Hindu philosophy believes that everything
is made up of five elements—earth,
water, fire, air and sky. As soon as the food enters the body, chemical
process takes place. The taste of the food depends on the nature of its
properties. Sweets help in producing blood, flesh, fat, bones, semen and
strength the sweets substances are cold and heavy. Sour substances increase the
digestive functions. They produce vitality and remove gas. Salty foods also remove
the gas but produce mucus.
Some substances have different properties
at the time of eating, but their properties get changed in the digestive
process. These facts are kept in mind at the time of treatment and prescribing
medicines and food.
Stomach is held to be responsible for all
types of ailments. Due to activities of the mouth during intake of food, cough
is produced. Then all sorts of liquids mix with this cough inside the body.
Thus produces bile. Gas is produced after the body has absorbed all the
necessary substances from the food. Ahaar-rasa is produced during the
process of digestion. Ras-dhatu is
produced by ahaar-rasa from which
blood, flesh, fat, bone-marrow, semen and energy are produced. Those parts of
the food that are absorbed by the body are called Prasad and the useless portion
are known as waste matter that goes of the body in the shape of faecal matter
and urine. Ayurveda believes that the cause of all diseases is imbalance
between phlegm, gas and bile. This is known as the tridosh principle.
The disease is diagnosed by this tridosh principle and it is analysed as
to which substance out of bile, phlegm or gas has caused the disease. As per
Ayurveda, phlegm is produced in the stomach. It maintains the humidity of the
body. Phlegm provides the energy for digestion, blood circulation, memory,
appetite, evacuation of waste matter, heartbeat, muscles of hands and feet,
sensitiveness and joints in the body. It has the five kinds.
Bile is produced between stomach and longer
intestines. It maintains the temperature of the body. Bile is responsible for
digesting the food and produces rasa. Bile plays an important role in
maintaining eyesight, colour of skin, pulsation, activity of liver, kidneys and
also extracts useful substances from food.
Wind or gas, as the name suggests, help in
physical activities. It helps in taking out the toxic elements from the body,
breathing, taking the food from the mouth to the stomach and then taking the
faecal matter up to the anus. Gas is of five different kind. They are known by
different names as they reside in different parts of the body. The excess or
shortage of phlegm, bile and gas gives rise to diseases.
Ayurveda believes that is it not necessary
for disease to strike to make one stick. It can also be due circumstances that
make the germs of disease attack the body successfully and induce illness. Some
symptoms of a particular disease are prominent while many remains dormant.
This factor also helps in identifying the
disease and getting at it cause. The deformities of the body are carefully analysed.
It is seen as to which extent the disease has spread into body. Information
regarding the history of patient and his disease is gathered. If necessary,
information regarding diseases from which, parent, grand-parents or even
maternal grand- parents have suffered is gathered for correct diagnosis. The
pulse as well as stool and urine is also examined.
METHOD
OF TREATMENT
The ailments born out of imbalances in
phlegm, bile and gas are treated by diet control, medicines and regulated life.
Ayurvedic medicines are also prepared from plants and animals. Pills,
discoctions, syrups, powders, jam, ash, medicated edible oils and butter are
prescribed as medicines.
According to Ayurveda, medicines affect the
body through the digestive system. The Ayurvedic physician keeps in mind which
medicines will affect, and in which way, and treats accordingly. Food is
strictly regulated and controlled during Ayurvedic treatment.
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