Medicine of Ancient India: history, features

The first memories of the state, located in the valley of the fertile Indus River, date back to the 3rd millennium BC. E. The sacred river gave the name to the huge country of India, which is not inferior in size to its cultural heritage to such centers of civilization as Ancient Egypt and the states of Mesopotamia.

In the Indus Valley, houses were built according to the plan. In the most necessary places, the wells were dug, which were burned with bricks. The brick was used to build the walls of houses. In the sewage system of the city there were drainpipes. Nowhere else is such an ancient civilization known, equipped with such a functional drainage system.

But such highly developed sanitation facilities are uncharacteristic for subsequent periods of development of Ancient India, then only a decline in architectural developments is observed. Teaching believes that this is due to cataclysms: droughts and floods, as well as the depletion of domestic resources.

But speech today is not about the establishment of India as a state, but about the development of medicine in this country. Where is the best pharmacy and medicine of the ancient world? India, China - it is here that the first medical knowledge begins. Some of them are admired in the modern world. Many are still relevant today.

Next, we describe what medicine was in Ancient India, briefly. The most important thing about this is in our review.

Formation of ancient Indian philosophical knowledge

In the 2nd millennium BC. E. The first ancient Indian philosophical ideas are formed. To this day they have come in the form of literary monuments, which have received the general name "Vedas". Here are collected ancient hymns, hymns, incantations and so on. Vedas - the first attempt of a man in a philosophical way to interpret the environment. Although here you can find a half-mythical and superstitious interpretation of the human environment, but this work is the first pre-philosophical source.

In ancient Indian philosophy, diverse views have mixed up, where idealistic and materialistic tendencies are seen. Basically, here is the basic idea of the world soul, which is in the process of self-development. It is the world soul that induces the first-order creation of the material world, including man. The philosophy and medicine of ancient India were inseparable. It was believed that the human body is the outer shell of an immortal soul, which is part of the world spirit. The disadvantage of the spiritual essence is an extreme attachment to the world of materialism, therefore, by nature, man is imperfect. This is the reason for his bodily problems.

Chinese medicine in relation to philosophical teachings

The achievements of Indian medicine have had an impact on China's medicine. For ancient Chinese philosophy, the path of development from the worship of natural elements to constructive religious and philosophical structures - Confucianism and Taoism, as well as to natural philosophy, is inherent. The concept of the development of the world by Chinese philosophers laid the foundations of medicine and the concept of the causes of the disease. From a very deep antiquity began to form ideas about anatomy. But in the 2nd century BC. E. Confucianism was affirmed, so the dissection of corpses was prohibited. According to Confucius' convictions, the human body must remain untouched and be returned to the parents in safety. Therefore, the knowledge of the anatomical features of the body in the ancient Chinese lagged behind the ideas of the ancient Hindus.

Views of illness and health in ancient China were based on traditional concepts of philosophy. Traditional Chinese medicine connected human organs with the fundamental principles of yin or yang. Yin was responsible for the health of zang organs - the heart, liver, lungs, spleen and kidneys. Yan was given six organs-fu: stomach, gall and bladder, thick and thin intestine and three heaters. Heaters called the system to support internal heat, depending on digestion, respiration and urination. In the human body, yin and yang should be in harmony, and in case of illness the balance is violated.

The origin of healing in the Vedic age

Features of medicine in ancient India in the Vedic era are little known. There are scanty data in the Rigveda about three diseases: consumption, leprosy and bleeding. In separate sections of the "Rigveda" magical rituals of healing are described. For the Vedic period, the interweaving of medical knowledge with magical rites and religious beliefs is inherent.

Mythological characters in the Vedic religion are associated with concepts of health, illness and healing. All representations of the ancient Hindus are described in the Atharva Veda. Here all the national experience of healing herbs is collected, but for healing from the disease it is necessary to pray, cast spells and make sacrifices. Bhishadsh, or "cast out demons", is the very first designation of the Indian healer. Gradually, the caster turned into a healer, but the name remained the same. Also, the concept of the causes of diseases changed radically.

Ayurvedic knowledge

The development of medicine in ancient India began in the beginning of our era. Then there was a system of healing Ayurveda, or "the doctrine of a long life." A small group of people - vaidyam - outlined the first experiences in healing and healing. They were children of nature, lived among mountains and forests. Vaidyami closely connected man with the universe, considered it a particle of cosmic energy, in their opinion, a person embodies the five primary elements, as well as higher powers and elements. They noticed the dependence of people on the lunar cycles, and also believed that every organ in the human body has an analogue among animals or plants.

Ayurveda received a very wide recognition and gradually spread to the territory of the East. Ayurvedic knowledge gradually changed, but existed everywhere. Sometimes it is attributed to Chinese medicine, but this is not true. The Indian philosopher in his work gives practical advice and describes acupuncture, or acupuncture. Very long time ago, during Dhanvantari, during the treatment of diseases, we used acupuncture and hirudotherapy, that is, the use of leeches, we also performed plastic surgeries and performed organ transplantation. For ayverdicheskih receptions in the treatment widely used multicomponent herbal collections. Each plant occupies a certain niche and is used to achieve the desired result.

The first concepts of the life of the organism

Medicine of Ancient India in the classical period of the history of the country changes the idea of the origin of diseases. There is a new round in the development of medicine - the supernatural causes of the diseases that dominated the Vedic period are thrown back into the past. From now on, man was seen as a particle of the environment. Now, according to the ideas of the ancient Hindus, it consisted of the elements of fire, earth, water, ether and air. The functioning of the organism was connected with the connection between fire, air and water, which were transferred by three liquids: bile, wind and mucus (bile between the navel and heart, wind below the navel, mucus above the heart). Three liquids and five elements together formed 6 organic products of the human body: muscles, blood, bones, brain, fatty layer and male seed.

The wind carries coolness and freshness, sound and air currents. It is responsible for the secretion, digestion, blood circulation and metabolism in the body. If the wind slows down, then the circulation of juices and substances is suspended and the normal vital activity of the organism is disrupted.

The medicine of Ancient India is based on the following knowledge:

• Phlegm in man and space was soft substances, it acted like a lubricant, covered all uneven and rough surfaces, was responsible for movement and interaction.
• Bile is a fire element responsible for the temperature regime in the body, for the activity of the heart muscle and for the normal activity of the digestive tract.
• When the interaction and the normal flow of mucus, wind and bile were broken, the disease began. Its severity and severity was determined by the degree of imbalance between the three most important primary elements.

The reasons for the rapid development of medicine in ancient India

What are the features of the development of medicine in ancient India? No wonder it received a second name - the country of the wise, because it was always famous for the healers, who became known far beyond their native land. From the Buddhist legends through the prism of centuries, information about the ancient healers: Charak, Jivaka and Sushrut.

The monuments of Ayurvedic literature of the time include "Sushruta-samhita" and "Charvaka-samhita". The first of them is the most ancient treatise on surgery, which describes the conduct of more than 300 operations, told about 120 medical instruments and 650 medicines.

The ancient Indian doctors had the most extensive knowledge of the structure of the human body. Religious canons did not prohibit the study of corpses, it was enough to atone for their actions by looking at the sun, touching the sacred cow or using a bath for cleansing.

A huge contribution to the development of medicine doctor Sashutra

Confucianism and medicine of Ancient India at the time of the doctor Sashutra did not have anything in common, as surgery began to develop. And Confucius, as we remember, was against the violation of the integrity of the human body. For Sachruti, surgery was the first and most outstanding medical science. Under him, the Hindus mastered the manufacture of surgical instruments from steel, unlike other nations, which use bronze and copper for making devices. Ancient smiths knew how to make them sharp, comfortable in the hand and able to split hair. The names of the instruments mentioned tigers, bears, lions, deer, wolves and many kinds of insects. Their teeth, trunks and claws became a model for scalpels, needles and forceps. And before the operation the surgeon asked the strength of these animals, but did not forget to disinfect the instruments with calcination on fire, washing with hot water and juices of special plants.

Old Indian surgeons used fixed bandages, stretches and bamboo tires for fractures; Stitched the edges of the wound with hemp and linen threads; Bleeding was stopped by cold and ash; According to a special method, ulcers, tumors and burns were treated. Even then they began to use bleach, wine, hashish, opium and Indian cannabis for pain relief.

Indian surgeons successfully performed plastic surgery on the face. They were engaged in the restoration of the lips, nose and ears (they were lost on the verdict of the court or in a fight).

In the tract Sushruti the method of rhinoplasty, which was called the "Indian method", has been described in detail and has been successfully applied to some extent with some changes. In the ancient Indian texts it is possible to familiarize with a technique of performance of operation on cataract removal.

Medicine of Ancient India: schools of medicine

Surprisingly, one can learn about the advanced school of Sushruti at that time, in which there were special laboratories where medicines, operating theaters, as well as separate rooms for theoretical and practical classes were manufactured. When teaching Sushruta followers should use devices resembling sick organs. To familiarize themselves with the start of the blood, the sprouts of water lilies were used, on the fruits of Panas they learned to extract solids, the art of bandaging was trained on mock-ups. When teaching medicine, the student had to study philosophy, pharmacology, botany, chemistry, biology, and also to master medical skills.

Formation of a doctor's profession in Ancient India

The attitude towards a doctor in Ancient India was ambiguous throughout history. In the Vedic period, the profession of a healer was respected and revered. But with the development of the caste system, the situation changed dramatically, with the emergence of inequality, some occupations were classified as impure, and those who deal with them were declared untouchable. In this category were doctors, next to them were acrobats, carpenters and those who care for horses. But still from the ancient texts you can learn that the occupation of healing was in high esteem.

Among the leading doctors of Ancient India were monks, and the monasteries themselves became centers of healing. It was permissible for monks to provide medical care to those in need, this was their purpose and grace.

Yoga - a way to look into yourself

Medicine of Ancient India intertwined with religious and philosophical teachings, especially with yoga. It combines moral and ethical teaching, religious philosophy and a complex of training (asanas). To comprehend the teaching it is necessary to pass a two-level training: comprehension of spirit and physical yoga. For mental and physical health, one should keep the body and thoughts clean, and also be able to completely relax. Yoga still enjoys unprecedented popularity and has many followers.

Ayurveda

The medicine of Ancient India (briefly the history of becoming represented to your attention in the article) at that time provided for unique healing centers. The city of Taxila was one of the centers of medical education in the territory of Ancient India. The pupil should have thoroughly not only theoretical knowledge, but also safely use them in practice. After training, the teacher gathered his students together to give a special instruction.

Directly the right to heal is to be granted by the raja. He also supervised the work of doctors, and monitored the observance of medical ethics. The doctor should always be neat and clean, wear scented clothes, shorten the beard, always keep the nails in order, go out with an umbrella and a stick, and most importantly, do not tell anyone about the condition of their patients. There were rules by which the doctor did not take payment from the poor, brahmanas and friends. And if a well-off person refused to pay, part of the property was levied from him. For improperly prescribed treatment, a fine should be paid.

The history of medicine in ancient India tells us that for ancient Indian culture, the main distinguishing feature was the veneration of knowledge. From many countries it was India that came to gain experience young doctors. Universities opened in cities, where they paid attention to the study of astronomy, mathematics, astrology, religious and philosophical texts, Sanskrit and medicine.

The history of medicine in Ancient India is summarized in this material. We hope that the information was interesting and useful to you.