Seeking light


"Those who have eyes cannot see and those who have'nt can see" is an old syllogism that has been inconclusively debated for ages. It's philosophical underpinnings are indeed obvious. At a more mundane level, however, the reality, recalls an old saying, is that of all the senses, eyesight is the most vital. Ironically, to get back to the syllogism, those who have it may not fully realize it, but for those tragically lacking it, partially or wholly, that makes all the difference between good life and bad life. More .......

Ashtavaidyans: Torchbearers of a tradition

By Sudha Nambudiri

Ayurveda is not merely a system of treating by symptoms; rather curing by removing the cause of the malady. The rishis, the holy bards of ancient India, culled their information from the cosmos. While the western medicine sprang from microscopic examination of the microcosm, Ayurveda arose from the microscopic examination of the macrocosm, the sublime embracing silence that contains all knowledge and the sacred memory of all time. More .......

Going for a traditional eye care

By N V Davies

It happened about three centuries ago. After the day's hard work, the late great grandfather of the Manakunnath family residing in Karavannur village of Thrissur district in Kerala was about to take his lunch, when an old man came to his house and asked for some water to drink. Being a toddy tapper, the Manakunnath 'karanavar' climbed on a coconut tree in his house compound and plucked a tender coconut for the visitor. After enjoying the drink, the visitor sought permission to sleep on the veranda for a while. The visitor gave a set of documents written on palm leaves to the karanavar and asked him to read, understand and practice their contents for earning his livelihood. During the sleep, the visitor breathed his last. The documents contained valuable prescriptions for treatment of various eye ailments. More .......

Gangrene: Deadly for diabetics

By Dr. Anish. M. Kurias

Vascular disease is a common long-term complication of diabetes mellitus, a condition that tends to run in families. There are two types of vascular diseases that are most likely to affect people who have diabetes: Atherosclerosis and Diabetic small vessel disease. In atherosclerosis, fatty deposits gradually build up in the walls of larger blood vessels, making them narrower. This condition, which develops to some degree in most people as they become older, is likely to occur earlier and more extensively in people with diabetes.
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EASY WAY TO MAKE KASHAYAMS

By N V Davies

The growing shortage of raw materials like medicinal plants, herbs, etc. has necessitated manufacturers of ayurvedic drugs and formulations in Kerala to seriously think of remedial measures. While taking up cultivation of medicinal plants and herbs in large scale along with introduction of scientific methods for collecting these essential ingredients from existing sources are being considered as long term solutions to the problem, minimizing the consumption without sacrificing the quality and effectiveness of the final products is found to be a solution in the short run. More .......

Know your proteins

Even though it sounds like just one substance, protein is really a combination of many chemicals called amino acids. Scientists have found 20 different amino acids in protein, and these 20 amino acids can combine in lots of ways - in fact, they have joined together to make thousands of different proteins! More .......

Medicinal plants - Indian scenario gloomy

By Prof Jacob Varghese

Time immemorial man had always been using plants to cure diseases and relieve physical suffering. The knowledge regarding the source and use of the various plants and their products suitable for medicinal purpose was usually restricted to the tribal people. Ayurveda, the oldest Indian system of medicine prevailing successfully even today, was revealed by Maharshi Dhanvantari thousands of years back. More .......

'Amritapaala': Divine Healing Herb

By S. Rajasekharan and P. G. Latha

The South Western Ghats, the evergreen mountaineous mantle, enveloping southern peninsular India is one of the hot spots of floristic diversity and endemism of India. This region is famous for its natural beauty and the rich cultural heritage of the Kani tribe, with an infinite diversity of ecosystems, more than 1286 endemic plant species and genetic resources. It is the home of several divine, rare healing herbs. More .......

TAKING AYURVEDA TO SWEDEN

By N V Davies

Sr. Dr. Austin, MD (Ayurveda) is just back home at Amala Ayurvedic Hospital and Research Centre near Thrissur in Kerala after a 17-day trip to Sweden. Her mission there was to enlighten the people and authorities on various aspects of Ayurveda. During the tour, she delivered a series of talks on this traditional system of health care practiced in Kerala. And she is thrilled by the keen interest shown by the common man, academicians, physicians and government authorities in understanding this ancient system of treatment. The Swedish Government too treats Ayurveda as one of the complimentary medicines, which include acupuncture, Tibetan medicine, Sidha, etc. More .......

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