Archives May 2007

Our country has 81,250 species of animal kingdom and 45.000 species of plants. Out of this large number, 15000 are of great medicinal value and 3200 are wild relatives of agricultural crops. Nearly one third of the species of plants in the country have medicinal value. In addition, there are also many medicinal varieties of rhizomes and mushrooms from Korea, China and Malasia. Their identification and how they are related to Ayurveda, their classification, scientific studies and methods of preparation of the medicines according to the ancient texts have to be undertaken in our universities. We have more than two hundred and thirty universities. Everybody knows the composition of many medicines but the people invariably buy only from the well-known manufactures. The same with the vaids. We have great doctors and great medicines. What is needed is progress to make people aware of the great treasure they have. We do more...

When knowledge is misused, it is harmful for humanity. This knowledge can be science, economies, political science or even agriculture. When huge tracts of good arable land is converted to grow opium in certain countries, it is a misuse of the knowledge of agricultural science. Further misuse is in making worse narcotics out of opium. Yet, opium is used in certain medicines. Chemical warfare is the worst form of utilizing the knowledge of chemistry. But the knowledge that mustard gas is a slow killer because it inhibits the production of white cells in the blood, came useful in the treatment of lukaemia patients. For them the problem is the overproduction of certain white corpuscles in blood Medicine from mustard could control them. Chemists have to take inspiration from Louis Pasteur and other eminent chemists to harness chemistry for good of man. There is a fallacy that anything available in plenty more...