WEEK 4 (Medicine in Ancient India) Flashcards
1
Q
What were the two great periods in the history of ancient Indian medicine?
A
- The Vedic period (Medical info derived from the Vedas)
- The Brahmanic period (Golden Age of Indian Medicine)
2
Q
Medicine of the Vedic period
A
- Similar to primitive and archaic medicine
- Began as an oral tradition passed down from teacher to student
- Believed that actions determined destiny
- Many diseases in the Vedic books
3
Q
What were the healthcare principles in the Vedic period?
A
- Emetics, Purgatives, Water & Oil enemas, Sneezing powders
- Methods for healing reliant on religious beliefs
- Cures involving confession of sin, exorcism & spells
- Incantations
4
Q
The Vedas
A
- Body of sacred hindu writings
- Main books = Rig-veda, Sama-Veda, Atharva-Veda & Yajur-Veda
- Includes information about treatments for wounds, snakebites and the removal of arrows & amputation of limbs
5
Q
Doctors in the Brahmanic period
A
- Third caste (lower than priests & warriors)
- Doctors’ education in apprenticeship
- Proper balance between magical and surgical knowledge
6
Q
What are the three great classics of the Brahmanic medicine?
A
- Charaka
- Susruta
- Vagbhata
7
Q
What were the origins of pathology?
A
- Humoral pathology
- Possession by demons
- Pathology through migration of the soul
8
Q
What were the 6 body elements?
A
- Chyle
- Blood
- Flesh
- Bone
- Marrow
- Semen
9
Q
Diseases as humeral disturbances
A
- All diseases originate from humeral disturbances
- Symptoms are caused by too little or too much of the body humours and body elements
10
Q
What are the disease causes mentioned in the classic Indian books?
A
- Faulty semen/ovum
- Wrong behaviour of the mother during pregnancy
- Idiopathic diseases of body & mind
- Diseases caused by demons or gods
- Traumatism
- Seasonal diseases
- Spontaneous diseases (old age, hunger, thirst)
11
Q
How did they Diagnose in ancient India?
A
- Questioning
- Very thorough inspection
- Touch
- Tasting the urine for diabetes
- Pain taken into consideration
12
Q
What were important principles of treatment?
A
- All forms of therapeutics accompanied by prayers or spells
- Bad dreams = sleep in temple
- Center of therapeutics = diet
- Food and its properties are examined closely
13
Q
What are the 8 techniques to remove foreign bodies?
A
- Incision
- Excision
- Scraping
- Puncturing
- Probing
- Extraction
- Provoking secretion
- Suturing
14
Q
What were the healthcare principles in the Vedic period?
A
- Proper hygiene measures (regular bathing, tooth-cleaning, special oils for skin)
- Good diet
- Specified amount of water to be consumed
- Food safety
15
Q
What was the main healing method in Ancient India?
A
Having a healthy diet
