Adilabad, April 06: Lack of proper packaging seems to have caused a tremendous adverse impact on the old system of medicine. The shabby manner in which traditional medicine men practice or dispense drugs hardly leaves any scope for reposing faith in the ancient system.
Take the case of the nomadic Rajput pahadi vaids or hill doctors from Rajasthan whose way of life defines the method of practicing medicine. Despite possessing precious knowledge about Ayurvedic drugs and about the intricacies of treatment, their ‘clientele’ has dwindled steadily.
A few families of the pahadi vaids are camping in Adilabad selling the large sized seeds of the endangered gila teega or jungli imli or badi imli ( entada pursaetha). As this anti-inflammatory drug is being sold on dirty pavements, prospective customers do not seem to attach much credibility to its efficacy.
“Also, most of the traditional cures are not available throughout the year. The poverty driven nomadic physicians like these Rajput vaids keep shifting places which causes a break in continuity of treatment,” says Dr. E.N. Murthy, a Warangal-based Botanist and environmentalist, as he points out the disadvantages in the traditional system.
“These vaids are selling something else during this visit. The antacid herbal medicine I had purchased from them during their visit last year is not available this time,” adds N. Deepak Reddy, a regular client of the Rajpur vaids, who was forced to discontinue treatment.
Adilabadis still remember the late Mangali Jaggu, famous Ayurvedic doctor in Bokkalguda locality. Mangali Jaggu is remembered as much for his hygienic methods as for the potency of his drugs. The mainstream Ayurveda system has definitely woken up to this fact as is evident from the vastly improved packaging of medicines from companies like Baba Ramdev’s Divya Pharmacy. It is the nomadic medicine men who should be targeted for improvement in case the remnants of the ancient wisdom are to be safeguarded.
–Agencies