nursed the wounded, removed arrows and spears from their bodies, treated injured eyes, and even made simple prostheses for lost limbs. Since doctors are mentioned in the oldest hymns along with such specialists as poets and millers, it turns out that medical profession in the Indo-Aryan world is just as ancient.

In case of injury or any other disease, it was supposed to turn to the divine twins Ashvins - heavenly healers and keepers of the life of the Aryans. Their competence was healing from ailments, prolonging youth. With a similar epithet - "heavenly healer" - the Vedic hymns reward the god Rudra - the lord medicinal herbs and patron saint of hunters.

And in the eyes of the faithful Hindus, the “lord of the waters” Varuna sends various diseases and other misfortunes to people. So he punishes people (as well as animals and plants) for sins that upset the balance in the world. Historians believe that “religious veneration of the waters also assumed the hygienic benefits that ablution brings, especially in hot climates.

In order to earn forgiveness from the gods, to be healed of ailments, it was necessary to sing sacred hymns, make sacrifices to the gods and cast spells. Therefore, more detailed information about medicine in the era of Vedic culture brings to us the Atharvaveda (Veda of Spells). The collection is a collection of conspiracies, incantation formulas, some of which directly or indirectly reflect the medical ideas of that time. “You have a hundred, a thousand medicines, O king,” an appeal to Varuna followed, “In your waters is the nectar of immortality, in them is a mighty power of healing.” Advice on the use of medicinal herbs is interspersed in individual spells: “You, born in the mountains as a healing plant, descend, oh kushta, destroy Takman, drive Takman away from here ... Pains in the head, inflammation of the eyes, body pains - all this will be healed by the kushta plant ".

The Vedic hymns mention Soma many times. This was the name of the sacred "drink of immortality", which occupied a large place in the religious cult of the ancient Aryans and those peoples who descended from them. Several books of the Rigveda are dedicated to Soma at once, one in its entirety and many hymns from others. However, we do not know exactly what soma is. This Sanskrit word has the same root as the word "juice" we understand - both of them are formed from the ancient verb "su", meaning "squeeze, make juice." In this case, both the plant and the infusion prepared from it, and the special deity that gave people such a wonderful remedy, were called that. Soma, the Indo-Aryans believed, eliminated pain, calmed emotional experiences, increased vitality and prolonged life, - all this by blissful intoxication. This plant is the most desired sacrifice to the Aryan gods.

The texts of the Rigveda and Avesta, sacred to the Aryans, describe the recipe for preparing a sacred drink. The plants were collected, soaked in water, then pounded with a pestle in a mortar or squeezed under a stone press to extract the juice - the basis for an intoxicating drink. The juice was filtered through a sparse cloth and mixed in a vessel with water, or milk, fresh or fermented, or barley grains. The mixture thus obtained was fermented, as a result of which it acquired its desired stimulating effect.

Such a drink appeared both in myths and in the real life of the ancient Iranians and Indians. They believed that thanks to soma, their gods gained immortality and superhuman strength. For example, the god Indra, before the battle with the dragon Vritra, tasted soma and therefore won. So the Indo-Aryan priests prepared and used soma for sacrifices - libations on fire and ritual communion. The "drink of the gods" gave strength to mantra spells. “Oh, king-soma, prolong our life, like the sun - spring days. Extend our lifespan, O Soma, so that we may live,” calls the Rig Veda. “I crave the intoxication of you, O golden catfish, strength, victory, healing, strength for the body, knowledge of everything,” Avesta echoes. The ritual of using soma from the ancient Vedic cults passed into religions such as Zoroastrianism, Hinduism.

It is worth noting that their worshipers distinguished between the sacred intoxication of soma and other secular, vulgar types of alcohol known in their everyday life (i.e., probably, primitive beer from cereal crops, later grape, or wine of a different composition). "Other intoxicating drinks", according to the Avesta, cause the demons of anger and fury, and soma is the path to truth. “We drank soma, we became immortal, we reached the light, we found the gods,” is sung in one of the hymns of the Rig Veda.

Regarding the real prototype of soma, there are many points of view among historians. Among the "candidates" for such an honorable role are plants that simply increase the energy tone of the body, and poisonous-narcotic gifts of nature: heather, mountain rue, poisonous mushrooms (fly agaric), euphorbia, ephedra, henbane, hemp and many others. Some researchers believe that catfish is Asclepia acida (S. Kovner); others see juniper tincture here. Let us also recall the story of Herodotus, which we cited above, in the first chapter of the manual, about how the ancient Scythians climbed into a felt yurt and burned hemp seeds on copper braziers in order to experience a divine trance. A similar ritual of burning this or another plant drug is described by ethnographers in relation to the shamans of Siberia, discovered by archaeologists in the burial mounds of the ancient nomads of Altai. The Finno-Ugric tribes of the taiga zone, with whom the Indo-Europeans contacted at the early stages of their settlement, ate fly agaric or drank an infusion of these acutely poisonous mushrooms for this purpose.

Modern supporters of the religion of Zoroastrianism - the Parsis living in India, use ephedra to prepare the celebratory drink Hauma. This is a semi-shrub from the coniferous family, growing in the north-west of India, in Afghanistan, Iran. Other types of ephedra are found even more widely - from Central Asia to Southeast Europe. In our country, its dialect designations are “steppe raspberry”, “private berries”, “berry conifer”, “Kalmyk incense” and others.

But it is not known with complete certainty which plants the ancient inhabitants of India had in mind under the names "soma" ("hauma") and "kushta". Most likely, we have before us a synonym for medicinal, invigorating and narcotic plants in general, a symbol of a kind of Indo-Aryan pharmacy, where different drugs are combined and alternated natural origin. Such a conclusion is all the more logical, given that the ancient Aryans settled not only in Hindustan, but also in many other regions where completely different plants grew with euphoric effects hidden in them (herbs, cereals, shrubs, mushrooms).

In any case, one of the texts of the Rigveda about soma is called just that - "Praise to healing herbs." This hymn begins like this: “The herbs that rose from the earth, and ancient times, which are three centuries older than the gods, I want to talk about their dark-colored one hundred and seven powers ...” Further, the chant becomes even more interesting for the historian of ancient pharmacy: “He, at who has stocks of herbs in his hands is like a king surrounded by many subjects. The healer is the name of this sage, he defeats the demons and drives away the disease. The author of the hymn prays for him before the gods, asking him to protect from any damage the one who knows and extracts medicinal herbs. There is, in fact, the deification of herbs, the personification of their healing power.

It becomes clear that in addition to religious ideas and magical techniques, ethnoscience ancient Hindus strove for rational methods of therapy and maintaining the high authority of herbalists. The Vedic religion thus encouraged the accumulation of empirical knowledge about medicinal plants and their uses. Mythological fiction coexisted here with simplified, but generally sound ideas. So, in addition to the intrigues of evil demons, diseases were attributed to the penetration of "worms" into the body.

most complete picture traditional Indian medicine gives Ayurveda ("Knowledge of longevity"). As can be seen from this title, the main goal of healing was to prolong life. The correct way of life and competent treatment of ailments were considered to be the ways to achieve this main goal, so that longevity was not accompanied by suffering. Congenital ailments differed from those caused by a particular infection (infection) or climate change, seasons. For example, a special hymn was dedicated to overcoming a fever with the help of a “sacrificial drink”.

Ayurveda has come down to us in three versions: a few fragments of the Atraya Samhita (collections of Atraya), a more complete Charaka Samhita, and an even more detailed Sushruta Samhita. After the translation of the texts of Ayurveda, the picture of the state of medicine in ancient India became much clearer. It turned out that the ancient Indian doctors were pioneers in the use of many important medicines, developed many original operations.

Atreya, already mentioned above, a doctor and teacher of medicine, lived and worked in the flourishing city of Taxila, the center of science and culture, in the 8th or 7th centuries. BC e. One of the world's first medical schools was located here. The first Buddhist chronicles note that the training course of the future doctor lasted seven years (a period close to modern). The right to medical practice was obtained after the completion of such a long study.

The first healer, whose memory was preserved in the early Buddhist texts, was Jivaka, already mentioned by us above. He graduated from the Taxil School of Medicine. As a kind of "final exam" he was asked to take a tour of the outskirts of the city and determine which plants are medicinal. After long experiences Jivaka concluded that each of them is somehow suitable for treatment. This conclusion was approved by the leaders of the medical school. Dvizhaka became the life physician of King Bimbi-sara. According to legend, he entered the trust of the ruler after he healed him of a fistula (fistula). Early Buddhist legends have preserved information about his other successful diagnoses. He cured one merchant of chronic migraines with the help of a craniotomy, and recommended another to change his place of residence in order to get rid of an internal ailment. According to legend, he even saved the ill Buddha by instructing him to put an enema, take a hot bath and a number of other medical procedures that had the desired effect.

It is difficult to say whether such a doctor actually existed, or whether we have a collective image of the first Indian doctors and pharmacists.

From the next generations of ancient Indian doctors, medical writings remained. Tradition connects the first of them with such doctors as Bhela, Charaki and Sushruta. Bhela's treatise is known from excerpts from later medical instructions.

We also have rather scarce information about Charak, whose book (Charaki-Samhita) was translated into Persian and Arabic in the Middle Ages and had a noticeable influence on medicine in the Middle Ages. European scientists claim that this wonderful doctor lived at the very beginning of the 1st century. n. e. Indian medical historians tend to believe that Charaka lived much earlier, in the 10th-8th centuries. BC e., and was the court physician of the Kushan king Kanishka. In any case, all researchers agree that Charaka was the predecessor of Sushruta. It is possible that in the face of Jivaka we have before us not a real face, but a collective image of ancient healers. Be that as it may, the first medical samhita texts were borrowed and revised by medieval Hindu doctors. They are most fully represented in the work of Dridhabali (IX-X centuries AD).

According to Indian legends, the art of medicine is of divine origin. The creator of the first canon of healing - Ayurveda is the god Brahma, who passed the relevant secrets to the god Dakshnati, the heavenly patron of all kinds of talents. The next holders of medical secrets were the divine twins Ashwins, and after them the divine Indra. He donated them to the first human doctor, the sage Bharadwaja. He was not satisfied with the ready-made canon of medical science, but decided to supplement it - to take trips to distant countries to acquire all kinds of knowledge necessary to fight diseases. On his return, he described his journey to sages called from all over India to his Himalayan retreat. After conducting experiments on themselves and on other people, they became convinced of the practical significance of this knowledge and accepted it as a system. Six eminent scientists were assembled to summarize and classify all the information about medicines and diseases collected in various parts countries, and incorporate these data methodically and systematically into one complete treatise. When the six essays were ready, the scientists appeared before the elected judges. The work of the Agniveda was recognized as the best. The text of his work was declared basic and called Ayurveda. Since ancient times, this text has been handed down from teacher to student, from scholars of all ages to their successors. Ayurveda is the main system of medicine, born and established in India.

"Charaka-samhita", as ancient monuments confirm, is a creative processing of the work of the semi-mythical doctor Agniveda, a student of Atreya. The work has been given a poetic form, it includes 8400 verses and consists of eight parts, in which a wide variety of problems of physiology, dietetics, the clinic of certain diseases, their diagnosis and prognosis, as well as treatment are widely covered. In the first samhitas one can distinguish the symptoms of many diseases of the eyes, ears, heart, stomach, lungs, skin, muscles, nerves; including such as conjunctivitis, scrofula, diphtheria, paralysis, rabies, chronic asthma, kidney stones, dropsy, rheumatism, gangrene, leprosy, epilepsy, tuberculosis, etc.

Since this work, the medical writings of India include the following sections:

1) general methods of treatment, professional qualities of a doctor;

2) diagnosis of major diseases

3) general pathology;

4) anatomy and embryology;

5) diagnosis and prognosis;

6) special therapy;

7) drugs from various substances(all divided into 50 groups; including liquid drugs).

Each section of Ayurveda corresponds to certain groups of diseases. The first section was therapy (kaya-chikitsa) and its components - etiology, diagnosis, treatment (medication and diet). This included such ailments as fever, gastritis, cough, kidney pain, etc. The second section included surgery (shalya-tantra), general and obstetric-gynecological. The third section united diseases of the ear, throat and nose, as well as the eyes. All of these ailments were attributed to internal violations the basic elements of the patient's body. Various ways lead to such damage - bad heredity, trauma during pregnancy or childbirth, an unhealthy lifestyle, or harmful environmental factors.

The fourth part of Ayurveda was devoted to mental disorders (bhuta-vidya). She was most infected with mythological and magical ideas - the loss of reason was explained by the invasion of demons into the human soul. The fifth section dealt with pediatrics (kumara-bhritya), his patients included newborns and growing children. To protect their health, along with medicines, special spells and charms were offered. For the East, with its insidious tropical nature and political life saturated with intrigues, the next, especially detailed section of medical knowledge looked logical - toxicological (agada-tantra), which explained the symptoms of poisoning by poisonous plants and minerals; bites of snakes, insects; first aid measures in such cases and antidotes.

Particularly popular in the East was the seventh section of traditional medicine, which paid special attention to the means of stimulating vital activity and preventing aging of the body (rasayana). Dietary advice(spring water, milk, refined butter, honey; salt restriction in the diet) were combined here with daily physical exercises and a kind of self-hypnosis, auto-training (peace of mind, abstinence from anger, etc.). This also adjoins the last section of medical treatises, connected with a kind of sexology - the preservation of sexual ability in men (vaji-karana-tantra) and getting rid of infertility in women. The loss of sexual potency was seen as a threat to the health of the whole organism. Contrary to common beliefs about a special cult of sexual love in India, her doctors urged their patients to reasonable moderation in this regard, a combination of physical pleasure and spiritual unity of partners. The later treatise on this topic, the famous Kama Sutra, considers not only and not so much the technique of sex, the position of intercourse, but the musical, theatrical, cosmetic and other preparation of women for full communication with their chosen ones.

Of the medicines of animal origin, samhitas mention: skin, nails, hair - burned on braziers, they fumigated the premises with a fever; blood was recommended to drink with blood loss; eat meat, brain when exhausted; milk - as a nutritious remedy for children and nervous diseases; use urine - as a mild laxative for worms; cow dung - as an external remedy for inflammation. Honey, eggs, leeches, water from the Ganges are also recommended.

Mineral substances were also widely used: saltpeter, caustic soda, sea salt, borax, ammonia, sulfur. Mercury was used to treat syphilis, as well as many other diseases. Before use, gold was quenched in hot oil or milk. Lead, tin, zinc, antimony, arsenic were used against skin diseases. Noble metals were used even more widely, but rather for psychotherapeutic purposes - the descendants of the Aryans have long worshiped gold, silver and copper as sacred metals.

In total, Charaka described up to 600 medicines and entered the history of medicine not only as one of the oldest doctors, but also as one of the first pharmacists in the written history. The work associated with his name features 64 mineral products and 177 animals. Among dosage forms there were tinctures, ointments, drops. Baths were widely practiced - solar, mud, water. The water was disinfected with a dose of arsenic.

The next of the most famous ancient Indian healers, Sushruta, lived in Benares, no less significant center of knowledge than Taxila, and was known as a disciple of the sage and "doctor of the gods" Dhanvantari, who himself was considered a demigod. Until now, medical historians cannot even approximately determine the dates of Sushruta's life. At the same time, the discrepancies are very impressive: IX century. BC e. - I century. n. e. Be that as it may, the very fact of memorizing the names of the most famous doctors of antiquity reflects the high prestige and professional success of representatives of archaic medicine in India.

If in the book "Charaki-samhita" questions of therapy prevailed, then the work of Sushruta paid special attention to surgery. There are operations such as caesarean section during childbirth, suturing wounds received in battle, including assistance for eye damage. More than 300 are described here. various operations and over a hundred surgical instruments. Charaka has several dozen recipes more than Sushruta (the latter characterized 64 preparations from mineral raw materials and 57 from plant and animal). The Atharva Veda reports the use of a reed stick as a catheter.

In the classical period of the history of ancient India, healers moved away from the supernatural ideas about the causes of diseases that dominated the Vedic period. The religious and philosophical systems on which they were based in search of the foundations of the universe included elements of natural science knowledge.

A person was considered in close connection with the surrounding world, which, according to the ancient Indians, consisted of five elements: earth-firmament (prithivi), air-wind or gas (vayu), fire-energy (jyoti), water-liquid (apas) and ether-emptiness (akasha). This or that combination of these elements gave rise to both the whole universe and the human organism.

The different quality of objects was explained by different combinations of the smallest particles of anu (they can be identified with the ancient Greek concept of "atom" - indivisible). The vital activity of the organism was considered through the interaction of several substances: 1) air, 2) fire and 3) water (the carriers of which in the body were considered to be breath (prana), bile (pita) and phlegm (kapha). Each of them, in turn, was divided into several elements that represented the individual functions of the body.Thus, the nervous system that controls physical and mental activity corresponded to the wind as a natural element.He is also responsible for the systems associated with movement: blood circulation, digestion, excretion and metabolism.The pace of the latter in a healthy body should to remain proportionate. Their excessive acceleration or deceleration leads to illness. The fiery element of bile in nature in the body controls its temperature, primarily supporting the work of the heart - according to the ideas of the ancient Hindus, the source of heat. Phlegm, both in nature and in the body, is its own kind of lubricant more solids(in particular, the seed through which reproduction is carried out).

Health was understood as the result of a balanced ratio of these substances, the correct fulfillment of the vital functions of the body, the normal interaction of the senses and clarity of mind. Complete harmony of these principles is relatively rare, but a moderate predominance of wind, bile or phlegm in the body is not yet a disease, but rather due to what Hippocrates called temperaments. The disease was understood as the result of an excessive imbalance in the body, an imbalance of the body, soul and mind, as well as negative impact per person external factors(including the influence of seasons, climate, indigestible food, unhealthy water, etc.). The doctor's job is to bring all the elements of the body into the right proportion.

In antiquity and in the Middle Ages, the "theory of the elements of the body" played a positive role in the fight against diseases, as it oriented physicians towards an objective, naive-materialistic approach to their tasks. However, the same concept - too schematic, contradictory and, in general, primitive, further delayed the assimilation of great scientific discoveries in the field of anatomy, physiology, pathology by Eastern physicians.

In the treatise Sushruta, all diseases are divided into: 1) natural - associated with nature; and 2) supernatural, sent by the gods (for example, leprosy, venereal and other contagious diseases, the causes of which were still impossible to understand at that time).

Diagnosis of diseases was based on a detailed survey of the patient and a comprehensive study of his body. It was recommended to set his temperature, determine the color of the skin and tongue, the condition of the hairline, secretions, noises in the lungs, voice features, muscle strength, memory preservation, and similar circumstances. In addition, take into account the age, physical characteristics of the patient, his habits, living conditions, profession, place of residence. Charaka even suggests carefully examining a drop of blood taken from a patient (it is not entirely clear what exactly he could establish with her visual inspection). Sushruta describes sugar diabetes, unknown even to the ancient Greeks, which he determined by the taste of urine. In some cases, samhitas describe something similar to the method of provocation in modern medicine - attempts to exacerbate the course of the disease for a short time in order to fully reveal its nature, all symptoms. The Indian doctor began treatment only after he considered this last task completed.

In Sushruta's treatise, three stages of inflammation are indicated, the signs of which he considered: 1) in the first period - minor pains; 2) in the second - shooting pains, swelling, feeling of pressure, local heat and dysfunction; 3) in the third - a decrease in swelling and the formation of pus. For the treatment of inflammation, Sushruta suggested local medicines and surgical methods.

More than 1000 medicinal plants were known to ancient Indian doctors. Among them is such an important remedy, without which it is difficult even today to imagine the treatment of hypertension, as snake rauwolfia (Rauwolfia serpentina). The well-known drug reserpine and many other alkaloids are now obtained from its roots. Doctors of ancient India used rauwolfia root powder for cardiovascular diseases, as a remedy for colic, against pathological fear and other mental disorders. "Medicine of a sad person" - this is how they called this remedy. And this definition is very true, given the importance that reserpine still has in the treatment of mental disorders thanks to the calming effect. By the way, today the era of chemotherapy in the treatment of psychosis began precisely with the use of reserpine.

Along with many hundreds of medicines of plant origin, medicines of both animal origin (for example, treatment with bile, crocodile seminal glands, etc.) and mineral origin were used: mercury rubbing, sulfur baths different temperatures, oil, salts of heavy and precious metals, etc. Mercury was especially valued in various forms.

The best, according to the Indians, medicinal plants were delivered from the Himalayan mountains. Only healers were engaged in the preparation of medicines, poisons and antidotes (for snake bites): “for those bitten by a snake there was no healing if he did not turn to Indian healers - so the Indians themselves cured those who were bitten by a snake” (“Indica”, XV, 11.)

The fame of the healing properties of Indian plants spread far beyond ancient India. By sea and land trade routes they were brought to Parthia, the countries of the Mediterranean and Central Asia, the basins of the Caspian and Black Seas, South Siberia, and China. The main export items were: nard, musk, sandalwood, cinnamon, aloe and other plants and incense. In the Middle Ages, the experience of Indian medicine was borrowed by Tibetan healers, as evidenced by the well-known treatise of Indo-Tibetan medicine "Chzhud-shi" (VIII - IX centuries AD).

Ancient Indian surgeons used two dozen sharp and over a hundred blunt instruments. Probably, the operation of cataract removal, which, as we remember, was common in Mesopotamia, came to the countries of Mesopotamia from India (trade and cultural ties of these countries since the time of Harappa have been proven by archaeologists). In any case, Sushruta gives a detailed description of this operation.

A brilliant surgeon, Sushruta performed such complex operations for that time as hernia excision, removal of a stone from the bladder, and plastic surgery. The latter were especially needed not only because of the frequent wars with their mass injuries, but also for the reason that in those distant and cruel times, cutting off the nose or ears was a fairly common punishment.

To restore the lost nose, Sushruta made a “pattern” from a leaf of a tree, applied this pattern to the patient’s cheek, and cut out a flap from the skin of the cheek, which, however, remained connected to the skin of the cheek with the help of a leg. The flap was peeled off and transferred to the place where a person is supposed to have a nose. The old wound, of course, was refreshed, the scab was removed. To form the nostrils, reed tubes were temporarily inserted. And only when the transplanted flap took root in a new place, the surgeon cut off the leg connecting the graft to the cheek.

Just as witty were some other operations and techniques of ancient Indian doctors. In other countries of the Ancient World, surgeons almost never dared to operate on the intestines because of the hopelessness of such an intervention due to complications. In addition to the threat of peritonitis, it is important that the intestines could not stand the usual suture material - linen threads, silk. This problem was brilliantly solved by ancient Indian medicine. Intestinal wounds were sutured with black Bengal ant heads. Ants were brought one by one to the reduced edges of the wound. At the same time, the ant fiercely clung to the mucous membrane, fastening the edges of the wound with claws. The body of the ant was separated, and the head with convulsively clenched jaws was left on the wound. So, as if with brackets, the entire length of the wound was fastened next to the ant heads. The intestine was inserted into the abdominal cavity. The skin on the abdomen was sewn up in the usual way - with horsehair or veins of a large animal, linen threads, silk. The described technique is similar to a fantastic legend, however, according to reliable observations of ethnographers, exactly the same method of fastening wounds was used by the Indians of South America (see below.).

To remove an arrow from the body, it was tied to a bent thick branch of a large tree. Then the branch was released. The speed effect seemed to prevent the onset of pain shock. Small fragments of iron tips were removed from tissues using a magnet. This method is still used in ophthalmic traumatology.

In Sushruta, and not in Cornelius Celsus, as some historians of medicine believe, one can find the first description of the local inflammatory process and its signs that are still given in the textbooks of pathophysiology: pain, redness, swelling, local heat. noted Sushruta and general symptoms with local inflammation: lack of appetite, fever.

In ancient India, such methods of treating wounds as oil-soaked dressings, pouring boiling liquids over the wound were also used, here they first began to use in medicinal purposes leech and spanish fly.

Spanish fly (Lytta vesicatoria Fabricus) - blister beetle. They are very poisonous; biting, irritate the mucous membranes, cause blisters on the skin. The active ingredient is the capillary poison cantharidin (cantharidic acid anhydride). The blister beetles were collected early in the morning, when they were in a motionless state, shaken from the trees onto the bedding, quickly transferred to wide-mouthed vessels and tightly closed. To kill the beetles, the vessels with them were placed in a hot oven, then dried in a cooling oven at a temperature not exceeding 400 or outdoors. The Spanish fly preparation thus prepared was used externally only as a distracting and irritating blister (may cause inflammation with blistering).

A solution of them was smeared on a cloth of a certain size and tied to the damaged area of the body.

In the "Sushruta Samhita" a special "lecture" on the anatomy of corpses was discovered. It turns out that in India, an autopsy was performed to study the structure of the body. True, the method used there - soaking the remains of the deceased - is far from perfect from a modern point of view, although it also has its advantages, for example, in the study of topographic anatomy.

“The doctor should take the corpse of a well-built, not too old person, not destroyed either by poison or by prolonged illness that changes the structure of the body. After removing the faeces, the corpse is washed, placed in a wooden box, properly bound with grass, hemp, sugar cane, straw, pea stalks, and then placed at the bottom of a fast-flowing stream in a transparent place, where the corpse is protected from damage by birds, fish and other animals. and from where it is taken out only after 7 days and 7 nights. Then it is rubbed with a brush or bark, and attention is paid to the skin, meat, etc., after the removal of which they proceed to the study of deeper organs.

As you can see, the first Indian doctors, without any special obstacles, overcame both the religious prohibitions of their time and the natural feeling of disgust in order to better understand the subject of their professional studies - the human body. In this field they were true pioneers. Indeed, in most other ancient and medieval countries of Europe and Asia, dissection of corpses was considered blasphemy and was strictly prohibited. Nevertheless, due to the primitiveness of their general ideas and methods, they did not manage to go far along this path.

The physiological ideas of the ancient Indian physicians were as naive as the similar theories of their contemporaries in Egypt and Assyro-Babylonia. Both there and here in ancient times it was believed that a person has a system of 24 "channels". It originates at the navel, passes through the whole body and carries "life-giving juices" (rasa) of various kinds, in particular blood. The heart adds "fiery liquid" to the juices and drives them through all parts of the body for one minute. From the blood arise the "five bases of the body" (dhatu) - flesh, fat, bones, Bone marrow, seed. The main role, however, is played by the "winds", which are taken into the body through breathing. One "wind" produces speech, another introduces food into the body, the third removes feces and urine from the body (mala, that is, literally "dirt"), as well as semen in men, newborns in women; the fourth determines the movement of the limbs. In the case of some disturbances in the action of the "winds", the disease-causing action of bile, phlegm (mucus) and the destructive "wind" appears.

Thus, the physiological and pathophysiological concepts remained rather fantastic. That still did not prevent Indian doctors from developing many important diagnostic techniques (counting the number of breaths and exhalations per unit time, listening to "wind noise" in the chest, etc.).

More general recommendations for the preservation of health, such as dieting, full moon walks, the company of young women, love songs, visiting gardens, and traveling in contemplation of beautiful landscapes; garlands of flowers around the neck, although they make modern readers of the famous Kama Sutra smile, in fact, are not without psychotherapeutic and hygienic meaning.

From the earliest Vedic times, great importance was attached to diet. Aryan cattle breeders found milk and products from it to be the most useful food. According to the Samhitas, milk nutrition gave health and longevity, children were provided with a proportional physique, strength and intelligence. And for pregnant women - the viability of the baby. Both expectant mothers and children were encouraged to include freshly churned butter in their diet. And for teenagers, for the speedy maturation - refined oil. Rice and honey were also considered healing. As you can see, the ancient Indians quite rationally approached the compilation of their menu.

In ancient India, earlier than in Western Europe, there were almshouses (at Buddhist temples) and rooms for the sick - dharmashala (hospitals). Reliable information about them dates back to the time of Ashoka, the most prominent ruler of ancient India. Ashoka also encouraged the cultivation of medicinal plants, the construction of wells, and the landscaping of roads. Somewhat later, during the period of the Gupta empire (IV - VI centuries AD), the “golden” period of Indian history), special “houses were built in the country, where the needy were provided with material and medical assistance, gave shelter to the crippled and crippled, orphans and widows, children, and the sick for as long as they need it.” It is to this era that the activities of Sushruta and his followers are attributed.

In their medical treatises, some attention was paid to hygiene. It is not recommended to sneeze in in public places, wear dirty clothes, drink raw water from untested wells, clog them. At the same time, the practice of life in the East was, as a rule, far from these warnings: in the villages and, especially, cities, overcrowding, unsanitary conditions, and horrendous poverty of the masses of the poor reigned.

The position of a doctor in ancient India was not the same at the stages of history. In the Vedic period, practicing medicine was not reprehensible: even Agni and the Ashvin twins were respectfully called miraculous healers. Later, with the development of the caste system and social inequality, the tendency to consider certain occupations as ritually "unclean", and those engaged in them as untouchable, intensified. This applied to horse and chariot caregivers, carpenters, magicians, acrobats, dancers and other workers, including healers (in all likelihood, those who were involved in surgery and were associated with ritual "impurity"). The common people, of course, appreciated those who helped him from ailments; princes and kings rewarded skillful life doctors. Although the practice of medicine is spoken of with great respect in the ancient texts, it must be remembered that the doctors themselves composed these works. Although their caste was not too high in the traditional hierarchy of Indian society.

It is curious that Ayurveda had a veterinary section. He directly adjoined the presentation of methods of healing people. Methods for the treatment of livestock, primarily cows, as well as horses and elephants, are outlined.

An important role in the development of healing in ancient India was played by monasteries and monks, among whom there were many knowledgeable healers. All the monks had some knowledge in the field of medicine, since it was considered a high virtue to provide medical assistance to the laity. Not only in India, but in the surrounding countries of the Indo-Buddhist and Lamaist culture, medicine was taught in monasteries, both novices - future monks and lay people. The student had first of all to take a general course - the sutras and other works of the great sages. After a test in the knowledge of these texts, he was allowed to study in a specialty (in this case, medical). At the end of a special course, he received permission to practice medicine.

Medicine in ancient India was closely connected with religious and philosophical teachings, among which yoga occupies a special place. It combines religious philosophy, moral and ethical teachings and a system of physical exercises-postures (asanas). Much attention in yoga is paid to the purity of the body and the ascetic lifestyle. The doctrine of yoga consists of two levels: 1) hatha yoga (physical yoga) and 2) raja yoga (mastery of one's spirit). AT modern India both healthy and sick people practice yoga (in yoga therapy clinics); research institutes continue to study this traditional system healthy life.

A student of medicine had to master all facets of medical art: “A doctor who is not skilled in operations becomes confused at the patient’s bed, like a cowardly soldier who first got into battle; a doctor who knows only how to operate and neglects theoretical information does not deserve respect and can endanger even the lives of kings. Each of them owns only half of his art and is like a bird with only one wing,” says the Sushruta Samhita.

At the end of the training, the teacher delivered a sermon to his students, which is given in the "Charaka-samhita": "If you want to achieve success in your activities, wealth and fame and heaven after death, .. You must strive with all your heart to heal the sick, you do not must betray their sick even at the cost own life... You must not get drunk, you must not do evil or have evil comrades ... Your speech must be pleasant ... You must be reasonable and always strive to improve your knowledge ... But about nothing that happens in house of a sick person, one should not speak ... to anyone who, using the knowledge gained, could harm the sick person or another. Only after working more or less under the supervision of his mentor, the doctor in India received the right to independent practice.

Recorded in the I-II centuries. n. e., this sermon bears the characteristic features of its time, however, in terms of its main provisions, it is very similar to the “Oath” of the ancient Greek healers (dated to the 3rd century BC). This testifies to the uniform principles of medical ethics in the countries of the Ancient World.

Thus, within the framework of ancient Indian culture, something like a methodology for teaching medical art has developed. The samhitas formulate the main theses of medical ethics (duty to the teacher, to the patient; disinterested work of the healer; preservation of medical secrecy, if medical observations can aggravate the state of mind of the patient or his relatives). The medical ethics of ancient India strictly demanded that the healer, “who wishes to be successful in practice, be healthy, neat, modest, patient, wear a short-cropped beard, diligently cleaned, trimmed nails, white clothes scented with incense, leave the house only with with a stick and an umbrella, in particular he avoided chatter ... "As you can see, in addition to purely special knowledge, quite certain moral qualities were expected from the doctor: honesty, disinterestedness, courage, self-control and others, without which effective healing is unthinkable.

The physician was supposed to constantly update his knowledge, discuss his clinical experience with colleagues in the profession. The surgeon was instructed to carefully prepare the patient for the operation and to observe him after it, up to complete healing. Only a criminal could refuse to help a doctor. In the case of an incurable disease, the doctor was supposed to openly admit his powerlessness over her.

Remuneration for treatment was forbidden to demand from the disadvantaged, friends of the doctor and brahmins; and vice versa, if wealthy people refused to pay for treatment, the healer was awarded all their property. For improper treatment, the healer paid a fine depending on the social status of the patient.

Of course, the ethical recommendations of Indian samhitas reflect the ideal rather than the actual practice of traditional medicine. However, the written record of such a code reflects the relatively high level of medical art within the framework of ancient Indian culture.

In the classical period, traditional Indian medicine reached its apogee. In time, this coincides with the era of Hellenism and the heyday of the Roman Empire in the West, with the states of which ancient India had trade and cultural ties by land and sea routes.

Ancient Indian medicine had an undoubted influence on the doctors of ancient Greece and medieval Arabic medicine, and hence the subsequent tradition of healing in Europe and Asia. Ibn Sina in his famous "Canon of Medicine" widely used the works of Charaka and Sushruta, translated into Persian and Arabic. Greek and Roman historians and geographers repeatedly mention the medical achievements of the Indian sages. Strabo, for example, was surprised that the local healers use not so much medicine (especially ointments, plasters) as a diet. The ancient Greeks seem to have paid less attention to diet.

If we recall the difference between medical schools in Ancient Greece, then Kos, rather than Knidos, will be closer to the traditions of Indian medicine. This last one was mainly empirical - it detailed the diagnosis of diseases, without going into the general theory of the structure of the body and the causes of its damage. On the contrary, the Kosskaya school, to which the famous Hippocrates belonged, relied on the general condition of the body, its comprehensive study, and the disease seemed to be a whole complex of symptoms, taking into account the individuality of the patient. Approximately along this path went to further development clinical medicine. Note the well-known concept of Hippocrates about the "elements of the body" - blood, mucus and bile (black and yellow) - something very similar we saw in the views of the founders of Indian medicine. This and some other coincidences with the experience of Indian doctors can be explained both by a simple coincidence of socio-historical conditions in the East and in the West, and by some continuity of more ancient Eastern achievements by Western colleagues.

At the same time, the differences between the Indian tradition of health protection and disease control and the European one are obvious. Indian physicians never fell into the narrow physiology already characteristic of ancient, and to the greatest extent of modern European medicine. In the East, they tried to consider the patient in a complex way, from the point of view of his physical, mental and mental state. A doctor in India was obliged to know not only his narrow specialty, but also the basics of botany, biology, chemistry, pharmacology, psychology (in the form in which they existed at a certain historical period of development). The doctor's work there began even before the patient fell ill, and did not stop after his recovery from a certain ailment. The main task of medicine was to support the vital functions of the body in the framework of healthy longevity. Towards a similar model of interaction between a general practitioner and a patient western medicine applied relatively recently. Widely promoted natural factors maintaining health and combating ailments - sunlight, fresh air, communication with wildlife, generally a favorable climate.

Similarly, in the East, there were no such sharp lines between the hospital and the pharmacy as in the West. The modern specialty of the clinical (hospital) pharmacist was anticipated by the widespread use of herbal and natural preparations in general by doctors representing all the main branches of traditional Indian medicine.

indian treatise medicine pharmacy

List of used literature

1. Wikipedia.

2. Petrishche, T.L. History of Medicine and Pharmacy: A Course of Lectures / T.L. Petrishche; ed. MD, prof. V.S. Glushanko. - Vitebsk: VSMU, 2010.

3. Great medical encyclopedia.- 3rd ed.- T. 14.- M., 1980.

4. Sorokina, T.S. Atlas of the history of medicine. Primitive society. Ancient world. 1987.

5. http://kzdocs.docdat.com/docs/index-30303.html?page=2.

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Ayurvedic treatments

The following are known therapeutic methods, which are used both individually and in combination:

- Oils, milk with medicines or infusions are poured on the forehead in a special way (shirodhara - used in the treatment of chronic headaches, insomnia, mental stress, hysteria, hallucinations) or on the whole body of the patient (dhanyamla dhara - helps with hemiplegia, paralysis, rheumatism, etc.).

Snehapanam- used for osteoarthritis, leukemia, etc. For a certain time, days 8-12, the patient takes ghee with drugs, in ever-increasing quantities

Nyavarakizhi (Njavar a kkizhi)- during this procedure, the patient is forced to sweat by applying muslin bags with medicinal preparations to his body. It helps with different types of rheumatism, joint pain, exhaustion, high blood pressure, high levels cholesterol and some types of skin diseases.

Udvarthanam– this procedure is known as “powder massage” and is very effective for obesity, hemiplegia, paralysis, skin diseases circulatory problems etc.

Vasthi- used for dryness in the nose, mouth and throat, severe headaches, facial paralysis. Warm oils with herbs are poured into an open leather headdress that fits snugly to the head. It is part of Panchakarma.

Vamanam- vomiting for therapeutic purposes. The procedure is part of Panchakarma.

- this is a unique Ayurvedic procedure that the heated oil in a special way, observing a certain rhythm, is poured onto the patient's body - from an hour to an hour and a half a day, for 1-3 weeks. This treatment is carried out on a special table made from a single piece of Strychnis Nuxvomica (a tree to which special healing properties are attributed). This procedure helps with rheumatic diseases such as arthritis, paralysis, hemiplegia, sexual and nervous weakness, nervous diseases, etc.

Abhyangam- a special type of oil massage, in which the masseur makes movements in accordance with the direction of the circulatory channels in the patient's body. This procedure helps with obesity, skin dullness, insomnia, fatigue, etc.

In general, Ayurvedic massage has several varieties: the whole body and individual parts, oil or powder (with crushed herbs), foot or manual.

Nasyam– during this procedure, fruit juices, healing oils, etc. are injected into the nose of the patient for 7-14 days. This procedure is very effective in the treatment of certain types of headaches, paralysis, mental disorders and some types of skin diseases. This procedure is part of Panchakarma.

Virechanam- bowel cleansing. The procedure is part of Panchakarma.

Raktamoksham- purification of the blood. The procedure is part of Panchakarma.

Kizhi (Kizhi) - Healing herbs, whole or chopped, are soaked in warm healing oils and applied to the body or to certain parts of it. The procedure lasts about three quarters of an hour for 1-2 weeks. This procedure helps with osteoarthritis, trauma, etc.

Kativasti- specially prepared warm healing oils are applied to the lower back. Helps with all types of back pain and spinal problems.

Urovasti- the same, but the oils are applied to the chest. Effective for asthma and other respiratory problems, heart disease and chest pain.

Kshiradhumam- steam of a heated mixture of medicinal infusions and cow's milk is directed through a tube to the body or parts of the patient's body. It is very useful in facial paralysis, ptosis and nervous diseases.

Talam- a special powder mixed with medicinal oil, superimposed on the top of the head. Helps with diseases of the ear, nose, throat, insomnia, migraines, etc.

Lepanam- Herbal paste is applied to the damaged part of the body. Useful for various types of inflammation, skin diseases, arthritis, gout, etc.

Talapotichil- crushed medicinal plants are applied to the scalp. This procedure is indicated for insomnia, premature graying and other problems with the hair and scalp.

Swedakarma (swedanam)(Sweat room). In the steam room are removed from the body harmful substances improves skin condition. This procedure is also recommended for people suffering from overweight or certain rheumatic diseases.

Comprehensive programs

Body cleansing - Shodhana Chikilsa

The goal of cleansing therapy is to remove waste products from the body that interfere with its normal functioning. One of the main methods of this therapy is panchakarma- includes a wide range of procedures, unique in their method and application. It is a powerful method of detoxifying, cleansing and rejuvenating the body. With the help of procedures, toxins and slags are removed from all, including the smallest, channels of the body, microcirculation improves, which contributes to tissue rejuvenation. Most environmental poisons are deposited in the body's fat depots, where they play the role of a time bomb. Scientists associate the development of a number of diseases with the accumulation of such poisons: all kinds of allergies, diseases of the liver and skin, various forms cancer, neurological disorders, weakening of the immune system and hormonal disorders up to infertility. The most effective course of therapy is 42 days long. Shorter courses are possible. Panchakarma is prescribed for healthy people in order to cleanse the body of toxins and improve overall health. As a result of cleansing the body, digestion is normalized, the body is strengthened physically, the condition of the skin and the functioning of the sense organs improve, and the work of all body systems is improved. In the panchakarma complex, snehapanam and svedanam procedures are used for general cleansing of the body, and then five main procedures - nasyam, vamanam, virechanam, vasti, raktamoksham and other procedures and massages as prescribed by a doctor. Other methods used in the Shodhana Chikilsa complex (lasting from 15 days) are massage, snehapanam, nasyam, virechanam, shekhavasti, dhara, pizhichil, njavarakizhi, karnapuranam, tarapanam, sirovasti, steam room, the use of medicines inside.

Body rejuvenation - Rasayana Chikitsa

A set of measures called the “rejuvenation program” most effectively slows down the aging of the body and in many cases is able to restore damaged tissues. It includes a complete cleansing of the body and the subsequent intake of special anti-aging drugs against the background of a special diet and regimen. This therapy very good for improving joint lubrication, it relieves joint pain, especially back pain, spasms and muscle tension. The revival therapy also cleanses the blood circulation channels and removes toxins through sweat, ensuring proper blood circulation in the body and mental relaxation. Returns elasticity to the skin and body as a whole, enhances the body's resistance.
Includes head and face massage with healing oils and creams, oil massage of the body, hands and feet, oral medication, steam bath, and herbal baths. Therapy lasts from 7 to 14 days.

Treatment includes some or all of the following, as needed:

- Elakizhi - massage with herbal leaves in bags,

Immunity Strengthening and Longevity - Kayakalpa Chikitsa

Used to slow down the aging process. Duration - 28 days. It includes rasayana (special Ayurvedic medicines and diet), panchakarma and swedakarma, as well as several other types of therapy (massage, snehapanam, virechanam, nasyam, snehavasti, dhara, pizhichil, njavarakizhi, etc.) Most effective for people under 60 years old.

Sandhi Vata Chikilsa

This is a set of procedures indicated for such diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, osteoarthritis, spondylosis, osteoparesis, etc. Includes massage, lepanam, oil application on sore spots, kizhi, steam bath, snekhavasti, kashaya vasti, pizhichil, njavarakizhi, sneparanam and oral medication.

Treatment of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis, one of the most common forms of arthritis, is common in middle-aged and older people. The osteoarthritis treatment program is aimed at healing this disease by slowing down the active process of degeneration, alleviating inflammatory processes, improve joint lubrication and strengthen ligaments and tendons.

- Pizhichil - oil baths.
- Upanaha sweden - application of herbal pastes on various parts of the body.
- Ekanga shekam - oil poultices on various parts of the body.

Diabetes treatment

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which the body cannot use the glucose produced as a result of the digestive process, leading to elevated content sugar in blood and urine. Ayurvedic treatments reduce neurological symptoms such as diabetic neuritis, prevent symptoms, stop degenerative processes in the body, prevent joint pain, restore normal sleep, help avoid complications of diabetes, and lower blood sugar levels.

Treatment includes some or all of the following, as needed:
- Udvarthanam - massage with herbal powders.

- Njavarakizhi - massage with bags of rice and milk.
- Pizhichil - oil baths.
- Dhara - continuous dripping of oils on the forehead.

Svasa Casa Chiquilsa

Program for the treatment of diseases such as bronchial asthma, cough, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, etc. Includes body massage, urovasti, pizhichil, pikizhi, snehavasti, kashaya vasti, nasyam and ingestion of Ayurvedic remedies.

Anti-stress therapy

Stress can cause irritability, depression, insomnia, and emotional instability. This program is an effective and efficient way to relieve daily tension and stress. It improves mood, relaxes the body and mind.

Treatment includes some or all of the following, as needed:
- Udvarthanam - massage with herbal powders,
- Abhyangam - oil massage of the whole body,
- Dhara - continuous dripping of herbal oils on the head,
- Elakizhi - massage with bags of herbal leaves,
- Njavarakizhi - massage with bags of rice and milk,
- Dalapotichil - applying herbal paste on the head,

Sucanidra

Ayurveda helps not only the body, but the mind and soul as well. This program is very useful for insomnia, anxiety, improves immunity and self-confidence. It includes body massage, sirovasti, kshira dhara, taila dhara, talam, dalapotichil, taking Ayurvedic medicines, yoga and meditation.

Treatment of skin diseases, psoriasis - Sidma Chikilsa

The tropical climate prevailing in Kerala is ideal for the effective treatment of skin diseases. The therapy includes a special detoxification program and beauty treatments. Ayurvedic methods are very effective in the treatment of diseases such as all types of psoriasis and various skin diseases such as eczema, scabies, dermatitis and folliculitis. Programs last from 21 to 28 days. Includes some or all procedures depending on the need: lepanam, abhyangam, snehapanam, pizhichil, steam bath, sirovasti, specially prepared herbal medicines, along with yoga and meditation, since Ayurveda believes that most diseases are psychosomatic.

Pizhichil - oil baths.
- Abhiyangam - oil massage of the whole body.
- Snehapanam - ingestion of herbal extracts.

Weight loss

The task of the Ayurvedic doctor is to determine, taking into account the age and state of health, the individual weight norm, to achieve stability in its preservation. Ayurveda uses for this a complex method of regulating metabolism, the main component of which is the complete cleansing of the body.

Treatment includes some or all of the following procedures, depending on their need:
- Udvarthanam - massage with herbal powders,
- Abhiyangam - oil massage of the whole body,
- Elakizhi - massage with herbal leaves in bags.

Ayurveda for athletes

Modern sports Ayurveda has been formed since ancient times, as part of the martial arts of Kerala, so its arsenal of methods for treating injuries received during combat training is extremely wide and well-tested by time. The sports injury treatment program corrects displacements of the patella, shoulder, strengthens muscles and tendons, prevents displacements, alleviates joint pain and reduces localized dema until it disappears, also relaxes muscles, relieves spasms and cramps and improves overall health.

Treatment includes some or all of the following, as needed:
- Udvarthanam - massage with herbal powders.
- Abhiyangam - oil massage of the whole body.
- Elakizhi - massage with bags of herbal leaves.
- Upanaham - the application of vegetable paste on various parts of the body.
- Letam and Pichu - applying herbal paste or oils to the center of the head.
- yoga classes with a qualified instructor.

There are programs: "beauty course", treatment courses for the back and neck, as well as many other programs and techniques.

The best season for treatment is summer, the rainy season. If you want to relax and see the state, it is better to go from October to April.

The best Ayurvedic centers are located in the South Indian state of Kerala, which is famous for its amazing nature. The location of Kerala on the ocean coast allows not only to try Ayurveda procedures, but also to relax on the beaches.

India: upcoming tours

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