Father of Surgery

Recently, there were news about many deaths due to negligence in surgery and surgeries done in unhygienic conditions.I was extremely saddened to read all that. These unfortunate events were due to lack of medical knowledge, bad practices or ethics or all the above,I don't know. But, one thing do know, there are some lessons we should learn from the ancient Indians.

About 2500 years ago, Rishi Sushrut conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures,urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India.The Rishi's had deep knowledge of anatomy, etiology, embryology,digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity.

Rishi Sushrut wrote a book called 'Sushruta Samhita', in which he describes over 120 surgical instruments, 300 surgical procedures and classifies human surgery in 8 categories. He lived,taught and practiced this science on the banks of the river Ganga. In his book, Rishi Sushrut detailed surgical procedures in many specialized branches which warrant surgery, such as obstetrics, orthopedics and ophthalmology. For successful surgery, anesthesia was induced using wine and other herbs.

Rishi Sushrut knew that to be a good surgeon,one must have great knowledge of human anatomy. To understand Rishi Sushrut's immense knowledge of the human body, consider this example :

Rishi Sushrut gives details of human embryology, in which he mentions that the fetus develops seven layers of skin, naming each layer and the specific diseases which may affect that layer in adult life! (Sharirsthan IV–3).Such detailed observation is mind blowing, because in those days, they knew all these things without using microscopes,ultrasound, X–rays etc.

Being a genius and a perfectionist in all aspects of surgery he even attached great importance to a seemingly insignificant factor such as scars after healing. He implored surgeons to achieve perfect healing, characterized by the absence of any elevation or in-duration,swelling or mass, and the return of normal colouring. He went as far as prescribing ointments to achieve this, managing to change healed wounds from black to white and vice-versa!

Rishi Sushrut’s excellence in surgery and original insights in all branches of medicine make him the most versatile genius in the history of medical science. His contributions to modern surgery are immeasurable.

Shriphal - God's Fruit

We Maharashtrians love coconut. We put khobra ( dry grated coconut ) in our curries and chutneys.The coconut barfis and ladoos are just awesome !! In many parts of south India esp Kerala, entire cooking in done in coconut oil. As a child, for any cuts, burns, rashes etc my grandmother only applied coconut oil. And it worked like magic.

Coconut has a special significance in Indian culture and traditions.The coconut tree is called a ' Kalpavrush'. Which means, the wishing tree in Sanskrit. Every inch of the coconut tree is useful to us and hence the name. Coconut has a significant place in all the Indian festivals & rituals. It is considered as a complete fruit (all parts of coconut as a fruit are very useful).Anything offered to god should be complete (Purna) & the best, that’s why we use coconut in almost every ritual. Coconut is so beneficial that it is called SHRIPHAL, which means god's fruit. It is considered as a symbol of prosperity and happiness. In fact ,we honor elderly people by giving coconut and there is a reason behind it – Coconut tree gives “Niswarth-seva” which means selfless service, helping/providing everything to others without expecting anything in return.

Coconut has always been used in traditional Indian medicine to treat a wide variety of health problems including the following: abscesses, asthma, baldness, bronchitis,bruises, burns, colds, constipation, cough, dropsy, dysentery, earache, fever, flu, gingivitis, gonorrhea, irregular or painful menstruation, jaundice, kidney stones, lice, malnutrition, nausea, rash, scabies, scurvy, skin infections, sore throat, swelling, syphilis, toothache, tuberculosis, tumors, typhoid, ulcers, upset stomach, weakness, and wounds. However, modern medical science is now confirming the use of coconut in treating many of the above conditions. Published studies in medical

journals show that coconut, in one form or another, may provide a wide range of health benefits.

http://www.bioriginal.com/page-articles/the-science-behind-coconut-oil/

http://wakeup-world.com/2012/03/02/160-uses-for-coconut-oil/

http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/

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So if coconut oil is all that great, why are more people not using it ? Well, most of the coconut of the world is grown in 'poor third world' countries like India, Indonesia and Philippines, who do not really have the resources to promote it worldwide. The western world has been largely undermining coconut oil and its health benefits.India’s overall edible oil import is likely to stand at 11.8 million tonnes (mt) this year, against 10.7 mt in the previous year. The edible oil import bill may exceed the benchmark Rs 60,000-crore mark; last year, it stood at Rs 57,500 crore. These figures should be enough for us to understand how big a market India is and why olive/soy/canola oils are promoted so aggressively in India by the western countries.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/markets/indias-dependence-on-imported-edible-oil-to-hit-new-record-114041900395_1.html

So what is really good for us, is something we all should think about.