Siddha medicine

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Fundamental Principles of Siddha medicine

 

The universe consists of two essential entities, matter and energy.

The Siddhas call them Siva (male) and Shakti (female, creation).

Matter cannot exist without energy inherent in it and vice versa. The

two co-exist and are inseparable. They are the primordial elements

Bhutas, not to be confused with modern chemistry. Their names are

Earth, water , fire , air and ether. These five elements are present

in every substance, but in different proportions. Earth, water ,

fire , air and ether are manifestations of these 5 elements .

 

The human being is made up of these five elements, in different

combinations. The physiological function in the body is mediated by

three substances (dravayas), which are made up of the five elements.

They are Vatham, Pitham, and Kapam.In each and every cell of the body

these three doshas co-exist and function harmoniously. The tissues

are called dhatus. Vatham is formed by Akasa and Vayu.Vatham controls

the nervous actions such as movement, sensation ,etc.

 

Pitham is formed by fire and controls the metabolic activity of the

body, digestion, assimilation, warmth, etc. Kapam is formed by earth

and water and controls stability. When their equilibrium is upsets

disease sets in. The chart below may help to visualize the different

properties. In addition to the influence of the Tridoshas the seasons

also affects body constituents.

 

The five elements:Earth, water , fire , air and ether.

 

Tridoshas according to Siddha Medicine

 

The three doshas may be compared to three pillars that support a

structure. From the charts below it can be seen that Tridoshas are

involved in all functions of the body, physical, emotional and

mental. The bodily activities, voluntary and involuntary are linked

to Vatham.Pitham is linked to bodily changes involving

destruction/metabolism. All constructive processes are performed by

Kapam. They function dependent on each other. They permeate every

single structure in the body. The maintenance of the equilibrium is

health, disturbance is disease.

 

Vatham Pitham Kapam

 

characteristic is dryness, lightness, coldness & motility heat,

mover of the nervous force of the body smoothness, firmness,

viscidity, heaviness

 

Formed by Ether and Air, controls the nervous action that constitute

movement, activity, sensation,etc. Vatham predominates in the bone.

 

Formed by Fire, controls the metabolic activity of the body,

digestion,warmth, luster, intellect, assimilation,etc. Pitham

predominates in the tissue blood. Formed by Earth and

Water,controls the stability of the body such as strength, potency,

smooth working of joints. Kapam predominates in other tissues

Vatham predominates in first one third of life when activity,

growth ,sharpness of function of sense, are greater Pitham

predominates in the second one third of life Kapam predominates in

the last one third of life. Diminishing activity of various organs

and limbs

 

Location pervades the body Location- in alimentary canal from

cardiac end of stomach to end of small intestine Location- in

chest ,throat, head and bone & joints

-acts as thermostat of body

 

The seven tissues (dhatus) one of the three doshas predominate as

shown in chart above in third column. The seven dhatus are: Rasa

(lymph), Kurudhi (blood), Tasai (muscle), Kozhuppu (adipose tissue),

Elumbu (bone), Majjai (marrow) and Sukkilam and Artavam (male and

female hormones) (4).

 

Method of Treatment - The treatment for the imbalance of the

Tridoshas are made up of the five elements. The drugs are made up of

the five elements. By substituting a drug of the same constituents

(guna) the equilibrium is restored. The correction of the imbalance

is made by substituting the drug which is predominately of the

opposite nature. An example is of Vatham imbalance is cold, dry thus

the treatment will be oily and warmth. For inactivity of limbs,

massage and activity, are prescribed. If Pitham dosha is increased,

warmth is produced; to decrease Pitham, sandalwood is administered,

internally or externally because of its cold characteristics .

 

Five types of Vayu

 

Vatham is considered to be the primary dosha because it activates the

other two doshas. Vatham is the outcome of the ether and air of the

Panchamaha Bhutas. The location and functions of the air is not much

different from that of Ayurveda.

 

Prana Apana Samana Vyana Udana

 

located in mouth and nostrils (inhaled)

- aids ingestion located at anal extremity (expelled)

-elimination, expulsion equalizer, aids digestion

circulation of blood and nutrients functions in upper

respiratory passages

 

Anatomical division

legs-Prithvi abdomen -Appu chest- Theyu neck- Vayu head-

Akayam

Physiological

division

faceces-Prithvi urine-Appu blood-Theyu saliva- Vayu sex

hormones-

Akayam

 

Table of Bhutas ( proportion) and metals

Prithvi (1 ½) Appu (1 1/4) Theyu (1) Vayu (3/4)

Akayam (½)

gold lead copper iron zinc

Diagnosis

 

The eight methods of diagnosis (sthanas) are nadi (pulse), kan

(eyes), swara(voice), sparisam(touch), varna (color), na(tongue),

mala (faeces) and neer (urine).

 

Nadi Vignanam- diagnosis and prognosis by reading of the pulse.

Nadi in Siddha means two things -one is the pulse and the other is

the nerves. In Yoga philosophy there are 72,000 nadis or meridians.

They take root from the main sushuma , intertwined by the ida and the

pingala. These are three most important nerves in the body along the

spinal cord. The sushuma resides inside the spinal cord, and ida and

pingala cross at the chakra points along spine. Science has yet to

locate these three nerves. They are part of the sympathetic nervous

system. The pulse is influenced in health or in a disturbed state by

the nerves mentioned above and their minute branches all over the

body.

 

The following pre-conditions are necessary before taking pulse.

The patients should not have oil on his/her head and the body should

not be wet.The pulse should not be taken after a meal, running, any

physical exercise, emotional disturbances (anger, joy). The general

rule is for males , the right hand pulse is taken , female -left hand

pulse. But owing to anatomical variations other places for pulse

taking can be used, such as ankle, ear lobes .

 

The pulse should also be read at different parts of the day according

to the season.

 

(NB: Most of these temperature changes are based on Indian weather .

This could vary in other countries.)

 

April to May, the pulse read at sunrise. June to July. October, and

November the pulse should be felt at noon. December , January and

February the pulse is read while the sun sets. In March , August and

September the pulse is read in the right hand. Due to the disturbance

of the doshas by the temperature changes, the normalcy of the pulse

is affected.

 

This is due to the increase and decrease of the doshas in the day

(warmth, cold), seasons and atmospheric changes. This increases and

decrease will affects the life stream or Jeeva dhatu. At noon the

heat of the noon sun increase pitha dosha thus normal pitha pulse

will not be felt. In the cold season karpa pulse is increased. In the

hot season because of the dryness, the vatha increases and in autumn

pitha increase. So these natural seasonal changes will be reflected

in the pulse. This is the reason in the hot months (April to May) the

pulse should be felt before sunrise. As pulse reading is subjective,

evaluation, concentration and experience is valuable.

 

Vatha increases in morning for 4 hours after sunrise. Pitha for the

next 4 hours and karpa in the evening. In earlier part of night

vatham increases, pitham during middle of night and karpam at end of

night

 

The place for feeling of this pulse is on the lateral aspect of the

right forearm, two centimetres up from the wrist -joint. The index,

middle and ring fingers are used to feel the vatham, pitha and karpa

nadi in this respective order. An experienced Siddha practictoner can

read the threedoshas by placing his/her finger on the radial artery.

In feling the pulse, the pressure should be on one finger after

another. The pressure alternates, on alternate fingers. The pulse is

felt in the order of vatha nadi, pitha nadi and kapa nadi.

 

Vatha nadi imbalance will indicate flatulence of the abdomen , pain

and ache all over the body, difficulty in urination, fever, change in

voice, constipation , dry cough, discolouration of skin.

Pitha nadi imbalance will indicate eyes, urine, and faeces become

yellowish, burning sensation in the stomach, headache, thirsty,

dryness of mouth, confusion, diarrhea.

 

Kapa nadi imbalance will indicate heaviness of the body and head,

sweet taste of tongue, cold to touch, loss of appetite, flatulencem

cough with phlegm, m difficulty in breathing.

Urine examination (neer kuri)

 

Water is urine and kuri is signs and symptoms. Theraiyar was one of

the latter authors of Siddha medicine who wrote on urine examination

and stages of health. He explains the colour and consistency of the

urine in different doshas and disease. He also talks of the spreading

of a single drop of oil on the surface of the urine indicates

imbalance of specific dosha and prognosis of disease. (This practice

should only be undertaken by Siddha practitioner) In Ayurveda and

Unani medicine the urine is examined mostly for its colour, smell,

consistency and deposit. Urine analysis is more important than

examination of sweat or faeces. Urine is the waste product of

metabolism and has to be eliminated from the body. A person can be

constipated for days but if urine is not excreted for a day serious

health consequences can result. The waste product from every tissue

metabolism are carried in the blood to the kidneys which removes the

excessive salts and suspensions and eliminates them. Normal urine is

thin straw colour and odourless. The colour of the urine comes under

five division, yellow, red, green , dark and white . Each of these

are further divided as illustrated below. The time of day and meals

eaten will affect the color of the urine.

 

Yellow

 

1. Color of urine similar to water which straw has ben soaked-indigestion

2. Lemon colour-good digestion

3. Reddish yellow -heat in body

4. Color similar to forest red or flame colored - extreme heat

5. Color of saffron- heat in body at highest level

 

Red

 

1. Red color with slight dark red- the blood has become hot

2. Bright red colour-more hot than above

3. Dark red- blood in urine

 

Green

 

1. Green with slight dark colour- cold in the body

2. Green with sky blue - cold and poison in body

3. Green with blue-vatha imbalance

4. Blue color and slimy urine early vatha disease

5. Leaf green -late vatha disease

 

Dark colour

 

1. Dark red- jaundice or serious pitha disease

2. Reddish dark-destruction of blood cells (haemolysis)

3. Greenish dark-impurities in the blood

4. Pale white and dark- vatha and kapa disease, feverish with kapa

diminishing

 

White

 

1. Pale white and clear-reduction of warmth in body, indicates

incurable nature of illness

2. Mucous discharge -kapa dosha due to excessive heat

3.Milky white-indicated destruction of marrow and the possibility of

wasting disease

4. Pale white with mucous and bad odour- inflammation and ulcer in

the urinary passage from kidney to bladder or renal or urethral

calculus

5. Semen like urine-highly depleted kapa dosha and disturbance of all

doshas

6. Urine with no sediment - incurable disease

7. Urine like milk or buttermilk- incurable disease

8. Urine resembling washings of spoiled meat- bad functioning of

kidneys and depletion of blood and kapa

9. Urine like melted ghee or dense- indication of impending death

 

Density

 

If urine is light and clear it indicated vitation of kapam and

weakness of bladder. Heavy urine indicates disturbance of all doshas.

Could also indicate internal ulceration and odema of the body.

 

Smell

 

Pungent smell indicates ulcer in the bladder. Acidic smell indicates

excessive heat which may lead to coldness in limbs. Honey smell of

urine indicates increase of blood in unhealthy state. Smell of raw

meat indicates possibility of disease of muscle or adipose tissue.

Froth

Increase froth indicates destruction of muscle and fat. Yellow or

reddish indicates jaundice. No froth or little indicates vitation of

tridoshas.

 

The Eyes

 

The window to the soul and internal health. If vatham is imbalances

the eyes will be shifty and dry. Pitham imbalance -eyes will be

yellow and sensitive to light. If kapa in excess, watery secretion

and oiliness and lack of lustre. In disturbance of all three doshas,

eyes will be inflamed and red.

 

Voice

 

In kapa vitation -voice is heavy. In pitha vitation -voice will be

short. Vatha will be different from the other two. Voice also

indicates strength.

 

Touch

 

Vatha derangement-touch will be cold. Pitha -hot. Kapa -moist.

 

Color

 

Vatha vitiated -body of person becomes rough, skin and hair appear

broken. Does not like cold. Memory is affected, self-confidence.

Pitha in excess-cause excess thirst , hunger and burning sensation.

The lips, palms, feet and eyes will be red.

Kapa in excess-body is soft and oily. Loss of appetite and thirst.

 

Tongue

 

The tongue diagnosis is also used in Traditional

(TCM). Refer to TCM in AM&M report on organ location and diagnosis.

In vatha derangement, tongue will be cold, rough , furrowed. In

pitta, it will be red or yellow. In kapa, it will be pale and sticky.

In depletion of tridoshas tongue will be dark, with the papillae

raised and dry.

 

Faeces

 

Undigested food-the stool will sink. Digested food -stool floats.

Provoked vatham-faeces is hard and dry. Pitta vitation, it is yellow.

Kapa disturbance it is pale. Lack of digestion fire the faeces is

watery. Foul smelling of varied colour and shining the disease is

incurable.

 

Kalpa

 

The Siddhas have developed a discipline called kaya kalpa. This

discipline address the sections on longevity and fountain of youth

with complete freedom from illness. It is similar to rasayana of

Ayurveda and gerontology of modern medicine. Kalpa means 'able,

competent'. The Siddha were more concerned with quality and longevity

of living than with pursuit of sex.

 

Gold and mercury are administered in rejuvenation. More than

medicines it is the discipline led by the individual that ensures

longevity and freedom from illness. Breath control (pranayanam) and

diet are two important parts of this discipline. Proper diet will

promote physical stamina and mental equilibrium. The less ones eats

the healthier can remain. In today's world it pays to be mindful of

everything that we ingest .