Madras eye - Padigapaneer

செல்விராணி, கும்பகோணம்
கண் பராமரிப்பில் படிகாரம் ரொம்ப உப யோகமானது என என் தோழி சொல்கிறாள். இது உண்மையா?
சித்த மருத்துவர் நாராயணன்:
‘ ‘ஆம். உங்கள் தோழியின் கூற்று சரியே. கண் பராமரிப்பில் படிகாரம் சிறந்த மருத்துவப் பொருளாகப் பார்க்கப்படுகிறது. இதை ஒரு anti bacterial agent என்று ஆங்கிலத்தில் கூறுவார்கள். எந்த விதமான காயங்களையும் ஆற வைக்கக் கூடிய ஆற்றல் படைத்தது படிகாரம். குறிப்பாக, கண்களில் ஏற்படும் மெட்ராஸ் ஐ போன்ற தொற்றுகளுக்குப் படிகாரம் ஒரு சிறந்த மருந்து. படிகாரத்தைப் பொடி செய்து பன்னீரோடு கலந்து அதை ஐ ட்ராப் போல கண்களில் போட்டுக் கொண்டு வந்தால், மெட்ராஸ் ஐ குணமாகும். கண்களில் ஏற்படும் புரை பரவாமல் இருக்கவும் இந்தப் படிகாரம் உதவி புரிகிறது.
சேகர், கூடலூர்
கொசுக்களின் தொல்லை அதிகமாக எங்கள் வீட்டைச் சுற்றி இருக்கிறது. இயற்கையான முறையில் கொசுக் கடியிலிருந்து தப்பிக்க ஏதாவது வழி இருக்கிறதா?
“உங்கள் வீட்டைச் சுற்றி முதலில் தண்ணீர் தேங்காமல் பார்த்துக் கொள்ளுங்கள். கொசுக்கள் உற்பத்தியாவதும், தங்கு வதும் தேங்கி நிற்கும் தண்ணீரில் தான். உங்கள் வீட்டைச் சுற்றித் தேங்கி இருக்கும் தண்ணீரில், மண்ணெண்ணெய் தெளியுங்கள், லெமன் க்ராஸ் எண்ணெய் கிடைத்தாலும் தெளிக்கலாம். இவை கொசுக்களை ஒழித்து விடக்கூடிய தன்மை வாய்ந்தது. கொதிக்க வைத்த தண்ணீரில் நொச்சி இலையையும், citronella எண்ணெயையும் கலந்து அந்த ஆவியைக் கொசுக்கள் இருக்கும் இடத்தில் காட்டினால், கொசுக்கள் வராது.”

Workshop on Astrology as tool for disease prediction

Emphasis on learning astrology by a healer is stressed in Traditional Tamil Siddha medicine. The same principle is emphasized by the father of modern medicine Hippocrates

“The man who is ignorant of the science of astrology, deserves the name of fool rather than that of physician.”- Hippocrates

CTMR organized a workshop on 17th Oct, 2010 at its office at Adambakkam, Chennai on ‘Influence of astrology in Health and Disease’.

Dr.T.Thirunarayanan, Secretary CTMR explained the objective of the workshop as to explore and understand the influence of astrology in health and disease in proper perspective as part of the Validation process of Local Health Traditions project being carrying out with support from AYUSH. He mentioned Astrology as a tool in predicting disease and treatment is used by Traditional healers in Tamilnadu.

Dr.S.Ganesan, a Chemical technologist and a researcher on astrology with specific interest in health, delivered the plenary lecture and explained the strong scientific rationale of how this traditional science plays a key role in determining and projecting disease diagnosis and treatment. He detailed the concepts of ‘Kalapurusha’, how the Zodiac signs were classified into 12 and the degree of influence of each sign, the house of Grahas, bhavas etc., The significance of planetary positions in different disease conditions and determining the appropriate treatment, surgical intervention or medical remedy would help the individual was explained. Case presentation on the planetary positions in terminally ill patients and how the time of death would be predicted was explained by him. Similarly how a doctor becomes a specialist in a given field would also be determined by the planetary positions. He concluded by stating that astrology is not a science exclusive to India and different cultures have used it for disease prediction and treatment and astrology would be used to prevent diseases by taking the warnings and changing lifestyle at least to prevent complications.

Following the invited lecture, Dr.R.Manikandan, a post graduate Siddha Physician and hailing from the family of Traditional healer who practices astrology as well made case presentations of positions of different planets in Congestive Cardiac failure, Renal disease, Diabetes and Cancer. He stressed once the planetary position changes for the good the prognosis is also good and disease complications will slowly disappear.

Dr.D.Narasimhan from Centre of floristic study, Madras Christian College and a renowned ethnobotonist highlighted the research being carried out on epigenetic on similar lines and suggested CTMR to document more case history and also suggested to develop simple software for clinical applications.

Dr.S.Rajkumar of CTMR thanked the participants for their interaction and promised to take this forward as a research project in the near future.

Utility pattern of Siddha Medicine in Fishing hamlet

Findings of the Health Survey and Utility pattern of Siddha Medicine among residents of Chinnandi kuppam. St.Thomas Mount Block, Kanchipuram District
Survey date: 6th August, 2010
Location: The survey location is the fishermen colony –Chinnandikuppam on the beach less than 400 mts from beach front and 600 mts from the East coast road at Vetuvankeni village of Injambakkam panchayat of St. Thomas Mount block of kanchipuram district. This kuppam has well laid internal roads with cement and good road connecting the east coast road.
Survey team:
Four Siddha physicians, five Post-Graduate Students of National Institute of Siddha, two interns and eight students from Sri Sairam Siddha Medical College took part in the survey. They were divided into eight groups each consisting of a Post-graduate and undergraduate student and it was ensured a lady is present in the team so that women members of the families freely interact with them. Five local community leaders helped the volunteers. The objective of the survey, modality was briefed to the survey team by CTMR secretary Dr.T.Thirunarayanan
Interview was conducted with help of the structured questionnaire followed by informal discussion. The date was chosen in consultation with the fishermen community leaders as all residents stay at home on Fridays due to lesser demand for fish. 100 households were covered in the survey.
Occupation of the head of the household: Over 80 % are fishermen, while few work as tailor, vegetable vendor, drivers, street traders, real estate agents. Most women members sell fish in the market.
Average Size of the household: Range from 3-9 with average of 5 members.
House: Most houses are with Reinforced Concrete Construction with 20% with kutcha roof. 80% live in own house. Almost all men involved in fishing own house, while people who work as vegetable vendor, tailor, book packer live in rented houses. Average size of house is 400 Sq.Ft. 70% of the houses have toilets. Kutcha houses do not have toilets.
Educational Status: Majority of the men over 30 years of age have minimal formal education (10th Standard) while at least 10% women are graduates and over 30% have
completed school education. The current generation most children are sent to schools particularly AMM matriculation school and many girls are graduates.
Habits: All are non-vegetarians and incidence of alcoholism is very high (50%) among men while use of Paan parag or smoking is less than 20%
Disease incidence: Acute : Frequent among children and rare in adults. Fever – Flu and Typhoid, Upper respiratory infection, jaundice, injury
Chronic disease: 20% Low back pain, 30% arthritis, 6% Hypertension, 10 % Diabetes 5 % IHD, 9% Br.Asthma, 5% Hemorrhoids. 3% Thyroid disorders 10% anemia among adults.
Two adults have undergone angioplasty in a private hospital.
Medical care used:
Majority use the services of private doctors and a few use Royapettah Govt. Hospital. (14 kms away)
Only 3% of the persons have taken Siddha, Ayurveda treatment
Less than 10% has awareness about traditional medicine- Siddha and Ayurveda. Even among them there is no knowledge about where to get treated. Some women who are educated have apprehension about safety of the drugs and concomitant administration of drugs.
Medical expenses incurred per month:
The expenses range from Rs 100 to Rs 2000 and the average works out to Rs 500/ mostly for young children and elderly.
Interest in growing medicinal plants:
Plants like Aloe, Tulsi, Cissus, Coleus aromaticus, Cassia alata are already grown and most would like to grow medicinal plants in pots.