Talk:Urban Medical Relief

Introduction

The country before was more of a land of villages. But cities were more populated than villages like the present scenario. The great changes in the palace revolutions and foreign domination have left the rural life of our country almost untouched. Every village has had its own farmland and grazing land, a temple for worship, and its own priest and doctor, as well as a barber and laundryman, all established permanently.

The changes are in city living, and the political and social upheavals originate from and impact the urban population. Every dynasty of kings made efforts to address the evolving needs of city life. In all these aspects, the pursuit of health and medical assistance could not have been neglected.

Types of Medical Institutions

There are two types of medical institutions, that are prevalent in present days also:

1. State Service - It rendered medical help according to the rules and regulations of the State with its authority.
2. Private practice - These physicians tried their best to help the people in a humanitarian spirit.

Location of State Dispensary

Kautilya specifies the exact location for the state dispensary, which should be in the northwest part of the state. A shrine dedicated to the Aswinis and other gods should be built there. In the city center, there should be places for gods like Aparajita, Apratihata, Jayanta, Vaijayanta, Siva, Vaisravana, Aswini, and Goddess Madira. A sufficient supply of medicines for many years should be secured, and old stocks should be replaced with fresh ones. Besides the medical officers appointed by the State, there was also a larger group of doctors who practiced privately.

Significance of Medical Profession in Past

The medical profession was popular and attracted many people even in ancient times, as shown in the Ramayana, where all the townspeople, including grocers, jewelers, rug makers, bathkeepers, medical practitioners, fumigators, and wine sellers, accompanied Bharata to meet Rama. Medical practitioners seemed to have formed their own groups like other merchants, artisans, and craftsmen.

Practitioners as per Caraka

The medical profession must have been profitable at that time, drawing many ambitious people to pose as doctors and exploit others. Caraka describes three types of practitioners:

1. The impostors in physician's robes - Those who by parading their medical paraphernalia, books, models, smattering of medical texts, and knowing looks acquire the title of physician are of this kind viz, the ignoramuses and impostors.
2. The vain-glorious pretenders - Those who by laying claim to association with persons of established wealth, fame, knowledge, and success, while they have none of these things, arrogate to themselves the designation of physicians, are vain-glorious pretenders.
3. Endowed with the true virtue of the healer - They are the persons filled with complete knowledge of their subject in all aspects. The knowledge of the equipment of the practitioner was as complete as the needs of the times demanded. Caraka ascribed great importance to the equipment knowledge as without it successful treatment is not possible to achieve.

Preparation Before Treatment

Before a physician diagnoses a patient for treatment, he is advised to keep ready all the medication, apparatuses, and instruments required for the procedure of treatment as well as for the emergency that may arise during treatment. The physician who wishes to administer the procedure of emesis or purgation to a patient must be ready before beginning his treatment. If the procedure proves quite successful, the equipment will be of use in after-treatment and if the procedure goes wrong it will serve to help diagnosis and emergency treatment of complications arising during treatment. The equipment should be kept because it is not easy to obtain it immediately, even if the means to buy them are available, and the stock of remedies needed in the event of an emergency development of the disease.

Summary

Thus we see that even in that bygone age the medical profession was a popular one in the cities and towns and the best minds must have striven for high achievement in the profession and science. It is therefore that one should regard Ayurveda as a living and expanding art and science which dominated for thousands of years, but which has suffered neglect only for a few centuries recently. It is now crucial to continue advancing into new areas of achievement and recognition and present it to the world in a way that is of universal use and utility.

References

1. Agniveśa, Caraka, Dṛḍhabala, and Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurvedic Society. The Caraka-Saṃhitā. ed., Shree Gulabkunverba Ayurvedic Society, 1949. 6 vols.