Siddha Medicine: Its Basic Concepts

August 5, 2006

By Lalit Tiwari

Like Ayurveda, Siddha is also a traditional medical

system of India. It is of Dravidian origin and has its

entire literature in Tamil language. The basic

concepts of the Siddha medicine are the same as those

of Ayurveda. The difference is mostly in detail,

Siddha being influenced by the local tradition with

roots in the ancient Dravidian culture.

Its origin is also traced to mythological sources

belonging to the Shaiva tradition. According to the

tradition, Lord Shiv conveyed the knowledge of

medicine to his wife Parvati. The knowledge was passed

from her to Nandi and finally it was given to the

Siddhas. The word Siddha denotes one who has achieved

some extraordinary powers (siddhi). This achievement

was related to the discipline of mind and its

superiority over body, and was accomplished through

both yoga and medicine. Thus siddhars (practitioners

of Siddha) became the symbols of psychosomatic

perfection and so the Siddha medicine became a

combination of medicine and yoga.

The tantrik siddhi was thought of in different forms

such as janmaja (due to birth), osadhija (due to some

medical elixirs), mantraja (due to magical

incantations), tapoja (due to penance) and samadhija

(due to meditation). The tantriks endeavoured to

attain the siddhis by several means, one of them was

through the use of certain compositions of compounds

of mercury, sulphur, mica and several other metallic

substances.

According to tradition, there were 18 Siddhars (the

person who has achieved some extra-ordinary powers):

Nandi, Agasthiyar, Thirumular, Punnakkeesar,

Pulasthiyar, Poonaikannar, Idaikkadar, Bogar, Pulikai

isar, Karuvurar, Konkanavar, Kalangi, Sattainathar,

Azhuganni, Agappai, Pumbatti, Theraiyar and Kudhambai,

but the Agasthiyar (Agastya) was the topmost. He is

regarded as the originator of the Siddha medicine and

also of the Tamil language. He occupies the same

position as Hippocrates in modern western medicine. In

the period of Ramayana he seems to have settled in the

South. Thus origin of every tradition in the South,

including language and culture, is traced back to

Agastya.

In the Siddha medicine system use of metals, minerals

and chemical products is predominant. The use of

metals started from the period of Vagbhata (6th

Centaury AD). Alchemy actually has its origin in the

Siddha system which was connected with the Tantrik

culture, aimed at perfection of man not only at the

spiritual level but also at the physical level. The

use of human urine in medicine also started with the

Tantrik culture and became popular in the medieval

period.

The dates of most of alchemy texts are generally

uncertain, but they belong possibly to a period

between the 9th and the 18th Centuries AD, the period

between the 10th and the 14th Centuries being perhaps

the most flourishing one. Generally these texts come

under the category of the rasasastra, signifying

systematic treatments of the new knowledge and

practices relating to the use of mercurial compounds

and a host of other substance as medicine. The

following are among the important rasasastra texts in

Sanskrit: Rasahrdaya by Govinda Bhagavat,

Rasaratnakara by Siddha Nagarjuna, Rasarnava (author

unknown), Rasaratnasamuccya by Vagbhata, Rasaratnakara

by Nityanatha Siddha, etc.

There are also some tantrik texts, which deal with

alchemical ideas as part of their

psycho-experimental-symbolic treatment for the tantrik

goals and related practice. These texts are not only

in Sanskrit language but also in other languages like

Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc. About two hundred works

in Tamil on the Siddha medicine having alchemical

ideas. Of special importance are Amudakalaijnanam,

Muppu, Muppuvaippu, Muppucunnam, Carakku, Guruseynir,

Paccaivettusutram and Pannir-kandam by Agastya;

Kadaikandam, Valalai-sutram and Nadukandam by

Konganavar; Karagappa, Purva, Muppu-sutram and

Dravakam by Nandisvar; Karpam and Valai-sutram by

Bogar etc.

The name of Agastya and Bogar have been mentioned as

the authors of alchemy works in Tamil language. The

writings of Bogar contain a number of references to

his contacts with China. Whether he was a Chinese who

imparted alchemical knowledge to the Tamilians is a

moot point.

The alchemical literature in Sanskrit is presented as

a dialogue between Siva and Parvati in their different

forms, of which perhaps the most significant are the

forms of Bhairava and Bhairavi. Siva is also

worshipped in the form of known as linga. In Tamil

language lingam also means cinnabar (mercuric

sulphide) also, and that cinnabar forms one of the

constituents of a composition (astabandha) used during

the installation of divine idols. Traditionally

cinnabar is the source of divine energy and possesses

the creative principles.

One of the Siddhars of Tamilnadu, Ramadevar, says in

his work on alchemy (Cunnakandam) that he went to

Mecca, assumed the name of Yakub and taught the Arabs

the alchemical arts. It is significant that some of

the purification processes and substances of

alchemical significance are common to both Islamic and

Indian alchemy.

Basics of Siddha Medicine

Generally the basic concepts of the Siddha medicine

are almost similar to Ayurveda. The only difference

appears to be that the Siddha medicine recognizes

predominance of vatham, pitham and kapam in childhood,

adulthood and old age respectively, whereas in

Ayurveda it is totally reversed: kapam is dominant in

childhood, vatham in old age and pitham in adults.

According to the Siddha medicine various psychological

and physiological functions of the body are attributed

to the combination of seven elements: first is saram

(plasma) responsible for growth, development and

nourishment; second is cheneer (blood) responsible for

nourishing muscles, imparting colour and improving

intellect; the third is ooun (muscle) responsible for

shape of the body; fourth is kollzuppu (fatty tissue)

responsible for oil balance and lubricating joints;

fifth is enbu (bone) responsible for body structure

and posture and movement; sixth is moolai (nerve)

responsible for strength; and the last is sukila

(semen) responsible for reproduction. Like in

Ayurveda, in Siddha medicine also the physiological

components of the human beings are classified as Vatha

(air), Pitha (fire) and Kapha (earth and water).

Concept of Disease and Cause

When the normal equilibrium of three humors (vatha,

pitha and kapha) is disturbed, disease is caused. The

factors, which affect this equilibrium are

environment, climatic conditions, diet, physical

activities, and stress. Under normal conditions, the

ratio between these three humors (vatha, pitha and

kapha) is 4:2:1 respectively.

According to the Siddha medicine system diet and life

style play a major role not only in health but also in

curing diseases. This concept of the Siddha medicine

is termed as pathya and apathya, which is essentially

a list of do's and dont's.

Diagnosis

In diagnosis, examination of eight items is required

which is commonly known as astasthana-pariksa. These

are:

1. na (tongue): black in vatha, yellow or red in

pitha, white in kapha, ulcerated in anaemia.

2. varna (colour): dark in vatha, yellow or red in

pitha, pale in kapha;

3. svara (voice): normal in vatha, high pitched in

pitha, low pitched in kapha, slurred in alcoholism.

4. kan (eyes): muddy conjunctiva, yellowish or red in

pitha, pale in kapha.

5. sparisam (touch): dry in vatha, warm in pitha,

chill in kapha, sweating in different parts of the

body.

6. mala (stool): black stools indicate vatha, yellow

pitha, pale in kapha, dark red in ulcer and shiny in

terminal illness.

7. neer (urine): early morning urine is examined;

straw colour indicates indigestion, reddish yellow

excessive heat, rose in blood pressure, saffron colour

in jaundice and looks like meat washed water in renal

disease.

8. nadi (pulse): the confirmatory method recorded on

the radial artery.

Concept of Drugs

In Siddha medicine the use of metals and minerals are

more predominant in comparison to other Indian

traditional medicine systems. In the usage of metals,

minerals and other chemicals, this system was far more

advanced than Ayurveda. Siddhar Nagarjuna introduced

the use of mercury and its compounds to the Ayurvedic

system in later periods. The use of more metals and

chemicals was justified by the fact that to preserve

the body from decomposing materials that do not

decompose easily should be used. The other reason

perhaps was that the south Indian rivers were not

perennial and herbs were not available all through the

year.

The drugs used by the Siddhars could be classified

into three groups: thavaram (herbal product), thathu

(inorganic substances) and jangamam (animal products).

The thathu drugs are further classified as uppu (water

soluble inorganic substances or drugs that give out

vapour when put into fire), pashanam (drugs not

dissolved in water but emit vapour when fired),

uparasam (similar to pashanam but differ in action),

loham (not dissolved in water but melt when fired),

rasam (drugs which are soft) and ghandhagam (drugs

which are insoluble in water, like sulphor).

In herbal drugs, the Siddhars not only used herbs,

which grow in the surrounding areas, but also herbs

that grow in high altitudes of Himalayas. It is

noteworthy that Siddhar Korakkar was the first to

introduce Cannabis as a medicine; he used it as a

powerful painkiller. They also used animal products as

medicine, for example in mental diseases, peranda

bhasma is used which is made of human skull bones and

the skulls of dogs.

The drugs used in Siddha medicine were classified on

the basis of five properties: suvai (taste), guna

(character), veerya (potency), pirivu (class) and

mahimai (action).

According to their mode of application the Siddha

medicine could be categorized into two classes: (1)

internal medicine and (2) external medicine.

o Internal medicine was used through the oral route

and further classified in to 32 categories based on

their form, methods of preparation, shelf life, etc.

o External medicine includes certain forms of drugs

and also certain applications like nasal, eye and ear

drops and also certain procedures like leech

application. According to their pharmaceutical

preparations, Siddha medicine could be categorized

into:

o Kudineer churanam (decoction powder): It is a fine

powder of drugs.

o Chendooram: It is a red colour powder generally

made of metallic compounds.

o Chunnam: It is alkaline in nature.

o Kalangu: It is based on mercury.

o Karpams: It could be herbal or non-herbal in

nature, made on a daily basis.

o Karruppu: Mercury and sulphur are essentially

present and its colour is dark black.

o Legiyams and rasayanams: It contains ghee, honey

and sugar, apart from herbal powder and juices.

o Mathirai and vadagam: It is pills prepared from

fine powdered paste.

o Maappagu: It is flavoured medicinal syrup and

contains generally aromatic herbs, honey and sugar.

o Mezhugu, kuzhambu, kalimbu and mai: All of these

categories have a waxy feel.

o Ney: It is medicated ghee, which contains

fat-soluble plant substances.

o Pakkuvam and theenooral: It is herbal medicine

with honey.

o Parpam: It is prepared by the process of

calcination.

o Patangam: It contains mercury, camphor, etc.

o Thailam: It is medicated oil; usually sesame seed

oil, coconut oil, castor oil, etc are used in its

preparation.

o Theeneer: It is distilled essence, which contains

volatile constituents of the drugs.

Mercury is used in five forms such as rasam (mercury),

lingam (red sulphide of mercury), veram (mercury

perchloride), pooram (mercury subchloride) and

rasa-chinduram (red oxide of mercury). They are known

as panchasutha.

In addition to drugs, pranayama and other disciplines

of yoga are necessary for good health and longevity.

Concept of Treatment

The treatment in Siddha medicine is aimed at keeping

the three humors in equilibrium and maintenance of

seven elements. So proper diet, medicine and a

disciplined regimen of life are advised for a healthy

living and to restore equilibrium of humors in

diseased condition. Saint Thiruvalluvar explains four

requisites of successful treatment. These are the

patient, the attendant, physician and medicine. When

the physician is well qualified and the other agents

possess the necessary qualities, even severe diseases

can be cured easily. The treatment should be commenced

as early as possible after assessing the course and

cause of the disease. Treatment is classified into

three categories: devamaruthuvum (Divine method);

manuda maruthuvum (rational method); and asura

maruthuvum (surgical method). In Divine method

medicines like parpam, chendooram, guru, kuligai made

of mercury, sulphur and pashanams are used. In the

rational method, medicines made of herbs like

churanam, kudineer, vadagam are used. In surgical

method, incision, excision, heat application, blood

letting, leech application are used.

According to therapies the treatments of Siddha

medicines could be further categorized into following

categories such as Purgative therapy, Emetic therapy,

Fasting therapy, Steam therapy, Oleation therapy,

Physical therapy, Solar therapy and Blood letting

therapy, Yoga therapy, etc.

Concept of Physician

In Siddha system of medicine a physician should be

spiritual and have an in-depth knowledge about

normal/abnormal functioning of the three humors,

capable of curing ailments, intelligent, truthful,

confident, associated with the elite, capable of

preparing high quality drugs with mastery over medical

classes. According to Theraiyar (a siddha) in his

Thylavarga churrukama, the physician should have pure

thought and action, love for all human beings, a

detailed knowledge about geographical seasonal

variations, correct physical and mental state and

dietary habits. Agasthiyar Sillaraikkovai further adds

generosity, patience, untiring hard work, capability

of overcoming greed, anger, knowledge about astrology

and numerology as the qualities of a physician. He

says that a physician should protect his patient like

an eyelid, which protects the eyes and care as a

mother who cares for her sick child.

A physician should not wear colourful dress, nor use

silk, leather rope, cosmetics and should always move

around in white dress, using only sandal paste as

cosmetics. Theraiyar in his Thylavarka churukkam

insists that a physician should clean his hands many

times and have bath after examining a patient.

Varma branch of Siddha medical system

This branch of Siddha medicine that is being practiced

in pockets of Tamilnadu and Kerala is called Varma.

This branch of science deals more with traumatology

and accidental injuries than the internal injuries

where no immediate symptoms are visibly seen. There

are about a hundred vital points, which are either

junctions of bones, tendons or ligaments or blood

vessels, and are called varma points.

Conclusions

The concepts of Siddha medicine system are similar to

Ayurveda, but in the Siddha medicine the use of metal

and minerals is predominant. Pulse reading and urine

testing are important features of the Siddha medicine.

Pulse reading was considerably developed by the

Siddhas and was used in diagnosis and prognosis of

diseases. Putting oil drops on the surface of urine

and observing their movement was used to conduct urine

examination. Besides, smell, colour, deposits, etc are

also observed. Thus the Siddha system is basically a

regional variant of Ayurveda, conditioned by the local

Tamil culture and tradition.

References

Kandaswamy, Pillai N. 1979. History of Siddha

Medicine. Madras.

Narayanaswami, V. 1975. Introduction to the Siddha

System of Medicine. Madras.

Notes on Siddha Medicine System from the Internet.

Sharma, P.V. 1992. Siddha medicine. In History of

Medicine in India (Ed.) P. V. Sharma. New Delhi: The

Indian National Science Academy. Pp. 445-450.

Subbarayappa, B. V. 1971. Chemical practices and

alchemy. In A Concise History of Science in India

(Eds.) D. M. Bose, S. N. Sen and B. V. Subbarayappa.

New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy. Pp.

315-335.

End of forwarded article from:

http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/t_es/t_es_tiwar_siddha.htm

Jai Maharaj

Om Shanti

August 5, 2006

, Jyotishi <jyotish2000 wrote:Siddha Medicine: Its Basic Conceptsby Lalit TiwariLike Ayurveda, Siddha is also a traditional medicalsystem of India. It is of Dravidian origin and has itsentire literature in Tamil language. The basicconcepts of the Siddha medicine are the same as thoseof Ayurveda. The difference is mostly in detail,Siddha being influenced by the local tradition withroots in the ancient Dravidian culture. Its origin is also traced to mythological sourcesbelonging to the Shaiva tradition. According to thetradition, Lord Shiv conveyed the knowledge ofmedicine to his wife Parvati. The knowledge was passedfrom her to Nandi and finally it was given to theSiddhas. The word Siddha denotes one who has achievedsome extraordinary powers (siddhi). This achievementwas related to the discipline of mind and itssuperiority over body, and was accomplished throughboth yoga and medicine. Thus siddhars (practitionersof Siddha) became the symbols of psychosomaticperfection and so the Siddha medicine became acombination of medicine and yoga. The tantrik siddhi was thought of in different formssuch as janmaja (due to birth), osadhija (due to somemedical elixirs), mantraja (due to magicalincantations), tapoja (due to penance) and samadhija(due to meditation). The tantriks endeavoured toattain the siddhis by several means, one of them wasthrough the use of certain compositions of compoundsof mercury, sulphur, mica and several other metallicsubstances. According to tradition, there were 18 Siddhars (theperson who has achieved some extra-ordinary powers):Nandi, Agasthiyar, Thirumular, Punnakkeesar,Pulasthiyar, Poonaikannar, Idaikkadar, Bogar, Pulikaiisar, Karuvurar, Konkanavar, Kalangi, Sattainathar,Azhuganni, Agappai, Pumbatti, Theraiyar and Kudhambai,but the Agasthiyar (Agastya) was the topmost. He isregarded as the originator of the Siddha medicine andalso of the Tamil language. He occupies the sameposition as Hippocrates in modern western medicine. Inthe period of Ramayana he seems to have settled in theSouth. Thus origin of every tradition in the South,including language and culture, is traced back toAgastya. In the Siddha medicine system use of metals, mineralsand chemical products is predominant. The use ofmetals started from the period of Vagbhata (6thCentaury AD). Alchemy actually has its origin in theSiddha system which was connected with the Tantrikculture, aimed at perfection of man not only at thespiritual level but also at the physical level. Theuse of human urine in medicine also started with theTantrik culture and became popular in the medievalperiod. The dates of most of alchemy texts are generallyuncertain, but they belong possibly to a periodbetween the 9th and the 18th Centuries AD, the periodbetween the 10th and the 14th Centuries being perhapsthe most flourishing one. Generally these texts comeunder the category of the rasasastra, signifyingsystematic treatments of the new knowledge andpractices relating to the use of mercurial compoundsand a host of other substance as medicine. Thefollowing are among the important rasasastra texts inSanskrit: Rasahrdaya by Govinda Bhagavat,Rasaratnakara by Siddha Nagarjuna, Rasarnava (authorunknown), Rasaratnasamuccya by Vagbhata, Rasaratnakaraby Nityanatha Siddha, etc.There are also some tantrik texts, which deal withalchemical ideas as part of theirpsycho-experimental-symbolic treatment for the tantrikgoals and related practice. These texts are not onlyin Sanskrit language but also in other languages likeTamil, Telugu, Kannada, etc. About two hundred worksin Tamil on the Siddha medicine having alchemicalideas. Of special importance are Amudakalaijnanam,Muppu, Muppuvaippu, Muppucunnam, Carakku, Guruseynir,Paccaivettusutram and Pannir-kandam by Agastya;Kadaikandam, Valalai-sutram and Nadukandam byKonganavar; Karagappa, Purva, Muppu-sutram andDravakam by Nandisvar; Karpam and Valai-sutram byBogar etc. The name of Agastya and Bogar have been mentioned asthe authors of alchemy works in Tamil language. Thewritings of Bogar contain a number of references tohis contacts with China. Whether he was a Chinese whoimparted alchemical knowledge to the Tamilians is amoot point.The alchemical literature in Sanskrit is presented asa dialogue between Siva and Parvati in their differentforms, of which perhaps the most significant are theforms of Bhairava and Bhairavi. Siva is alsoworshipped in the form of known as linga. In Tamillanguage lingam also means cinnabar (mercuricsulphide) also, and that cinnabar forms one of theconstituents of a composition (astabandha) used duringthe installation of divine idols. Traditionallycinnabar is the source of divine energy and possessesthe creative principles. One of the Siddhars of Tamilnadu, Ramadevar, says inhis work on alchemy (Cunnakandam) that he went toMecca, assumed the name of Yakub and taught the Arabsthe alchemical arts. It is significant that some ofthe purification processes and substances ofalchemical significance are common to both Islamic andIndian alchemy.Basics of Siddha MedicineGenerally the basic concepts of the Siddha medicineare almost similar to Ayurveda. The only differenceappears to be that the Siddha medicine recognizespredominance of vatham, pitham and kapam in childhood,adulthood and old age respectively, whereas inAyurveda it is totally reversed: kapam is dominant inchildhood, vatham in old age and pitham in adults. According to the Siddha medicine various psychologicaland physiological functions of the body are attributedto the combination of seven elements: first is saram(plasma) responsible for growth, development andnourishment; second is cheneer (blood) responsible fornourishing muscles, imparting colour and improvingintellect; the third is ooun (muscle) responsible forshape of the body; fourth is kollzuppu (fatty tissue)responsible for oil balance and lubricating joints;fifth is enbu (bone) responsible for body structureand posture and movement; sixth is moolai (nerve)responsible for strength; and the last is sukila(semen) responsible for reproduction. Like inAyurveda, in Siddha medicine also the physiologicalcomponents of the human beings are classified as Vatha(air), Pitha (fire) and Kapha (earth and water). Concept of Disease and CauseWhen the normal equilibrium of three humors (vatha,pitha and kapha) is disturbed, disease is caused. Thefactors, which affect this equilibrium areenvironment, climatic conditions, diet, physicalactivities, and stress. Under normal conditions, theratio between these three humors (vatha, pitha andkapha) is 4:2:1 respectively. According to the Siddha medicine system diet and lifestyle play a major role not only in health but also incuring diseases. This concept of the Siddha medicineis termed as pathya and apathya, which is essentiallya list of do's and dont's. DiagnosisIn diagnosis, examination of eight items is requiredwhich is commonly known as astasthana-pariksa. Theseare:1. na (tongue): black in vatha, yellow or red inpitha, white in kapha, ulcerated in anaemia.2. varna (colour): dark in vatha, yellow or red inpitha, pale in kapha; 3. svara (voice): normal in vatha, high pitched inpitha, low pitched in kapha, slurred in alcoholism.4. kan (eyes): muddy conjunctiva, yellowish or red inpitha, pale in kapha.5. sparisam (touch): dry in vatha, warm in pitha,chill in kapha, sweating in different parts of thebody.6. mala (stool): black stools indicate vatha, yellowpitha, pale in kapha, dark red in ulcer and shiny interminal illness.7. neer (urine): early morning urine is examined;straw colour indicates indigestion, reddish yellowexcessive heat, rose in blood pressure, saffron colourin jaundice and looks like meat washed water in renaldisease.8. nadi (pulse): the confirmatory method recorded onthe radial artery. Concept of DrugsIn Siddha medicine the use of metals and minerals aremore predominant in comparison to other Indiantraditional medicine systems. In the usage of metals,minerals and other chemicals, this system was far moreadvanced than Ayurveda. Siddhar Nagarjuna introducedthe use of mercury and its compounds to the Ayurvedicsystem in later periods. The use of more metals andchemicals was justified by the fact that to preservethe body from decomposing materials that do notdecompose easily should be used. The other reasonperhaps was that the south Indian rivers were notperennial and herbs were not available all through theyear.The drugs used by the Siddhars could be classifiedinto three groups: thavaram (herbal product), thathu(inorganic substances) and jangamam (animal products).The thathu drugs are further classified as uppu (watersoluble inorganic substances or drugs that give outvapour when put into fire), pashanam (drugs notdissolved in water but emit vapour when fired),uparasam (similar to pashanam but differ in action),loham (not dissolved in water but melt when fired),rasam (drugs which are soft) and ghandhagam (drugswhich are insoluble in water, like sulphor).In herbal drugs, the Siddhars not only used herbs,which grow in the surrounding areas, but also herbsthat grow in high altitudes of Himalayas. It isnoteworthy that Siddhar Korakkar was the first tointroduce Cannabis as a medicine; he used it as apowerful painkiller. They also used animal products asmedicine, for example in mental diseases, perandabhasma is used which is made of human skull bones andthe skulls of dogs.The drugs used in Siddha medicine were classified onthe basis of five properties: suvai (taste), guna(character), veerya (potency), pirivu (class) andmahimai (action).According to their mode of application the Siddhamedicine could be categorized into two classes: (1)internal medicine and (2) external medicine.o Internal medicine was used through the oral routeand further classified in to 32 categories based ontheir form, methods of preparation, shelf life, etc.o External medicine includes certain forms of drugsand also certain applications like nasal, eye and eardrops and also certain procedures like leechapplication. According to their pharmaceuticalpreparations, Siddha medicine could be categorizedinto: o Kudineer churanam (decoction powder): It is a finepowder of drugs. o Chendooram: It is a red colour powder generallymade of metallic compounds. o Chunnam: It is alkaline in nature.o Kalangu: It is based on mercury.o Karpams: It could be herbal or non-herbal innature, made on a daily basis.o Karruppu: Mercury and sulphur are essentiallypresent and its colour is dark black.o Legiyams and rasayanams: It contains ghee, honeyand sugar, apart from herbal powder and juices.o Mathirai and vadagam: It is pills prepared fromfine powdered paste.o Maappagu: It is flavoured medicinal syrup andcontains generally aromatic herbs, honey and sugar.o Mezhugu, kuzhambu, kalimbu and mai: All of thesecategories have a waxy feel.o Ney: It is medicated ghee, which containsfat-soluble plant substances.o Pakkuvam and theenooral: It is herbal medicinewith honey.o Parpam: It is prepared by the process ofcalcination.o Patangam: It contains mercury, camphor, etc.o Thailam: It is medicated oil; usually sesame seedoil, coconut oil, castor oil, etc are used in itspreparation.o Theeneer: It is distilled essence, which containsvolatile constituents of the drugs.Mercury is used in five forms such as rasam (mercury),lingam (red sulphide of mercury), veram (mercuryperchloride), pooram (mercury subchloride) andrasa-chinduram (red oxide of mercury). They are knownas panchasutha.In addition to drugs, pranayama and other disciplinesof yoga are necessary for good health and longevity. Concept of TreatmentThe treatment in Siddha medicine is aimed at keepingthe three humors in equilibrium and maintenance ofseven elements. So proper diet, medicine and adisciplined regimen of life are advised for a healthyliving and to restore equilibrium of humors indiseased condition. Saint Thiruvalluvar explains fourrequisites of successful treatment. These are thepatient, the attendant, physician and medicine. Whenthe physician is well qualified and the other agentspossess the necessary qualities, even severe diseasescan be cured easily. The treatment should be commencedas early as possible after assessing the course andcause of the disease. Treatment is classified intothree categories: devamaruthuvum (Divine method);manuda maruthuvum (rational method); and asuramaruthuvum (surgical method). In Divine methodmedicines like parpam, chendooram, guru, kuligai madeof mercury, sulphur and pashanams are used. In therational method, medicines made of herbs likechuranam, kudineer, vadagam are used. In surgicalmethod, incision, excision, heat application, bloodletting, leech application are used.According to therapies the treatments of Siddhamedicines could be further categorized into followingcategories such as Purgative therapy, Emetic therapy,Fasting therapy, Steam therapy, Oleation therapy,Physical therapy, Solar therapy and Blood lettingtherapy, Yoga therapy, etc.Concept of PhysicianIn Siddha system of medicine a physician should bespiritual and have an in-depth knowledge aboutnormal/abnormal functioning of the three humors,capable of curing ailments, intelligent, truthful,confident, associated with the elite, capable ofpreparing high quality drugs with mastery over medicalclasses. According to Theraiyar (a siddha) in hisThylavarga churrukama, the physician should have purethought and action, love for all human beings, adetailed knowledge about geographical seasonalvariations, correct physical and mental state anddietary habits. Agasthiyar Sillaraikkovai further addsgenerosity, patience, untiring hard work, capabilityof overcoming greed, anger, knowledge about astrologyand numerology as the qualities of a physician. Hesays that a physician should protect his patient likean eyelid, which protects the eyes and care as amother who cares for her sick child.A physician should not wear colourful dress, nor usesilk, leather rope, cosmetics and should always movearound in white dress, using only sandal paste ascosmetics. Theraiyar in his Thylavarka churukkaminsists that a physician should clean his hands manytimes and have bath after examining a patient.Varma branch of Siddha medical systemThis branch of Siddha medicine that is being practicedin pockets of Tamilnadu and Kerala is called Varma.This branch of science deals more with traumatologyand accidental injuries than the internal injurieswhere no immediate symptoms are visibly seen. Thereare about a hundred vital points, which are eitherjunctions of bones, tendons or ligaments or bloodvessels, and are called varma points.ConclusionsThe concepts of Siddha medicine system are similar toAyurveda, but in the Siddha medicine the use of metaland minerals is predominant. Pulse reading and urinetesting are important features of the Siddha medicine.Pulse reading was considerably developed by theSiddhas and was used in diagnosis and prognosis ofdiseases. Putting oil drops on the surface of urineand observing their movement was used to conduct urineexamination. Besides, smell, colour, deposits, etc arealso observed. Thus the Siddha system is basically aregional variant of Ayurveda, conditioned by the localTamil culture and tradition. ReferencesKandaswamy, Pillai N. 1979. History of SiddhaMedicine. Madras. Narayanaswami, V. 1975. Introduction to the SiddhaSystem of Medicine. Madras.Notes on Siddha Medicine System from the Internet.Sharma, P.V. 1992. Siddha medicine. In History ofMedicine in India (Ed.) P. V. Sharma. New Delhi: TheIndian National Science Academy. Pp. 445-450.Subbarayappa, B. V. 1971. Chemical practices andalchemy. In A Concise History of Science in India(Eds.) D. M. Bose, S. N. Sen and B. V. Subbarayappa.New Delhi: Indian National Science Academy. Pp.315-335.End of forwarded article from: http://www.infinityfoundation.com/mandala/t_es/t_es_tiwar_siddha.htmJai MaharajOm Shanti --- End forwarded message ---