Ayurveda development and its status

Human life and knowledge of preserving it as a going concern, in the face of overpowering and brute physical and biological environment, must have come into being almost simultaneously. It has to be so. There cannot be any other plausible explanation, other than this, to account for the continuity of human race and survival of its several highly developed cultures and civilisations. All known cultures of the past - Egyptian, Babylonian, Jewish, Greek, Indus -Valley etc. - had their own equally glorious and useful systems of medicine and health care.

In India, development and growth of such a body of knowledge known as Ayurveda, meaning science of life, was coeval with the growth and evolution of Indian civilization and culture. Vedas, which are considered to be the repositories of recorded Indian culture, have mention of this knowledge both in theoretical and practical form. There is discussion of theories about the composition of living and non-living matter, the physical, biochemical, biological, psychological and spiritual components of man and the vital motive forces working both inside and outside the body. In other ancient works there is mention of such current medical subject like anatomy, physiology, aetiology, pathology, treatment and environmental factors. This medical knowledge has been the work of ages. It is the out-come of the great power of observation, generalisation and analysis combined with patient labour of hundred of investigators spread over thousand of years. This knowledge has played so important a part in the development of Indian culture that it has been documented in an integrated form in the Vedas-the ancient most documented Indian wisdom and knowledge.. Most of the mythological and medico-religious genesis of Ayurveda is even today shrouded in the mist of antiquity.

Around 5000 years BC, Rigveda & Atharvaveda (the ancient books on Indian knowledge, wisdom, culture & science) contain many hymns on diseases and their treatment by various plants and other materials. It was around 1000 years BC when Ayurvedic fundamentals and its eight clinical specialities were fully documented in Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita – the first compendia on Ayurvedic medicine & surgery respectively. In this sense, Ayurveda is considered to have divine origin representing one of the oldest organised system of medicine for positive health & cure of human sickness. Making use of systematic careful observations and documenting detailed experiences over the past several thousand of years, it has grown into a very comprehensive health care system with two major schools and eight specialisations. It has a school of physicians and a school of surgeons referred in literature as ‘Atreya Sampradaya’ and ‘Dhanvantri Sampradaya’ respectively.

The most important and massive ancient compilation of the School of Medicine is known as Charka Samhita. It contains several chapters dealing at length with therapeutic or internal medicine. About 600 drugs of plant, animal and mineral origin are described in it. Besides, this compendium also deals with other branches of Ayurveda like anatomy, physiology, aetiology, prognosis, pathology, treatment and medicine etc.

An equally exhaustive ancient compilation, Sushruta Samhita exists relating to school of surgery. It deals primarily with various fundamental principles and theory of surgery. More than 100 kinds of surgical instruments including scalpels, scissors, forceps, specula etc. are described along with their use in this valuable document. Dissection and operative procedures are explained making use of vegetables and dead animals. Descriptions of how to go about doing incision, excision, extraction and bandaging etc. are detailed in this compendium. In addition, this document also mentions of such other topics as anatomy, embryology, toxicology and therapeutics. It also has a mention of about 650 drugs.

In course of time Ayurveda, which started as a magico-religious practice, matured into a fully developed medical science with eight branches which have parallels in the modern western system of medicine. The growth of these eight specialties gave Ayurveda another name of Astanga Ayurveda. In the last 50 years of development in the teaching and training, it has developed into following sixteen specialties .

1. Ayurveda Siddhanta (Fundamental Principals of Ayurveda).

2. Ayurveda Samhita.

3. Rachna Sharira (Anatomy).

4. Kriya Sharira (Physiology).

5. Dravya Guna Vigian (Materia Medica & Pharmacology).

6. Ras-shastra.

7. Bhaishajya Kalpana (Pharmaceuticals).

8. Kaumar Bharitya (Peduatrics).

9. Prasuti Tantra (Obstetrics & Gynaecology).

10.Swasth-Vritla (Social & Preventive Medicine).

11.Kayachikitsa (Internal Medicine).

12.Rog Nidan (Pathology).

13.Shalya Tantra (Surgery).

14.Shalkya Tantra (Eye & ENT).

15.Mano-Roga (Psychiatry)

16.Panchkarma.

Some milestones in the Development of Ayurveda

• Divine origin of Ayurveda from Lord Brahma - Dates back to origin of human race
• Mention of various references on Health, Diseases and Medicinal Plants in Rig-veda and Atharv-veda- 5000 BC
• Origin of Attreya and Dhanwantari School of Ayurveda-1000 BC
• Documentation of Charaka Samhita -600 BC
• Documentation of Sushruta Samhita- 500 BC
• Advent of Muslim Rulers and start of the Decline of Ayurveda –1100-1800
• Resurrection of Ayurvedic system of Medicine under the rule of Peshwas.-1800 AD
• Classes in Ayurvedic medicine opened in Government Sanskrit College, Calcutta -1827
• Discontinuation of classes in Government Sanskrit College by British-1833
• Dr. Komar Commission (one-man commission) to make investigation in indigenous system of medicine- 1917
• Indian National Congress Convention at Nagpur recommended acceptance of Ayurvedic system of medicine as India’s National Health Care System-1920
• Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbia College in Delhi-1921
• Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya established Ayurveda college in B. H.U., Varanasi-1927
• Enforcement of Drugs and Cosmetics Act for Ayurvedic/Siddha/Unani medicines-1940
• Bhora Committee or Health Survey and Development Committee recognised past services of indigenous medicines but failed to recommend for its further development.-1943
• Chopra Committee recommended systems of old and modern systems of medicines to evolve a common system of medicine.-1946
• Pharmaceutical Enquiry Committee headed by Dr. Bhatia, for intensive research in indigenous drugs of Ayurveda.-1953
• Recommendation of Dave Committee for uniform standards of Ayurveda education-1955
• Establishment of Institute of Post-Graduate Training and Research in Gujarat Ayurvedic University, Jamnagar, Gujarat-1956-57
• Udupa Committee set up. It recommended that there is a need for integrated system of medicine and a training course in Siddha and Ayurveda-1958
• Establishment of Post Graduate Institute of Ayurveda at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh-1963-64
• Amendment of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 for Indian systems of medicines/drugs-1964
• Establishment of Central Board of Siddha and Ayurvedic Education-1964-65
• Setting up of an apex Research Body for Indian medicine & Homoeopathy, ‘Central Council for Research in Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (CCRIMH)’-1969
• Establishment of Pharmacopoeia Laboratory for Indian medicine, Ghaziabad, U.P.-1970
• Constitution of Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) under IMCC Act- 1970 for regulation of education and practice –1971
• Establishment of National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur, Rajasthan-1972-73
• Publication of Part-I of Ayurvedic formulary containing 444 preparations-1976
• Establishment of Central Council of Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS)-1978
• Passing of Amended Drugs and Cosmetics Act regulating import/export of Indian Systems of Medicine-1982
• Setting up of Indian Medicine Pharmaceutical Corporation Ltd. in Mohan, Almora Distt., Uttaranchal.-1983
• Silver Jubilee function of Jawaharlal Nehru Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants Garden and Harbarium, Pune. Inaugurated by Shri R. Venkataraman, Vice-president of India .-1986
• Second World Conference on Yoga & Ayurveda held at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh-1986
• Foundation stone of Jawaharlal Nehru Anusandhan Bhawan, Institutional Area, Janakpuri, New Delhi by Hon’ble Vice President of India, Dr. Shankar Dayal Sharma-1988
• Establishment of National Academy of Ayurveda (Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth)-1989
• Creation of separate Department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy in Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India-1995
• Introduction of Extra mural Research Programme for accredited organizations with central assistance- 1996
• Implementation of Central Scheme in 33 organizations for development of agro-techniques of important medicinal plants-1997
• Maiden participation of Ayurveda alongwith other systems in India International Trade Fair-1998
• Implementation of Central Scheme in 32 laboratories for developing pharmacopoeial standards of Medicinal Plants/ ISM Formualations-1998
• Establishment of specialty clinic of Ayurveda in Central Govt. Hospital (Safdarjung Hospital) New Delhi-1998
• Implementation of IEC( Information, Education & Communication) Scheme for NGOs for propagation and popularization of Ayurveda & other systems-1998-1999
• Participation in Mystique India ( Exhibition cum fair on Indian Traditions)-1997 to 1999
• Introduction of Vanaspati Van Scheme for large scale cultivation of Medicinal Plants-1999
• Inauguration of Ayurveda conference at Newyork, USA by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Sh. Atal Bihari Vajpayee –2000
• Gazette Notification for constitution of Medicinal Plant Board under the Deptt. of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homoeopathy –2000
• Publication of 2^nd volume of Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia- 2000
• Introduction 7 of Ayurvedic Medicines in RCH Programme-2000
• Constitution of Advisory group for research in Ayurveda –2000
• Policy Decision on mainstreaming of Ayurveda in RCH programme as per National Population Policy-2000
• Implementation of Central Scheme of assistance for strengthening of State Drug Testing Laborites and Pharmacies- 2000-2001
• Publication of 3^rd volume of Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia- 2001
• Publication of English edition of 2^nd volume of Ayurvedic Formulary of India- 2001
• Maiden participation of ISM tableau on Republic Day- 2001
• Exhibition and presentation of Ayurveda during World Health Assembly, Geneva- 2001
• Presentation on evidence based support by Deptt. of ISM&H before House of Lords, U.K. against Sir Walton Committee’s Report on status and nomenclature of Ayurveda among Complementary and Alternative systems of Medicine – 2001
• Participation of Deptt. in "Made in India" exhibition organized by CII in South Africa-2001