HEALING

 

HISTORY

from the Antiqua Medicina exhibit at UVa Health Sciences Center

Western

Ayurvedic

Chinese

4 elements: earth air fire water
4 qualities: hot cold dry wet

5 elements: earth air fire water ether

5 elements; earth fire water metal wood

4 humors: blood phlegm bile black-bile
4 personalities: sanguine phlegmatic cholic melancholic

5 procedures: enemas leeching cupping emetics bleeding

5 viscera
5 organs

4 seasons
4 ages of man
4 tastes: sweet, bitter, salty, sour
4 Gospels

5 senses
5 smells

5 planets
5 musical tones
5 tastes
5 smells

5 weathers
5 colors
5 planets

disease is an imbalance of the humors and can be treated by trying to restore balance with bloodletting etc. and herbs

alchemy

Recent evidence that bloodletting may help some

balance the prama (elements) of the individual
and their dosa (forces)

  • Pitta-heat & energy - sun - digestion
  • Kapha-water & tides - moon -fluid metabolism
  • Vata-wind - movement - nervous system

using the 5 procedures & fasting, diet, yogas, meditation, herbs (over 700)

disease relates to imbalance in qi which flows through the 12 meridians of the body (6 yin, 6 yang) restore with accupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and herbs (over a 1000)

Life expectancy has increased since the 25 of Roman times when some interesting medical instruments were used

Progress in 6 diseases

 UVa exhibit of medical instruments

 

for more details of medicine in the ancient middle east see this Indiana University site

Modern Alternatives

evaluation of alternate treatments

TCM traditional Chinese medicine, pushed by Mao because of a shortage of Western physicians

alternative healthcare on the increase

Some alternatives

Acupuncture

Ayurveda Indian based on the Vedas

Homeopathy Symptoms are good, find a treatment that mimics the symptoms of all ailments, take a holistic view, dilutions of medicines is sometimes past 1 molecule per dose.

 Visit to the Doctor can be less than optimum

Short History of Medicine

I have an earache