Word: ayurveda
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1950-1959
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...aspiring healers be taught the medicine of the ancient, mystical and slow-to-change East or the medicine of the modern, scientific, restlessly changeful West? India has more licensed practitioners of native medical systems (96,000) than of Western medicine (92,000); the vast majority of these engage in ayurveda (Sanskrit for "the science of life") and bitterly resent the encroachment of Western medicine...
...Nature of Heat. One of the greatest exponents of ayurveda is Uttar Pradesh's chief minister, Dr. Sampurnanand. A graduate of Allahabad University, Sampurnanand (who has no first name) majored in mathematics, physics and chemistry, rates the title of doctor only on the strength of honorary degrees collected from fawning provincial universities. Sampurnanand dabbles in ayurveda himself, often prescribing ayurvedic remedies for friends. Four years ago his government set up the State Ayurvedic College in Lucknow, dedicated to the proposition that students should learn both the ayurvedic and Western medical systems...
Move en Masse? The ayurveda students found that they had no faith in such teachings, and they struck, protesting that they could not live half East and half West and demanding admission to medical school on a fulltime basis. "We are the world's most confused people," wailed one. Dr. Sampurnanand replied by setting up a commission with himself as chairman, and the commission decided that ayurvedic and Western medicine would not mix. Conclusion: the students would have to drop their Western studies. With that, two ayurveda students began hunger strikes. Responding to this form of protest, made classical...
Under such pressure, Dr. Sampurnanand craftily conceded that if all 87 ayurveda students wanted to, they could go over en masse to King George Medical College. But the 87 could not achieve unanimity. Furthermore, King George had no room for them and did not think highly of their qualifications anyway. At week's end East was still locked with West in the streets of Lucknow...
...refined sugar. He thinks that all Indians should, like himself, be teetotalers, non-smokers and vegetarians. He hates soap, believes that rubbing the body vigorously with plenty of water is adequate. He condemns Western medicine as evil quackery and believes in the nature cures of Hinduism's innumerable Ayurveda doctors...