CHAPTER 2 : HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENTS

A) ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION:

Countries with ancient civilizations e.g. China,India ,

Russia, Egypt and South America had used and are still using plant

remedies for various disease conditions. Medicine in India is an

ancient art. The earliest mention of the medicinal use of plants is

to be found in Rigveda(3000 B.C.), which is one of the oldest

repositories of human knowledge.

In Table-1 an attempt has been made to list chronologically

the important contributions in Indian medicine. It is clear that

contributions in the subject were considerable in the country even

about 500 B.C. Among these the most noteworthy are Sushruta and

Charaka Samhitas, which list nearly 2000 items(mostly of plant origin)

of diverse therapeutic value.

TABLE-1: IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTIONS IN INDIAN MEDICINE226 ,406,486

1 PERIOD·

3000 B.C.

2000-1000 B.C.

1000 B.C.

1000-700 B.C.

700 B.C.

600 B.C.

2 AUTHORS/CONTRIBUTIONS

Rigveda

Atharvveda

Ayurveda

Bhardwaja, Vashistha,Agas~a, Garga, Narda, Chyavana, Vyasa, Markandeya, Shonnka, Kanda, Kankayana, Atreya, Da tta treya.

punarvasu, Atreya, Divodasa.

Agnivasa, Bhela,Jatu Karna,parashar, Hrita , Kasharparni.

1

500 B.C.

400-300 B.C.

100 A.D.

200 A.D.

300 A.D.

400 A.D.

500 A.D.

700 A.D.

800 A.D.

900 A.D.

1oo0A.D.

1lO0 A.D.

1200A.D.

1300A.D.

1500A.D.

1600A.D.

1700A.D.

5

2

Sushrut Samhita, Vridha Jeevaka, Vyadi,Budha, Bhikshu Atreya,Jeevaka, Kashyapa.

Charaka Samhita, patanjali-I' patanjali-II.

Nagarjun-I (Bhikshu)

Vagbhata-I,Kapil Bala

Sinha Gupta, Vagbhatta-II,Dridhbala, Shalihotra, Palkapya.

patanjali-III, Bhattara, Harichandra.

Nagarjun-II(Siddha), Poojyapada, Nagarjun-III(Bhadanta).

Madhavkara, Ugraditya, Govind Bhikshu.

Jeejata, Indu, Kartikund.

Vrinda, Gayadasa, Bhojprabandha.

Tisata, Dalhana, Nardatta, Chakrapanidatta.

Arundatta, Someshwar, Ishnadeva,Somdeva, Iswarsen, Dhanwantri Nighantu.

Vijyara Kshita, Srikanth Datta,Yashodhra Bhatt, Keshaw, Bapadeva, Hamddri,Vangsen.

Sayan a , Vachaspati,Udayditya,Bhatta, Narhari Bhatta, Vishnodev, Sarangdhar, Veersinha, Basav Raja, Sidh Nityanand, Dundukanth, Gopakrishan, Bhattacherya, Govindacharya.

Shivdassena, Bhavmishra, Anandarya,Mpki, Yognandan Nath.

Moreshwara, Bhatta, Todarmal,Indrakant, Vallabhacharya, Nayanshekrya,Bindu, Madhava.

Mitra Mishra, Bhaskara Bhatta, Raghu Nath.

Madhav Nidana, Upadhyaya,Raja vallabha.

1

1800 A.D.

1810 A.D.

1813 A.D.

1841 A.D.

1868 A.D.

1882 A.D.

1883 A.D.

1889 A.D.-1904 A.D.

1893 A.D.

After 1900 A.D.

6

2

Shaligram Nighantu.

Fleming's Catalogue of Indian Medicinal

Plants and Drugs.

Ainslie's Materia Medica of Hindo$stan. . II

The Bengal Dispensatory and Pharmacopoe~.

Pharmacopo~ of India.

Roxburgh's Flora Indica.

Dymocks Vegetable Materia Medica of

Western India.

A Dictionary of the Economic Products

India.

Dymock's Pharmacographia Indica.

Vaman Ganesh Desai's "Oshadhi Sangrah"

Unani Contributions:Makhzan-ul-Adviya,

Khazanat-ul-Adviya, Muheet-e-Azam.

Works of Kirtikar and Basu, Chopra,

Dastur, Nadkarni, Wahid & Siddiqui etc.

Wealth of India(CSIR) Journal of Research

in Indian Medicine(CCRINH), Medicinal

Plants of India(ICMR)

• The dates are only approximate; there being considerable variation

of opinion about these. 98

According to Chopra ~ !!., the pioneer workers in Indigenous drug

- 7 -

surveys and research, four phases are discernible in the progress

of Indian medicine through the ages. These are:

a) Vedic period

b) Period of Classical Authors

c) Period of Compilers and Physicians

d) Period of stagnation and Decay.

There was remarkable progress during the periods(b) and (c).

The science of Ayurveda then attained its highest development and

made its way beyond the frontiers of India, like China ,Japan ,Egypt,

Greece and Rome.The ancient Universities of Takshashila and Nalanda \

are well known. Medicine was taught in both these Universities.The

famous physician Jivaka was a product of Takshashila University.

students from nations of the civilized world e~gerly sought to obtain

information regarding the healing art from India.

When Alexander invaded India(327 B.C.), there were in his camp

several Greek physicians who studied Indian systems of medicine and

collected great deal of information from local Vaids.Many drugs were

introduced into Indian medicine from the Greco-arabian(Unani) system ~

of medicine and vice versa.This interjngling of the Ayurvedic and Unani

systems of medicine enriched both.Wahid & Siddiqui(1961) have given

comprehensive lists of drugs adopted by the Ayurvedic and Unani Materia

medica from each other.Samples of these drugs or their models are

exhibited at the Institute of History of Medicine and Medical Research, l2'

New Delhi.

8

B) STAGNATION AND DECAY

Later developments(after 15th Century) in the country in

this area were negligible.About that period influence of European

trade and political influence began and interaction in the field of

science in general and medical science in particular was not congenital

to the growth of indigenous systems, both Unani and Ayurveda.There was

no progress and no original works were wr,itten for about 300 years

but the Indian systems of medicine preserved themselves.This static

state of affairs resulted in intrusion of charm and magic in to medicine.

The learning became chiefly confined to an elite class who kept the

formulae to themselves and prevented dissemination of knowledge. The

Budhist doctrines of 'Ahimsa' and the prevalent though of ~ipection on

dead bodieS as a sinful act, hindered the advancement of anatomical and

surgical knowledge. Source books of Indian medicine contained a confused

assemblage of science and its opposite. The latter has been termed by

Chattopadhyaya81 as counter ideology comprising of irrelevent, o~t of

context,suprestitious and even contradictory things. Unauthenticated

hypothetical conceptions of human diseases and their treatment prevailed

bringing in a period of stagnation and decay.

When the British rule was established the Western system was

introduced hastening the deeline of indigenous systems.The neW system,

especially its surgical achievements, impressed the people and so it was

well received by them. But the introduction of the system was primarily

intended to give relief to those who ruled the country and also to sell

their pharmaceutical products. Allopathic system was introduced mainly

9

through the British medical services for armed forces and other

services. Under their patronage, the Allopathic system of medicine

rapidly gained ascendence after neglecting the Indian systems of

Medicine-Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha etc. This trend accelerated with

the introduction of sulfa drugs in thirties and forties and of

antibioltics after world war II, with intense commercial practices.

C) ATTEMPTS AT REVIVAL:

Separate schools of Ayurvedic education began

springing up as early as 1820 under the patronage of some princely

states. The famous college of Ayurveda was established by pandit

Madan Mohan Malviya in Banaras Hindu University, in 1927. Hakim

Ajmal Khan established Tibbia College at Delhi in 1923.This was

inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi. Between 1929-30 many more colleges

of Indian systems of medicine were opened in different parts of

the country.The Indian National Congress at its Nagpur session in

1920 adopted a resolution stressing the need for reviging the Indigenous

systems of medicine.The resolution was reiterated by the working

committee of the Indian National Congress in 1938. From 1917 onwards,

several committees were set up by the Central and State governments

(Table-2) to inquire into the status of these systems and recommend

ways and means to improve it.

TABLE-2

COMMITTEES OF INDIGENOUS SYSTEMS OF MEDICINE SET UP BY CNETRAL AND PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS105-110,210,211,432,433 123 S.N. COMMITTEE GOVERNMENT

1. Commission to Investigate in Madras

to the Indian systems of

Medicine(Dr. Koman)

2. The Committee on Ayurvedic Bengal

and Unani systems

3. The Committee on Indigenous Madras

system of Medicine

4. The Committee on Ayurvedic United Provinces

and Unani systems

The Committee appointed to Central Provinces

examine the Indigenous systems and Berar

of Medicine

6. The Indigenous Medicine Punjab

Enquiry Committee

A Committee to go into the Mysore

question of encouraging

Indigenous systems of Medicine

8. The Utkal Ayurvedic Committee Orissa

9. The Indian Systems of Medicine Ballbay

Enquiry Committee

10. Scheming Committee to report

on the steps taken for the develop-

ment of Ayurveda

19'1

1921-25

1921-23

1925-26

1937-39

1938-41

- 11

1 2 ..L 4

11. AyUJrvedic and Unani Systems Uni ted Provinces 1947

Reorganisation Committee

12. Health, Survey and Develop- India 1943-46

ment Committee(Sir Joseph

Bhore)

13. Committee on Indigenous India 1946-48

systems of Medicine(Col.

Sir R.N. Chopra)

14. Committee to advise on steps India 1949-50

to be taken to establish a

research centre in the Indi-

genous systems of medicine and

other cognate matters(Dr.C.C.

pandit)

15. Commi ttee on standards of India 1955

education and regulation

practice in Indigenous systems

of Medicine(Dr.D.T. Dave)

16. Commi ttee to assess and India 1958

evaluate the present status

of Ayurvedic system of Medicine

(Dr.K.N.Udupa)

17. Health,Survey and Planning India' 1959-61

Committee (Dr.A.L.Mudaliar)

1

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

12

2

The Shudh Ayurvedic Education

Committee(Dr.M.P.¥yas)

The Shudh Unani Education

Committee(Hkm. Abdul Hameed)

Committee on Education and

Research in I.S.M.(Dr.C.

Dwarkanath)

Committee on Indian Systems of

Medicine(Dr.P.M. Mehta)

Committee on Development of

Indigenous systems of Medicine

(Dr.G.S .Melkote)

Committee on Indigenous

Systems of Medicine(Hk. M.A.

Razzack)

Committee to recommend measureS

for the improvement of Unani

system of medicine in the state

of W.Bengal(Hakm.M.A.Razzack)

..L India

India

Madras

Madras 1962

Mysore 1970

Jammp & Kashmir 1974

w. Begal 1975-76

Systematic studies on medicinal plants on modern scientific lines

were initiated at the school of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta and Haffkine

Institute, Bombay in the second decade of this centur~.The interest

gradually spread to other centres.

13

The activity gained momentum ~fter the Independence when

vigourous efforts were made with active support of the government.

The financial inputs for research and development programmes in

Indian systems of medicine steadily increased from a meagre Rs.40 lakB~

in the first five year plan to a massive sum of Rs.2,807 lakhs(70 times)

in the fifth plan(Figure-1). The total plan outlays for health care

also increased during this period but this increase was only 20 fold;

from Rs. 140 crore in the first plan to Rs. 2800 crore in the fifth

plan.

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Fig.-1 : Allocations for Indian Systems of Medicine in

Different Plan Periods

2 1 ,.. •

~ 2600 ~ ~ 2200 a; ~ ~ 1583 ~ Q: • --' V) " <: 0 ~ 'oc:( (J 1.00 0 D' ...... -.J 1.0 oq: c:::::I

I II III IV V

FIVE YEARS PLAN

The establishment of a Central Research Institute at Jamnagar

(1953), which developed into a post-graduate centre in 1955 and an

Ayurvedic University in 1968 and a Central Council for Research in

Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy(1969), by implementation of the 105 106 108

recommendations of the Chopra , Pandit and Udupa Committees ,

are some of the landmarks.

D) PRESENT STATUS:

Present status of Indian medicine is revealed from the

following facts and figures257 :

1. Total number of Practitioners of

traditional systems of medicine in

India. 4,00 ,000

2. Registered Practitioners!

Institutionally Trained others

Ayurveda 44,500 1,11,500

Unani 6,000 18,600

Siddha 15.000

------------.---... --.. ~--------

Total . . 51,150

;. Teaching Institutions of Indian J.1edicine:

Ayurveda

Unani

Siddha

4. Number of Colleges/Institutes

affiliated to Universities

(including 3 P.G.Institutes &

19 P.G. departments)

105

14

1

91

1,45,100

5·

6.

7.

8.

Number of Ayurvedic & Unani Pharmacies •

Number of Dispensaries

Number of Hospitals

Number of popular reciepes(approx.):

Ayurveda

Unani

Siddha

2°54*

14,000

215

8,000

3,000

2,000

Besides these medical aid in many villages is provided

by the traditional practitioners, who seTve the sections to whom

institutional modern medical facilities are not accessable either

due to economic reasons or communication limitations •

. -------*Source:Ayurvedic Pharmacopoea Committee Section27 , Ministry of

Health and Family Welfare(Govetnment of India), New Delhi.