Ayurvedic Medicine–The Story of Medicine Notes

Exploring History - The Story of Medicine - Medicine Around the World and Across the Ages

By: Brian Ward

http://www.amazon.com/The-Story-Medicine-Exploring-History/dp/1844766721/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383689887&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=Exploring+History+Medicine+Throughout+the+Ages+by+Brian+Ward 

 

Ayurvedic Medicine

 
1. India 1200-900B.C. Hindu text are written called Vedas.
• A whole body of knowledge containing religious, philosophical teachings, and medical information.
• In the religious section it explains how the body works and describes diseases.
• Treatments included herbal remedies.
• This was practiced until about 1000B.C.

 

• After this the new medical beliefs were still based on the Vedas but also included the beliefs of Buddhism.
• The combination of the 2 systems was called Ayurvedic Medicine.
• Ayurvedic means Knowledge of life.
• 2 books that were written on Ayurvedic medicine were:
• Caraka-Samhita (final version written in ~100A.D.) written by Doctor Caraka.
• Sushruta-Samhita (final version written in ~600A.D.) written by Doctor Sushruta.
• They believed that desires upset the body's balance, so they have to be satisfied in moderation.
• We know now that too much of anything (including good things) can be a bad thing.
• The body is built from 3 essences or elements.
• Air (breath)
• Phlegm
• Bile
• All of these had to be in good balance for a person to have good health.
• Curious that these are the things doctors pay the most attention to when the make their preliminary diagnosis.
• They believed that these 3 interacted and combined to create:
• Flesh
• Fat
• Marrow
• Blood
• Bone
• Chyle (Fatty fluid)
• Semen
• Treatment restores the balance of the essences through:
• Prayer
• Practicing Yoga helps the body reach a state of spiritual enlightenment and keeps the 3 essences in balance.
• 200B.C. Yoga-Sutras described Yoga in writing for the first time.
• Herbal medicine
• There were a large range of herbal medicines and drugs to choose from.
• Most were made from animal parts or minerals
• Diet
• Surgery (sometimes)
• The doctors were very skilled in diagnosing patients.
• Apprentices had to memorize Veda passages.
• Appropriate verses would come to mind during examination.
• This sounds similar to what the status quo calls spells (repeating chants over and over again).  Maybe since a lot of people couldn't read and write in these times it was the best way to learn, memorize, and pass down knowledge so that it wouldn't be lost.  Just saying…I am seeing a lot of similarities in a lot of cultures and am angered at the fact that people want to belittle the ancients by calling things like this devil worship or demonic or evil.
• The verses helped the doctor make a proper diagnosis and suggest the right treatment.
• Hygiene was very important to surgeons.
• They stressed washing the body and cleaning the teeth regularly.
• Surgeons preformed the following:
• Removed tumors
• Removed cataracts
• We have only recently started doing this!
• Repaired broken bones
• Stitched wounds
• Wounds were stitched by fierce biting ants who gripped the edges of the wound and held them tightly together.
• I read somewhere else (I think a survival article) that all of the ant except the head was then removed.
• Preformed Caesarean births
• Preformed Amputations
• Removed bladder stones
• Preformed reconstructive (plastic) surgery
• Hindu Surgeons developed plastic surgery.
• They preformed skin grafts.
• They knew it was essential to keep a bridge of living tissue in the skin flap which they used to reconstruct a nose to prevent the grafted tissue from dying.
• For nose surgery Quills were placed into the nostrils so the patient could breathe while his wounds healed.
• New to us!
• The did all of this with a higher survival rate than "Western" European doctors up until the 1800s.
• Pretty impressive to me!
• They were forbidden to cut open a dead body but was still able to map a whole system of furnaces, tubes, and valves.
• Brahma was the God said to have developed Ayurvedic Medicine.
• Brahma is one of the ruling gods in Hindu tradition.
• The ruling gods are a TRINITY of gods.
• Sound familiar?

 

• 1000A.D. Islamic medical practices were introduced to this system.
• 1500s European Western Medical ideas were introduced.

 

If you have already researched and wrote an article on the highlighted topics please place your link in the comments section.  If you know of a good book on the topics please place a link to purchase it in the comments section.  Thank you for reading please share!

 

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Rabbits: Good protein In a Limited Space Notes

Reader's Digest - Back To Basics - How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills

The Readers Digest Association, Inc.

Pleasantville, New York / Montreal

 

I decided I wanted to learn more about my rabbits but wanted to see what this book said.  My Grandpa gave the book to me.  It has some pretty good info in it…I like the hutch that they illustrate…I think I will try to build one…It looks like it would be much easier than what we are currently using.

 

Rabbits: Good Protein In a Limited Space

Excellent to raise for meat

• Delicious
• Prolific
• Hardy
• Inexpensive to feed
• Yield more high-protein meat per dollar of feed than any other animal

 

Food

• Specially prepared pellets provide the best diet.
• Supplement with:
• Tender hay
• Fresh grass clippings
• Vegetable tops
• Greens should be fed sparingly to rabbits less than 6mo old
• Root vegetables
• Apples
• Pears
• Fruit tree leaves
• Water
• Change at least once/day
• Salt lick (optional)

 

Shelter:

• A Basic Wire-Mesh Hutch
• Cold is no real problem for rabbits.
• Hutches should provide protection from:
• Drafts
• Rain
• Intense heat
• Each rabbit should have their own cage
• Individual cages can be hung in a garage or shed (empty)
• Or you can build an outdoor hutch of lumber and 1" wire mesh or hardware cloth. Plus 1/2" mesh for the floor.
• Each rabbit should have a 3ft wide x 3ft deep x 2ft high space.
• The sides and floor should be wire mesh.
• The cages should be at a convenient eight for you to feed and clean them.
• Give it a double roof if not placing it in the shade.
• Trays beneath make cleaning easier
• Clean trays regularly
• Scrub and disinfect the cages between litters.

 

Mating:

• Medium breeds (New Zealand) can breed at 6mo old.
• The females will be:
• Restless
• Attempt to join other rabbits
• Rub it's head against the cage.
• Once she is fertile she only experiences a couple of days here and there of infertility.
• Place her in the male's cage.
• If you try to take him to her she may attack him thinking he is an intruder.

• How to tell if she is pregnant:
• Wait 10 days after breeding.
• Feel just above the pelvis
• Embryos should feel like small marbles.
• If nothing check again 1 wk. later.
• Rebreed if necessary.

• Birth:
• 31 days after conception
• I mark this on my phone's calendar with a reminder so I don't forget the due date.
• The nesting box should be placed 5 days prior to due date.
• Make sure there is plenty of straw in the bottom of it.

• After Birth Care
• Wait about 2 days before attempting to check the status of the new babies.
• It is recommended that you distract the mama with some food while attempting this.
• Make sure there are no dead or deformed babies that need removed.
• Immediately start Mamma on a high protein nursing diet.
• Make sure the family is not disturbed.
• Babies will suckle for about 8 weeks.

 

• Butcher Weight for a fryer is about 4 live lbs. (will end up being about 2) and they usually reach this by 8-12 wks..

 

• This book also has butchering instructions but I will not go into them yet…not ready for that yet!

 

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My Bunny Family

Took some pictures of my Babies today and thought I would share!

Baby Boys

Big Mama (their mama)

Squirt (their papa)

Baby Girls

Love em!  They were happy cause I just pulled some grass and weeds from around my flowers for them.  Tag teaming the chores LOL!

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October: Planetary Concepts of the Anasazi

Earthway - Section One: The Body - The Soil of Sacred Ground -
Part I: The Cosmic Umbilical - Sharing the Celestial Genetic Coding of the Sky and Heavens -
1 - Starstuff - Sharing the Celestial DNA of the Sun and Planets
By: Mary Summer Rain
Currently only available in book format.

Earthway: A Native American Visionary's Path to Total Mind, Body, and Spirit Health (Religion and Spirituality): Mary Summer Rain: 9780671706678: Amazon.com: Books
http://www.amazon.com/Earthway-American-Visionarys-Religion-Spirituality/dp/0671706675/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383012699&sr=8-1&keywords=earthway+by+mary+summer+rain
Screen clipping taken: 10/28/2013, 10:13 PM
Planetary Concepts of the Anasazi
I will be covering these by month.  I will start with the current month of October.  I would be interested to know if any one has felt these influences this month since we are nearing the end of it.  I will be posting November's very shortly.  I have gathered this month's information from a nicely laid out chart (wish I could just copy it over but that would be illegal) on page 13 of the book and the text on page 21 should you choose to buy the book for yourself. :)
Month: October
Planet: Pluto
• Pluto has only recently been discovered since the invention of telescopes.  Pluto is NOT a naked eye object.  So the fact that the Anasazi of A.D. 650 knew of this planet (when there were no telescopes) gives some validity to their claim that their ancestry came from the stars.  Just had to point that out.
The symbol:
Ruling Ancestor: Yo-naa (Yo nah)
• Old wise man who healed the people.
• All healers were then called by this name.
Identity:  The Healer
Magnetic Season: Cold Moon (October)
Season Name: Mee-ee-taa (me ee tah)
The specifications of Pluto are also listed on page 21 of the book.
Personality influences:
• Saa-qu-ya counseled "budding intellects" during this season.
• Enhances inquisitive minds.
• Feeling this!
• Brings deeper comprehension of concepts
• Feeling this!
• Future teachers emerge "and become the wise one's students"
• I want to become a wise one's student!
• Their keen perception and analytical abilities are shown early in life.
• This season make them stand out and claim their life's direction.
• Definitely feeling this!
Bodily influences:
• Genital ailments
• Urinary
• Reproductive complaints
• Increased infections
• Increased counseling on sexual matters and matters of conception.
• Saw this a lot in one of my astrology groups
• Yo-naa prescribed many potions
• Healer
• Matchmaker

If you have more information on any of the highlighted items please add it in the comments, your opinions matter too.  If you have written or done any art on the topics mentioned please share your link/art in the comments section as well.
Thanks for reading…please share!

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Earthway: STARSTUFF

Earthway - Section One: The Body - The Soil of Sacred Ground - Part I: The Cosmic Umbilical - Sharing the Celestial Genetic Coding of the Sky and Heavens - 1 - Starstuff - Sharing the Celestial DNA of the Sun and Planets
By: Mary Summer Rain
Book format (only available through):

Earthway: A Native American Visionary's Path to Total Mind, Body, and Spirit Health (Religion and Spirituality): Mary Summer Rain: 9780671706678: Amazon.com: Books
http://www.amazon.com/Earthway-American-Visionarys-Religion-Spirituality/dp/0671706675/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383012699&sr=8-1&keywords=earthway+by+mary+summer+rain
Screen clipping taken: 10/28/2013, 10:13 PM
1. The Anasazi
• People of the stars
• Star born
• Native American Southwest
• Their knowledge comes from the blood heritage from a far off constellation.
• What constellation is their blood heritage from?
• Heavenly aspects dominated their traditional ceremonies.
• Children were taught the sacred ways and the influences of the planets from birth.
• They lived by the stars
• Earth just a temporary home
• Knowing someday they would return home
• Their days here on Maa-ru (Earth) were prophesized by their ancestors.
• I would love to learn more about this prophecy.
• Star Legends.
• Want to learn more about the star legends.
• Each Planet had a ruling ancestor
• Famous elder
• Earth was the child Maa-ru
• Highly spiritual race "enlightened" through ancient wisdom

1. The following section on astronomy is how the heavenly bodies and their vibrational and gravitational fields affect humans physically and mentally.
• General astronomical beliefs slightly resemble astrology today.
• Based on knowledge they received from their star ancestors.
• Causing it to be highly accurate and more advanced than our concepts today.
• 1 planetary body per month instead of splitting it between months.
• Healing correlates to the ruling plant's magnetic pull and vibrational frequency.
• Planetary influence of each month called a "season"
• Important to know when reading future documents on this race!
• Section presented in the Anasazi Native Way
• Current concepts will have similarities and differences.
• Time tested
• True today just as they were for the Anasazi of A.D. 650
• Represents a portion of No-Eyes Knowledge.
I will take notes on this section and I will post the information for each month so that we can continue through the book and continue gathering more knowledge.  I will start with the month we are currently in…October!
If you know anything, have written anything, or done some kind of art on the topics I have highlighted please paste them or the link in the comments section of this post!  Thank you for reading, please share.
Technorati Tags: Earthway,STARSTUFF,astrology,astronomy,Anasazi,Native American Southwest,Star Legends,Mary Summer Rain

Shamans and the Supernatural Notes

Exploring History - The Story of Medicine - Medicine Around the World and Across the Ages
By: Brian Ward
Shamans and the Supernatural
 
1. A Shaman is an individual who was both a religious leader and a healer.
2. Some Shamans still exist in Arctic regions, Siberia, Native North America and South America, South East Asia and the pacific Islands.
3. In West Africa they are called Medicine Men or Witch Doctors.
4. Medical treatment practiced with drugs and prayer, ointments, charms (talismans) and magical objects (fetishes).
5. Shamanism isn't organized like major world religions.  It's a collection of folk beliefs and myths.
6. They blamed Illness on the soul leaving the body which the Shaman finds and brings back.
7. They used Hollow Bones to suck poison out and sharp flints to cut the skin.
8. All Native American tribes had Shamans.
9. "The Ojibwa tribe formed secret societies and specialized in particular types of medicine such as Herbalism."
10. North American Medicine Men used the roots of the black cohosh, or squawroot as a painkiller.  Western herbalist also use these now.
 
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God’s Gift of the Stars: A religious/spiritual debate

Excerpt from my book that will be published in the future.

 

I all of a sudden felt inspired to write this for my religious friends.  Many people I know are religious but only my friends have realized and accepted that I have chosen spirituality over religion.  There is a difference.

I believe God has a plan for each and every one of us.  Each planet, star, solar system, galaxy, universe, the grand cosmic web.  God has a plan for all of this.  Why would he create it if he didn't? 

I know many religious people believe in God and follow the bible or other religious texts.  I do believe these texts are great guides for moral values and how to co-exist with the rest of the human race harmoniously.  However it seems to me that it would be quite arrogant of me to believe that only one book can even begin to describe what his grand complex plan is and more importantly how we as individuals fit into his plan.  This is why I have chosen to study various cultures and myths.  Many religious people consider some of these subjects of study taboo or off limits.  A good example of this would be my study of astrology.  Mostly because of what the following verses of the bible say:

 

Deuteronomy 18:10-11

New International Version (NIV)

10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead.

 

Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy+18%3A10-11>

 

Leviticus 19:31

 

New International Version

"'Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God

 

Pasted from <http://biblehub.com/leviticus/19-31.htm>

 

Medium and spiritists are referring to people who consult with the dead or spirits if you read the other versions of this verse posted on biblehub this becomes clear, I am sticking to the same version for these purposes though.

 

Galatians 5:19-21

New International Version (NIV)

19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Pasted from <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A19-21&version=NIV>

 

 

I can see why some would group astrology into this category.  Some people do use astrology to try and figure out what their lucky numbers are and what the future holds for them (usually trying to avoid any thing they don't want and try to take advantage of what they do).  However there are always 2 sides to every coin.   It is up to God to pass judgment on what is right and wrong no one else…please remember this as you read forward.

 

In Genesis 1:3 he created light 4 divided it between night and day (Sun and Moon) 5 called the darkness night and the light day.  Later on he created the stars and this is what it says:

Genesis 1:14

New International Version

And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,

 

Pasted from <http://biblehub.com/genesis/1-14.htm>

 

The New World Translation (many others sound similar to this) says, "And god went on to say "Let luminaries come to be in the expanse of the heavens to make a division between the day and the night; and they must serve as signs (it doesn't say what kind yet this is separated from the rest) AND for seasons AND for days AND years.""  God says to use the stars as signs…I know most preachers say "for navigation and seasons" Ok navigation…if that is your interpretation of what it says I'm happy for you but I interpret it as any sign and as for seasons that was mentioned separately later in the verse.  Moving on -so isn't it possible then that god gave us a road map of the path he wishes for us to take?  Jeremiah 1:5  says that god knew us even before we were placed in the womb.  This shows that our soul existed prior to conception.  Since he knew our soul prior to birth, wouldn't it make sense that he wrote that map in the stars of the horizon as seen from the place he chose us to be born at?  Isn't it then possible that we can study the transits of the planets as indicators of the lessons we must learn in the journey that he set us upon?

 

I feel that by studying astrology I am learning more about my self and the people closest to me. Learning about what our roles are in God's grand plan.  The complexity of the grand cosmic web is the only thing I can think of that even comes close to the complexity of what god has in store for us.  I say this because each person's natal chart is pretty unique, it takes into account many calculations and variables.  I think Astrology helps us better prepare for what he has in store for us.  He's a loving god why would he leave us clueless? 

 

After reading many articles on the subject I feel most people who study astrology feel the same way.  I think they either couldn't figure out how to express these thoughts in a way that religious people understand or didn't care to.  This is a difficult task to accomplish because many people have a stereotypical view of Astrologers (or those claiming to be) ripping off their money (supposedly).  Understanding a natal chart does require a lot of focus and time so I could see charging for them but it is really up to you to learn this yourself or learn how to spot a real astrologer as opposed to a scam artist.

 

In conclusion Astronomy is no different than any of the other gifts God gives us.  All of God's gifts can be used for good or bad because we have free will to use them as we see fit.  It just depends on how you use them that determines if it is good or bad.

 

I hope you enjoyed reading…please do feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.

 

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