Preface

Strenuous labour for more than a year again told heavily upon my weak health, resulting in a physical prostration from which I have not yet completely recovered. This accounts for the delay in bringing out vol. V. of my book. I am still very despondent about the future of Ayurveda. The so called Ayurvedic colleges established in many parts of India, have arranged for such a low standard of Ayurvedic education that many of the passed students of these colleges are found to be unable even to understand the contents of my books. The Indian national congress, which is now the dominant political force in the country, appears to be indifferent to the revival of ancient Indian culture and civilization; nay, it appears to be bent upon destroying them. Many of the leaders of the congress have been so much westernised that they look up to the west for their social, moral, and religious ideals. Mahatma Gandhi, the universally adored leader of the congress is reported to have declared that Ayurveda has not a better medicine for fever than quinine. To us the statement appears to be not only ridiculous but childish as well. For his information let me state here, that out of about two thousand medicines for fever prescribed in the Ayurvedic books, I have only included about 200 in vol. IV. The majority of these medicines are incomparably better, for the cure of malaria and other fevers, than quinine, which in certain cases stops fever, but destroys, in every case, red corpuscles of the blood. Another leader of the Indian national congress is reported to have said that he has more faith in Allopathy than in Ayurveda, It is immaterial whether this lay gentleman has any faith in Ayurveda or not. It is the opinion of renowned physicians that really counts. Dr. B. C. Roy, the leading Allopathic physician of India, in his address as President of the Indian medical conference held at Lahore, declared in no uncertain terms that after so many years of his experience as physician he came to realise that Ayurveda was the best of all system of medical treatment known to the world. The Allopathic savants all over the world frankly admit that allopathy is not yet a science at all, but is still in the making. It will not be out of place here to quote the opinions of some of the pillars of Allopathy:—

Prof. Evans, Fellow of the Royal college, London:—“The medical practice of our day is, at the best, a most uncertain and unsatisfactory system. It has neither philosophy nor common sense to commend it to confidence.”

Benjamin Rush, M. D. Professor in the First Medical College, Philadelphia—“Dissections daily convince us of our ignorance of disease, and cause us to blush at our prescriptions. What mischiefs have we not done under the belief of false facts and false theories? We have assisted in multiplying disease, we have done more, we have increased their fatality.”

Prof. Gregory of Edinburgh, Scotland:—“Gentlemen, ninety-nine out of a hundred medical facts are medical lies; and medical doctrines are, for the most part, stark, staring nonsense.”

Dr. Ramage of Royal College, London:—“It cannot be denied that the present system of medicine is a burning shame to its professors, if indeed a series of vague and uncertain incongruities deserves to be entitled by that name. How rarely do our medicines do good. How often do they make our patients really worse. I fearlessly assert that in most cases the sufferer would be safer without a physician than with one. I have seen enough of the malpractice of my professional brethren to warrant the strong language I employ.”

Dublin Medical Journal—“Assuredly the.uncertain and most unsatisfactory art that we call medical science, is no science at all, but a jumble of inconsistent opinions, of conclusions hastily and often incorrectly drawn; of facts misunderstood or perverted; of comparisons without analogy; of hypotheses without reason; and theories not only useless but dangerous.”

Jhon Mason Good, M.D.F.R.S., Author of “Book of Nature.” “Study of medicine” etc.—“The science of medicine is a barbarous jargon, and the effects of our medicines on the human system in the highest degree uncertain, except indeed, that they have destroyed more lives than war, pestilence, and famine combined.”

Such remarks can by no means be applied to Ayurveda which has infallible remedy for every disease (except gonorrhoea).

Unfortunately, a majority of the modem Ayurvedic physicians are not well-acquainted with the Ayurvedic treatment of fever which is simply marvellous. The action in fever and cholera of such medicines as “Mritasanjivana suchikabharana rasa,” “Suchika-bharana rasa,” “Suchikakshepana rasa” are more miraculous than can be described and and conceived of. They are to be prepared and used by adepts only. For the guidance of beginners, I should advise them to use in ordinary fevers (including malaria, influenza, typhoid, and para-typhoid) only these two medicines, viz. “Rasa-talaka” (page 115, vol. I—does one rakti to be given thrice a day) and “Tripurari rasa” (page 160, vol. IV), subject to the directions given in vol. IV. They will find that any one of these two medicines would yield wonderful results. If they fail, medicines of higher potencies, such as “Saubhagya rasa,” “Kasturibhairava rasa,” etc., may be made use of. The preparation of Rasa-talaka is somewhat difficult. Any Ayurvedic physician who intends to learn its preparation, may come to me. He may learn it from me in a single day,

I think I shall be lacking in my duty, if I do not refer here to the Hon’ble Pandit Madan Mohan Malavia, the founder of the Beneras Hindu University. Pandit Malavia is a sincere patriot, an orator of unparalleled ability, a real Indian, Indian in thought, Indian in culture, Indian in habit, an Indian in outlook. He has opened an Ayurvedic department in his University, and has been doing all he can to revive Ayurveda; but let me tell the Panditji that his attempts have not yet been even partially successful. Whatever that may be, he is really to be admired for what he has already done.

In compliance with the request made to me by several western scholars, I shall deal with in the introduction of this volume a brief history of Indian Chemistry and medicine.

BHUDEB MOOKERJI.

No. 20, Grey Street,
Calcutta;
The 10th February, 1938.