Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Contents
- Section I Perspectives on Indian Medical Heritage
- Prologue
- 1 Community-based Oral Health Traditions in Rural India
- 2 Alternative Macro Visions
- 3 The Materia Medica of Ayurveda
- 4 Building a Bridge Between Local Health Cultures and Codified Traditions
- 5 Contemporary History
- Section II Accounts of Living Health Traditions
- Section III The Way Forward
- About the Editors
- About the Authors
- Abbreviations
- Glossary
- Appendix — Charts on Materia Medica
- Index
4 - Building a Bridge Between Local Health Cultures and Codified Traditions
from Section I - Perspectives on Indian Medical Heritage
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 November 2011
- Frontmatter
- Foreword
- Foreword
- Acknowledgements
- Contents
- Section I Perspectives on Indian Medical Heritage
- Prologue
- 1 Community-based Oral Health Traditions in Rural India
- 2 Alternative Macro Visions
- 3 The Materia Medica of Ayurveda
- 4 Building a Bridge Between Local Health Cultures and Codified Traditions
- 5 Contemporary History
- Section II Accounts of Living Health Traditions
- Section III The Way Forward
- About the Editors
- About the Authors
- Abbreviations
- Glossary
- Appendix — Charts on Materia Medica
- Index
Summary
As has been mentioned earlier, a major objective of this book is to introduce the reader to a wide spectrum of health practices prevalent in India. We have looked at Ayurveda as one form of the codified tradition. We have also had a brief look at the folk tradition. What we need to look at now is the symbiotic relationship between the two. The chapter attempts to not merely describe local traditions but, with a few examples, to also understand and explain them in the light of the theory and principles of the codified Indian systems of medicine (ISM).
Rationale Underlying Some Common Local Practices
Disease/condition: Diarrhoea
Treatment (a): Greens should be avoided and buttermilk and rice should be taken (reported from localities in Tamil Nadu in the ‘Mother and Child Health Survey’).
Rationale: In diarrhoea, the jatharagni, i.e., digestive power, is not normal and its action is diminished. Greens are not advised as they are guru, i.e., difficult to digest. Buttermilk (takram) and rice, on the other hand, have the qualities of dipana (appetiser or that which increases the digestive fire) and kasaya rasa (astringent taste). It is said in Astanga Hrdaya (Sutra sthana, Chapter 5) that takram is light (to digest), has a kasaya (astringent) and amla (sour) taste, and because of this it improves appetite and controls kapha and vata.
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- Information
- Challenging the Indian Medical Heritage , pp. 63 - 75Publisher: Foundation BooksPrint publication year: 2004
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