Week 8 (Ancient Indian and Chinese Medicine) Flashcards
(17 cards)
Deities & Illness (India)
Rudra:
Shoots arrows to cause acute pain.
- Cure: Name illness + call Rudra to ask it to leave.
Takman:
Fire demon, evil spirit, associated with heat and flame.
- Gods send illness: Either directly or through a demon.
Supernatural Healing through Plants (example)
Kushtha plant (for fever):
Belief: Divine power travels through the plant to the human.
Cure: Name plant + deity, call upon it to heal.
Rituals for Healing (Fever & Jaundice)
Steps:
- Drink water with red bull hair.
- Wear an amulet.
- Drink milk & eat prescribed food.
- Wear another amulet.
- Recite hymn throughout process. (wow)
Symbolism:
Yellow illness → transferred to yellow objects.
Red from the bull → drawn into the patient.
Sushruta Samhita (Ancient Indian Medical Text)
Time: ~6th century BCE (before Hippocrates).
Scope: Covers entire medical field, including OB/GYN surgery.
Focus: Prevention over cure (exercise, hygiene).
Significance: Most representative medical work of ancient India.
Ayurveda (Traditional Indian Medicine)
Meaning:
Ayur = Life
Veda = Science/Knowledge
**natural system of medicine
Disease Cause: Imbalance/stress in consciousness.
Healing Approach:
Lifestyle changes
Natural therapies
Body-mind-spirit balance
Key Concepts:
Universal interconnectedness
Body’s constitution (prakriti)
Life forces (doshas)
Goals:
Eliminate impurities
Increase disease resistance
Reduce worry
Increase harmony
Ayurveda: Basic Theories
5 Elements: Fire, water, air, earth, ether.
3 Humours: Bile, phlegm, wind.
3 Doshas:
Pitta (fire) → Heat, intelligence, inflammation.
Kapha (earth) → Growth, stability, obesity, calmness.
Vata (air) → Respiration, circulation, creativity, anxiety.
8 Branches of Ayurveda (4th c. BCE)
Internal medicine
Surgery
ENT (ear, nose, throat)
Pediatrics
Toxicology
Reproductive health
Longevity & wellness
Psychiatry & spiritual healing
Ayurvedic Anatomy & Dissection
Human bones counted:
Practitioners: 360 bones
Samhita: 300 bones
Dissection rules:
Intact body
Natural cause of death
Not too old
Preserved in a cage
No religious taboos
Respectful handling
Early Chinese Medicine (5000 BCE – 3000 BCE)
Fire: Used for hygiene & health.
Earthenware: Led to wine production.
Liquor: Considered primary medicine
Acupuncture & Herbal Medicine
Needles Evolution:
Neolithic: Stone
3000 YA: Bronze
2470 YA: Iron
Acupuncture Theories:
Qi moves through channels (mo, mai).
Blockages → disease.
Treatment → Needle placement in channels.
Chinese Medicine & seasonal diseases
Recognized Seasonal Diseases:
Spring → Head diseases
Summer → Scabies, itching
Autumn → Malaria, cold diseases
Winter → Asthma, cough
Chinese Medical Texts
Texts Mentioning Herbal Medicine:
Classic of Changes (Yi Jing)
Classic of Poets (Shi Jing)
Classic of Seas & Mountains (Shan Hain Jing)
Origins of Chinese Medicine
Attributed to Sages & Cultural Heroes
Key Mythic Figures:
Yellow Emperor → Medicine patron, cosmic knowledge.
Red Emperor (Shennong, “Divine Farmer”) → Empirical medicine, herbal discovery.
Medicine King (Bian Que) & Mr. White (Bai Shi) → Other legendary healers.
Yin-Yang & The Broad Medical Theory
Body as a Microcosm of the Universe
Mai (Channels):
Carry Qi, blood, yin & yang.
Linked to seasons, celestial movements.
Pulse Diagnosis: Used in elite medicine.
Yin & Yang Tracts:
12 cardinal tracts (6 yin, 6 yang).
8 extra cardinal tracts (head & body).
Renmai → All yin tracts.
Dumai → All yang tracts.
5-Element Theory:
Seasons, flavors, fevers, colors, materials (wood, water, etc.).
Comparison:
Ayurveda vs. Chinese Medicine
Similarities:
- Emphasize balance (Doshas vs. Yin/Yang).
- Link body health to external forces (nature, cosmos).
Use herbal treatments.
Differences:
- Ayurveda → 3 Doshas, herbs, spiritual remedies.
- Chinese → Qi, acupuncture, channels.
Development of Chinese Medicine
Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE)
Medical schools, national exams, imperial academies.
Early Hospitals:
2 CE → Temporary hospitals for plagues.
491 CE → First permanent hospital (Buddhist influence).
510 CE → Government hospital under Northern Wei Dynasty.
Quarantine & Epidemic Management
First Quarantine Rules (356 CE, Jin Dynasty)
Officials with 3+ cases banned from court for 100 days.
6th c. CE: First leprosy hospitals established.
