The Materia Medica Of The Hindus

Dr. T.A. Wise, a distinguished physician of Allopathic system of medicine was the first Westerner who was deeply impressed by the Hindu System of Medicine, universally known as ?Ayurveda? or the ?Science of Life?. More than 150 years ago, in his famous book The Hindu System of Medicine he wrote ?A people who had distinguished themselves at such an early age, by their power and riches, as well as by their successful cultivation of the sciences may be supposed to have studied with much care the means of succouring the wounded and maimed, of alleviating pain and curing diseases. The Hindu System of Medicine proves this ?? What impressed him most was that the Hindu System of Medicine did not lay so much emphases on the treatment of the external symptoms of diseases as on the total treatment of body, mind and soul. This is evident from the writings of Charak, the celebrated physician of ancient India who wrote, ?Diseases do not befall a man in whom thought, speech and deed are happily blended, the mind is controlled and the understanding is clear and who is possessed of knowledge, austerity and medicine.? Deeply impressed by the pioneering works of Wise and fully convinced that the Hindu System of Medicine was beneficial for the alleviation of human misery in this world, the author of present work. Dr. Uday Chand Dutt wrote and published it for the first time in 1877. It was universally received and widely acclaimed as the best contribution ever made on the subject of indigenous drugs in English. After the sad demise of Dr. Dutt, two illustrious practitioners of Ayurveda, viz. Kaviraj Binod Lall Sen and Kaviraj Ashutosh Sen of Calcutta added to it a considerable amount of new information which they gathered in the course of their long experience as Ayurvedic physicians which makes this book as an unrivalled work on the Materia Medica of the Hindus. Lest such a priceless work should be lost to suffering mankind, the publishers of the present Volume have rendered yeoman?s service by resuscitating and reprinting it for the great benefit of not only the suffering millions but also for researchers and practitioners of Ayurveda on whom more than eighty per cent of Indians still rely for their physical well-being.