Āyurveda – MOTHER-CARE(Ancient Indian System of Medicine)

Compiled by Swami Shuddhabodhanand Saraswati

Āyurveda (ancient Indian system of medicine) makes clear the high value put on the expectant mother-care and well-being of children. Before trying to know what Āyurveda has said about the need of expectant mother- care, it will not be out of place to remind ourselves how advanced this system of medical science was until it was subdued by certain section of vested interests.  After the long foreign rule in India, majority of us have a wrongnotion that Āyurveda is a primitive system of medicines with some herbs and

ashes  (bhasmas).

Modern medicos sneer at it.

Yet, a slow awareness is

growing nowadays about the genuineness of Āyurveda.Āyurveda is an ancient medical system which originates in the Vedas with ‘Dhanvantari’ as the first physician and Aśvinīkumāras (twins) as the first surgeons. It is interesting to note here that Aśvinīkumāras had done successfully head transplants between the sage Dadhyaṅ Muni and a horse twice (Br.U.2-5-16 and 17). Dhanvantari taught it to sages and thereafter itcontinued in oral tradition from the teacher to the taught.

Historically this  tradition  is  traced  to  5000  BCE.

The  great  two

luminaries whose texts called Saṃhitās (compendiums) are followed now are

6th

Charaka and Sushruta (circa –

century BCE).

These texts are further

enlarged by their disciples.      Both Saṃhitās discuss the eight branches of

Āyurvedic medicine.

Deep knowledge of anatomy, etiology, embryology,

digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.Charaka and Sushruta have presented this medical science in a very organised manner. But in addition to emphasizing therapeutics, Sushruta also discusses surgery, which Charaka barely mentions. Sushruta is considered as the father of Indian surgery and also the father of plastic surgery and Cosmetic surgery. Surgeons in his times conducted surgeries such as caesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and even brainsurgery.  Usage of anaesthesia was well-known in ancient India.  Over 125

surgical equipments were used.  The technique of forehead flap rhinoplasty(repairing the disfigured nose with a flap of skin from the forehead) that Sushruta used to reconstruct noses is practised almost unchanged in technique to this day. Sushruta Saṃhitā details about 650 drugs of animal, plant and mineral origin. In addition, it describes more than 300 kinds of operations that call for 42 different surgical processes and 121 different types of instruments. In keeping with the Āyurvedic philosophy of preserving life and preventing the infirmity of old age, he extols the benefits of clean living, pure thinking, good habits, regular exercises, special diets and drug preparations. It is worth noting here that Āyurveda treats the diseases taking into account the entire body as one composite whole entity than the linear method of modern medical science like repairing a motor car part by partindependently.

Both these Āyurvedic texts were translated into Arabic and later in Persian in the eighth century. That made Āyurveda spread far beyond India. Chickenpox inoculation has its origin in India. The procedure of rhinoplasty was observed in India by a British surgeon in 1793. He published it in Londonthe following year. That changed the course of plastic surgery in Europe.

Charaka describes the need of expectant mother-care at length. He says:It is indispensable that the expectant mother has to observe certain restrictions during the pregnancy. Her food and other habits have to be regulated so as to be conducive to the nourishment and the growth of the foetus.  Otherwise itcan have adverse effect on the foetus in terms of some incompleteness or

sickness.

Similarly, at a certain stage of pregnancy the mother gets some

intense cravings. Their fulfilment has a bearing on the healthy growth of thefoetus. At times the causes of such cravings can be mental in nature. Just as her health has to be kept in good condition, so also she should be kept cheerful all along. This is very necessary from the standpoint of both the mother and the foetus.  Lack of such conditions has an adverse effect on thehealthy growth of the foetus (Charaka Śārīra, 3-23).

At times the cravings of the expectant mother can be prohibitive in terms ofdemanding verily the restricted food etc. In such case she should be handled very tactfully without hurting her by harsh words or scolding.  Lovingly she

should be dissuaded from such a desire.

If, in spite of persuasion from

different angles if she cannot be convinced, she should be referred to the

Vaidya (Āyurvedic Doctor).

The Vaidya should fulfil her desire partly by

simultaneously counteracting  the  adverse  effects on her and  the foetusthrough the nullifying medication. But the cravings should not be denied. Defects arising from the faulty diet of a pregnant lady and the non- appeasement of her cravings produce different types of defects in the foetus. If there are drawbacks in the conditions necessary for the foetus to grow or if they are totally contrary, the foetus gets destroyed in the beginning itself or gets aborted without remaining for a long period. This is why the śruti exhorts the husband to take special care of his wife during the pregnancy(Ai.U.2-3).