On the earliest descriptions of the uremic syndrome in medical literature.

Uremic syndrome refers to the clinical manifestations of renal failure (acute or chronic) that results from the accumulation of several endogenous toxins normally excreted by the kidneys and can be fatal unless the primary cause is addressed and the toxins removed by dialysis. A historical description of the syndrome is traditionally believed to start in the 18th - 19th century through seminal works in the field of experimental medicine. This account, however, ignores the possibility of clinical apperception of this syndrome in ancient medical literatures. The Sushruta Samhita (SS), a Sanskrit text whose authorship is attributed to the legendary ancient Indian surgeon Sushruta (6th century BC), is well known for its pioneering descriptions of several surgical procedures, even though its contribution to the fields of internal medicine and especially nephrology is detailed. Prameha, a term that first appears in the SS, and subsequently in later historical Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) texts, denotes a multi-systemic disease syndrome impacting the neurological, cardiac, dermatological, and gastrointestinal systems that is recognized through its intimate association with urinary abnormalities such as hematuria, frothy urine, or glycosuria. This construct is highly consistent with uremic syndrome originating from multiple renal disease processes such as acute glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, etc. Furthermore, medical treatment of prameha, as detailed in the original text, reflects several recently validated approaches to managing chronic kidney disease, supporting the hypothesis that this historical entity may be one of the earliest descriptions of uremic syndrome in medical history.

Medical Cannabis: A plurimillennial history of an evergreen.

The history of Cannabis goes along that of humankind, as speculated based on geographical and evolutionary models together with historic data collected to date. Its medical use is several thousand years old, as attested both by archeobotanical evidence of Cannabis remains and written records found in ancient texts from the sacred Vedic foundational texts of Ayurvedic medicine (about 800 before current era [BCE]) to the first known Pharmacopoea, the Chinese "Shen Nung Pen Ts'ao Ching" (1 century BCE). In this paper, we retrace the history of Cannabis traveling through the key stages of its diffusion among the most important ancient cultures up to our days, when we are facing a renaissance of its medical employment. We report through the centuries evidence of its use in numerous pathologic conditions especially for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and anticonvulsing properties that support the requirement to direct our present research efforts into the definitive understanding of its efficacy.

Akarnan: The Stethoscope and Making of Modern Ayurveda, Bengal, c. 1894-1952.

The histories of modern medical technologies have largely been studied exclusively within the biomedical context. Yet historians of medicine have increasingly demonstrated that a number of non-biomedical therapeutic traditions-Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to name only two-have attained their own distinctive modernity. How has the incorporation of various medical technologies affected these neo-traditional medicines? What is the relationship between technologies and the body knowledge in non-biomedical therapeutics? Do shared technologies such as the stethoscope reveal the same bodily facts in biomedical and Ayurvedic contexts? These are some of the questions explored in this article by focusing on the uptake of the stethoscope in modern Ayurvedic medicine in Bengal. In the process the article also describes the emergence of a new sonic body in modern Ayurveda.

Between the Bazaar and the Bench: Making of the Drugs Trade in Colonial India, ca. 1900-1930.

This article analyzes why adulteration became a key trope of the Indian drug market. Adulteration had a pervasive presence, being present in medical discourses, public opinion and debate, and the nationalist claim for government intervention. The article first situates the roots of adulteration in the composite nature of this market, which involved the availability of drugs of different potencies as well as the presence of multiple layers of manufacturers, agents, and distributors. It then shows that such a market witnessed the availability of drugs of diverse potency and strengths, which were understood as elements of adulteration in contemporary medical and official discourse. Although contemporary critics argued that the lack of government legislation and control allowed adulteration to sustain itself, this article establishes that the culture of the dispensation of drugs in India necessarily involved a multitude of manufacturer-retailers, bazaar traders, and medical professionals practicing a range of therapies.

Psychological symptoms and medical responses in nineteenth-century India.

The article documents medical approaches to mental illness in mid- to late-nineteenth-century India through examining the Indian Medical Gazette and other medical accounts. By the late nineteenth century, psychiatry in Europe moved from discussions around asylum-based care to a nuanced and informed debate about the nature of mental symptoms. This included ideas on phrenology and craniometry, biological and psycho-social causes, physical and drug treatments, many of which travelled to India. Simultaneously, indigenous socio-medical ideas were being debated. From the early to the mid-nineteenth century, not much distinction was made between the Western and the native 'mind', and consequently the diagnosis and investigation of mental symptoms did not differ. However, by the late nineteenth century Western medicine considered the 'Western mind' as more civilized and sophisticated than the 'native mind.

Sushruta: father of plastic surgery.

Sushruta is considered the "Father of Plastic Surgery." He lived in India sometime between 1000 and 800 BC, and is responsible for the advancement of medicine in ancient India. His teaching of anatomy, pathophysiology, and therapeutic strategies were of unparalleled luminosity, especially considering his time in the historical record. He is notably famous for nasal reconstruction, which can be traced throughout the literature from his depiction within the Vedic period of Hindu medicine to the era of Tagliacozzi during Renaissance Italy to modern-day surgical practices. The primary focus of this historical review is centered on Sushruta's anatomical and surgical knowledge and his creation of the cheek flap for nasal reconstruction and its transition to the "Indian method." The influential nature of the Sushruta Samhita, the compendium documenting Sushruta's theories about medicine, is supported not only by anatomical knowledge and surgical procedural descriptions contained within its pages, but by the creative approaches that still hold true today.

Compromised: making institutions and indigenous medicine in Mysore State, circa 1908-1940.

This is a study of the emergence of new institutional arenas for ayurveda and yunani medicine, collectivized at the time as 'indigenous medicine,' in a semi-autonomous State (Mysore) in late colonial India. The study argues that the characteristic dimensions of this process were compromise and misalignment between ideals of governance and modes of pedagogy and practice. Running counter to a narrative that the Princely States such as Mysore were instrumental for the 'preservation' of ayurveda, this study analyzes the process of negotiation and struggle between a variety of actors engaged with shaping the direction of institutionalized 'indigenous medicine'. In examining the entanglements over the priorities of the state administration and the conflicting desires and ideals of protagonists, the study problematizes the idea of studying the encounter between the 'state' and 'indigenous medicine,' in order rather to highlight their co-production and the tensions which were generated in the process. While institution-making for ayurveda and yunani in Mysore State assumed distinctive translocal forms, themes of divergence that were unresolved during the time of this study, over the role of the state, the politics of validation, appropriate curricula and pedagogy, and their relation to practice and employment, continue to inform the trajectories of state-directed health provision through 'indigenous medicine' on larger scales [India, health-care, ayurveda, yunani, education].

[The traditional Ayurvedic medicine about pseudo-doctoring as exemplified by "Charaka Samhita"].

The article considers the findings about pseudo-doctoring represented in one of the most ancient medical sources on our planet--treatise "Charaka Samhita" (Carakasamhita). This treatise is the most important text of Ayurveda, a traditional medical system developed in the Hindustan sub-continent during millenniums.

Nanhai Jigui Neifa Zhuan: exploration of and research on hygiene, medicine and health care knowledge in ancient India.

BACKGROUND: The famous Tang Dynasty monk Yi Jing travelled to ancient India in 671 AD, visited more than 30 regions and returned to China in 695 AD. He wrote Nanhai Jigui Neifa Zhuan, which he completed in 691 AD. It describes the basic rules, namely 'Inner Dharma' (Neifa,) that Buddhist sites and monks should follow in their daily lives. Additionally, the author provided an overview of ancient Indian Buddhist medicine, covering aetiology, diagnosis, medication, acupuncture, health preservation and other aspects, which exhibited distinct characteristics. METHODS: This article first delves into the original text of Nanhai Jigui Neifa Zhuan by reading it thoroughly and extracts core chapters related to hygiene, medicine and health care. Later, the extracted information is meticulously classified and organised. Lastly, through a systematic literature review, keywords search, data screening and comparative analysis, an in-depth and comprehensive exploration and analysis of Nanhai Jigui Neifa Zhuan is conducted within the domains of hygiene, medicine and health care. RESULTS: Nanhai Jigui Neifa Zhuan emphasizes the importance of personal hygiene for ancient Indian monks and introduces the basic theories of ancient Indian medicine. It compares ancient Indian and Chinese medicinal materials, highlighting their respective roles in treating different diseases. Furthermore, it briefly discusses the storage and processing of ancient Indian medicinal materials, poisoning and toxicology, and ancient Indian health preservation ideologies. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive and in-depth study of traditional ancient Indian medicine, including Buddhist medicine and Ayurveda, and its application in the religious environment and communities of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) aids in understanding the treatment methods and health practices of ancient Indian medicine. Additionally, it facilitates a deeper understanding of the similarities, differences and exchange between Chinese and Indian medicine, thereby opening up new horizons for future research.

The history of parkinsonism: descriptions in ancient Indian medical literature.

The clinical syndrome of parkinsonism was identified in ancient India even before the period of Christ and was treated methodically. The earliest reference to bradykinesia dates to 600 bc. Evidences prove that as early as 300 bc, Charaka proposed a coherent picture of parkinsonism by describing tremor, rigidity, bradykinesia, and gait disturbances as its components. The scenario was further developed by Madhava, Vagbhata, and Dalhana all through history. The 15th-century classic "Bhasava rajyam" introduced the term kampavata, which may be regarded as an ayurvedic analogue of parkinsonism. The pathogenesis of kampavata centered on the concept of imbalance in the vata factor, which controls psychomotor activities. The essential element in therapy was the administration of powdered seed of Mucuna pruriens, or atmagupta, which as per reports, contains 4%-6% of levodopa. In addition to proving the existence and identification of parkinsonism in ancient India, the study points to the significance of ancient Indian Sanskrit works in medical history.

Science of exercise: ancient Indian origin.

BACKGROUND: Many western literature on ancient exercise science were available. Unfortunately ancient Indian contribution in this area was ignored. AIM: The aim of this approach was to search ancient Indian literature on science of exercise. METHOD: The researcher reviewed thoroughly complete Caraka Samhita (nearly ten thousand prose and verse) and the outcome was first time reported in this paper. RESULT: More than one hundred and twenty slokes (aphorism) on exercise (vyayama) were discovered from Caraka Samhita. Oldest definition of exercise was found from Caraka Samhita, which was percolated from the world's oldest record of medicine practice. Caraka Samhita has been divided into eight section and it was observed that in each section vyayama (exercise) was specially referred whenever needed. The good effect, bad effect, contraindication and feature of correct exercise were mentioned in Caraka Samhita. The season and time of vyayama has also been mentioned. Caraka Samhita,also the world's oldest living evidence of exercise therapy literature prescribed twenty types of kaphaja (phlegm) diseases and many other diseases (obesity and diabetes etc.) can be cured or minimize the consequences through vyayama. According to Caraka Samhita, human is the combination of the body, mind and soul. This Samhita clearly suggested vyayama (exercise) for the body and yoga for mind and soul. CONCLUSION: From the ancient time India was familiar with the science of exercise and its beneficial effect. It was forgotten due to local ignorance and western influence. The contribution of Caraka Samhita and other ancient Indian literature on the science of exercise should be incorporated in all the appropriate places as early as possible.

[The stages of development of Ayurvedic medicine].

The Ayurveda medicine as one the three traditional systems of healing developed during millennia at the Hindustan subcontinent (the ancient India). Nowadays, Ayurveda medicine is widely used in many countries. The present day researchers mark out and analyze several periods in its history.

Do Ayurveda students need a course in Medical Astrology?

Ayurveda is based largely upon two classics - Charaka-Samhita, representing the school of medicine, and Sushruta-Samhita representing that of surgery. These two texts mark the historic switch in the Indian medical tradition, from faith-based therapeutics to its reason-based variant [1]. The Charaka-Samhita, which acquired its present form in circa 1st century CE, uses two remarkable terms to designate the distinctness of these approaches: daiva-vyapashraya (literally, dependence on the unobservable) and yukti-vyapashraya (dependence on reason) [2].

Support for human estrus: documentation in Ayurveda.

INTRODUCTION: Human estrus is a new topic to discussion. Articles related to this are few. AIM: Authors present here the first known report on human estrus, which was discussed in the Ayurveda classic text, Susruta Samhita, dated back to the 1st century BC. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Supporting this, evidence from modern literature is presented here. RESULTS: Estrus discussed as a fresh topic. CONCLUSION: Authors concluded that all modern research results, though limited, are in support of the oldest writing about human estrus.

Contributions of ancient Indian physicians--implications for modern times.

Ayurveda traces its origins to contributions of mythological and real physicians that lived millennia earlier. In many respects, Western medicine also had similar origins and beliefs, however, the introduction of anatomical dissection and progressive application of scientific evidence based practices have resulted in divergent paths taken by these systems. We examined the lives, careers, and contributions made by nine ancient Indian physicians. Ancient texts, translations of these texts, books, and biographical works were consulted to obtain relevant information, both for Indian traditional medicine as well as for Western medicine. Ayurveda has retained principles enunciated by these physicians, with minor conceptual advances over the centuries. Western medicine separated from ancient Indian medicine several hundred years ago, and remains the foundation of modern medicine. Modern medicine is evidence based, and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) are the gold standard by which efficacy of treatment is evaluated. Ayurvedic medicine has not undergone such critical evaluation to any large extent. The few RCTs that have evaluated alternative medical treatment recently have shown that such therapy is no better than placebo; however, placebo treatment is 30% effective. We suggest that foreign domination, initially by Mughals, and later by the British, may have contributed, in part, to this inertia and protracted status quo.

The history of the discovery of blood circulation: unrecognized contributions of Ayurveda masters.

Ayurveda, the native healthcare system of India, is a rich resource of well-documented ancient medical knowledge. Although the roots of this knowledge date back to the Vedic and post-Vedic eras, it is generally believed that a dedicated branch for healthcare was gradually established approximately between 400 BCE and 200 CE. Probably because the language of documentation of these early textbooks is in Sanskrit, a language that is not in day-to-day use among the general population even in India, many significant contributions of Ayurveda have remained unrecognized in the literature related to the history of medicine. In this communication, the discovery of blood circulation has been taken up as a case, and a few important references from the representative Ayurveda compendia that hint at a preliminary understanding of the cardiovascular system as a "closed circuit" and the heart acting as a pump have been reviewed. The central argument of this review is that these contributions from Ayurveda too must be recorded and credited when reviewing the milestones in the history of medicine, as Ayurveda can still possibly guide various streams of the current sciences, if revisited with this spirit.

[A study of the Arsaprasamanisutra: analysis].

The present paper focuses primarily on a philological and historical study of the Arsaprasamanisutra ("The Sutra of the Tranquilization of Hemorrhoids"). This Sutra is one of the Buddhist scriptures that is characterized by the magico-religious treatment of various diseases, especially by means of "healing spells" (skt. dharani or mantra), as shown by the preliminary survey in our penultimate paper "The Tradition of Healing with Magical Spells as Seen in Buddhist Texts," Journal of the Japan Society of Medical History 55/1 (2009), 77-96. In our last paper "The Tradition of Healing with Magical Spells as Seen in Buddhist Texts (2): A Study of the Arsaprasamanisutra: Edition and Japanese translation" we provided critically edited texts of the Tibetan and Chinese translations accompanied by their Japanese translations with critical notes and annotations. In this paper we analyze the descriptions of hemorrhoids as found in the Sutra in comparison with those illustrated in classical Ayurveda literature, besides a detailed philological examination of the relevant passages available only in the Chinese translation of the Mulasarvastivada-Vinaya. We also offer further observations about the methods and principles for the treatment and healing of hemorrhoids that are attested in Buddhist scriptures, as well as make an overview of the transmission and historical reception of the Arsaprasamanisutra in Japan between the Nara and the Taisho periods.

[The "jivaniya class of herbs" (Shi Tian Yao) in the Bower Manuscript (Bao Wei Er Xie Ben)].

The Bower Manuscript (Bao Wei Er Xie Ben) is a Sanskrit document unearthed in Xinjiang in the 19th century. The ten drugs, which tasted sweet, and used widely were named as the "jivaniya class of herbs" (Shi Tian Yao) in this document . It was found that "jivaniya" tasted sweet, felt cold and was often used in tonic decoction for relieving serious vata (Feng), with references to the ancient medical book Ayurveda and the modern Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia. "Jivaniya" was constructed with different dossage forms, such as butter, oil, enema, ointment. It can treat some diseases of consumption of the lungs, epilepsy, consumptive diseases and fever of children in Bower Manuscript (Bao Wei Er Xie Ben). The theories of "jivaniya" came from Ayurveda. Compared with the theories of traditional Chinese Medicine, the theory that "jivaniya" can treat consumptive diseases appears similar to the theories in Su Wen about "Feng Xiao". The theories of Traditional Indian medicine and Chinese medicine appear resemblant, such as the commonalities in terms of using sweet tonics with liquorice and Fritillaria cirrhosa to treat comsumptive diseases.