In Ayurveda and Siddha the Vata, Pitta and Kapha processes have to be well balanced and efficient for maintaining robust health. When one or more of them is/are vitiated health is out of kilter. These can be explained in detail in terms of modern anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and pathology.
Hippocrates (460-370 BC) believed in the system of four fluid “humours”: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm and blood. If the humours are in balance, then the body is in good health. If the humours are imbalanced diseases arise. This theory was believed until about 1500 AD. Later this theory was abandoned as irrational and illogical. Hippocrates, nevertheless, came up with the aphorism ‘let food be your medicine and let medicine be your food’ emphasising the vital importance of nutritionally wholesome food, healthy lifestyle factors etc for robust health.
Claudius Galenius (131-200 AD) known as Galen introduced complicated, multi-ingredient and expensive pharmaceutical drugs with exaggerated claims of palliative and curative properties. He is regarded as the father of modern pharmaceutical industry.
Para Celsus (1493-1541) laid the foundation for western medicine as we know it today with three discoveries in the formulation, manufacture, and administration of western medicines. They are: (1) herbs have palliative and curative properties because they have some natural biochemical compounds in them; (2) dosage is vital for curing any disease. It should be customized for each patient based on his background and (3) every medicinal substance is poison unless it is used in the right dose. Even staple foods and other edible substances can be injurious to health if taken in large or inadequate quantities.
Now Hipocrates is regarded as the father of Western Medicine and Galen and Para Celsus are regarded as the fathers of the pharmaceutical industry as we know it today. Hippocrates, Galen as well as Para Celsus made their own medicines.
Indian Unani and Arabic Tibbi medicine systems still
believe in the theory of four humours. In South and South-East Asia and other
countries there are a number of herbal formulations that are widely used for a
variety of ailments. They have not been developed into particular medical
systems with their own theories.
Western Medicine
is said to be a healthcare system that uses scientific evidence to
diagnose and treat diseases to restore health. It has been very effective
in treating and curing communicable and contagious diseases caused by bacteria
or viruses. But bacteria and viruses have powerful innate ability to build up
resistance and mutate against anti-bacteria and anti-viruses drugs. There are
no new anti-biotic drugs in the pipeline.
It is
unrivalled in surgical procedures and in cases of trauma. However, for most of
the chronic diseases, that are very widespread all over the world now, western
medicine has only palliative drugs for daily life long use. Angioplasty, stent,
bypass surgery etc are not permanent solutions. They do not avoid lifelong
medications. Even diabetes, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis,
sinusitis, IBS, IBD, asthma etc require lifelong daily maintenance medications.
Diagnostic
devices reveal where and how serious and how many organs are involved in a
disease. They cannot identify the root causes of chronic diseases. All
recognized systems of medicine have their own theories on how the human body
works and how diseases arise. They do not, however, pay much attention to the
root causes of non-communicable chronic diseases. They simply run a few
diagnostic tests and dispense symptom alleviating medications on a life-long
basis.
Bacteria
or viruses based diseases as well as non-communicable chronic diseases arise
only when body’s immunity to disease is lowered significantly because of imbalanced
diet, unhealthy lifestyle factors, sedentary life, mental stress, dishorrmonious
social and physical factors etc. Human body in robust health has the innate
ability to develop anti-bodies to defend the body against any bacteria or
viruses based diseases. That was how humanity survived in times of pandemic
diseases.
Most of
the non-communicable chronic ailments can be permanently cured only by
correcting diet, lifestyle factors etc and administering powerful but gentle
medicinal herbs. That is precisely what ‘Holistic, Participatory, Customized,
Curative Pure Herbal Medicine’, ‘Holistic Herbal Medicine’ for short, does.
With this approach most of the chronic diseases for which other systems of
medicine have only lifelong daily maintenance medicines can be easily and
permanently cured by Holistic Herbal Medicine.