Reviewed by Gopala Rao, retired Head of Medical Physics Group and a Research Professor of Physics, Johns Hopkins University
This book of twelve small essays by a highly recognized Ophthalmologist also known for his free services to underprivileged children with eye problems across the world gives a wonderful overview of the cultural heritage of India from ancient times with particular reference to Medicine.
If you are an M.D or some other Medical Professional, you will be especially thrilled that you discovered it. The Co-author Leela Raju. M.D is his own daughter.
Starting with a brief reference to the ancient Vedas and the Upanishads, the author begins with the publication of Susruta Samhita by an ancient surgeon known as Susruta who lived sometime during the period 800 to 600 BCE. Then comes the publication of Charaka Samhita by the ancient physician Charaka who is believed to have lived sometime during the period 300 BCE to 100 CE. We can relate to this part of India’s Legacy in Medicine in terms of modern Allopathy by remembering the contributions of the Surgeon William Halstead and the Physician William Osler both of whom made their contributions in the middle part of the 19th Century.
Then around 400 BCE, Sage Patanjali publishes his Yoga Sutras laying the foundations for a stage by stage of eight stages procedure for transcendence beyond our minds leading to our Soul’s union with God. Of these, today what we are emphasizing are only the Asana (Postures), Pranayama (Regulated Breathing Routine) and a little bit of meditation at the end. Still, the benefits of Yoga are as powerful as or even more powerful than Physical Therapy or Chiropractic manipulations.
Last but not the least is the evolution of Ayurveda with its foundations based on the discovery that a proper balance of three personality traits Vata, Pita and Kapha is essential for the proper functioning our bodies and minds. Imbalances among them came to be recognized as causes for disease and all treatments are based on correcting these imbalances. We can make sense in this concept in terms of Modern Medicine by equating it with the notion of Homeostasis when we try to restore vital parameters such as temperature, blood pressure, sugar levels etc. to normal values.
Once you browse through it for the first time, you won’t put the book down till you read it from page to page. Thereafter, you will treasure it as a valuable addition to your home library. That is because of the highly researched end notes and references to the author’s other publications that it contains.