TREATING THE PATIENT OR THE DISEASE?

 

TREATING THE PATIENT OR THE DISEASE?

‘Before I die, I want to see the sun once. ’ That was Theos Bernard’s wish conveyed to his mother. Ailing from paralysis, he had been in a hospital for a very long time with, unfortunately, a bleak prognosis. There was a feeling death was the only escape route. Even his doctors had almost given up hope.

It was in such a condition that he expressed the desire to go out of his hospital room to bask in sun’s rays for one last time. Kindly condescending to his desire, his mother took him home and placed him in such a manner that he could enjoy the sun as he pleased. Inexplicably, a great change came over him then. In the pleasant light of the sun, as he watched the swaying branches of the trees, he felt a profound life flow from that great disc to him.

His version of seasons in the sun was repeated in the subsequent days, to miraculous effect. Nature gave him a new life. Gradually, his condition improved in such a manner that ultimately he became free of his affliction.

Bernard who heard about the yogis of India came here to learn the undercurrents of Indian culture. He went after the truth of the Indian perspective that combined beliefs, vision and science. He wrote a book on Indian heritage, a book that laid stress on the tenets of rishis Gautaman, Kanadan, Kapilan, Patanjali and Jaimini.

But here we disregard that which we should be proud of. A feeling has somehow got into our minds that foster mother is better than the natural mother. Our new lifestyle invites new diseases and we do not go after local wisdom, or traditional medicine, for the treatment of the disease, but after the so called super specialties.

The treatment now is for different body parts. There are different specialities for kidney, brain, heart, knee etc. The patient is not one person. But the sum total of various parts like kidney, heart, lungs. . .

But Ayurveda stands apart. This system of medicine that links the disease to the individual and the inividual to the universe is getting more relevance today. The dharma of the universe

is precise but unclear. The working of the human body is also likewise. It is this realisation that makes Ayurveda different from other systems of medicine.

A good Vaidya is born only when scientific knowledge, faculty and distinctive treatment methods combine in him in the right proportion. For training in Ayurveda under a Guru, certain conditons have to be fulfilled if the disciple is to be accepted by the Guru as a Vaidya.

Take the following instance. A patient who has typhoid has to be treated by him and relief from the affliction provided. Typhoid will be cured only if knowledge acquired over a long period of time and the experience gained from years of dedicated practice combine to give a precise and faultless line of treatment. The basic tenets of Ayurveda are far removed from the approach of some that reading of books, passing of examinations and having the aid of sophisticated diagnostic gadgets will make one a reputed, specialist doctor.

It should be remembered that though the symptoms of the disease manifest in the body the disease itself has a genesis in the mind. And if the disease begins in the mind, it is in the mind itself that it is to be restrained. It is foolish to think that drugs and modern technology will help to cure a disease. The post- modernist generation, that thinks their duty is over if they admit their ailing parents in super-specialty hospitals and put them under the control of electronic gadgets in the intensive care unit, forget one thing.

The hospital room will turn out to be a prison cell if the patient is not given love along with medicines. The affection of the family members and words of consolation from dear and near ones will make the patient realize that he is not alone. It is important to promote a state of mind that helps the intended outcome of the treatment.

Ayurveda has this insight. It is by stating that working of the mind affects the body that Vagbhadacharyar begins his treatise Ashtangahridaya.

This concept gets an added sheen from the belief that it is the creator of the universe who is the progenitor of Ayurveda. Brahma gave the secret of Ayurveda to his mental progeny Daksha. Daksha in turn passed it on to the twin Aswini Devas. From them Devendra got it. And for the benefit of mankind, Devendra passed it on to the Dhanwanthari, Bharadwaja, Kashyap and Lambadhanan. This legend on the genesis of Ayurveda is a beautiful interpretation of the fountainhead of Indian culture that sees beliefs, vision and knowledge as one.

In keeping with our usual style of discarding tradition and going after the trend of the day, we go for poison pills and instant remedies only to succumb to treatment that is deadlier than the disease itself. Treatment begets new strains of diseases.

There is a return to the roots now. Treatment should not drift away from nature, it should be a return to nature. It is not the disease that has to be treated, but the patient.

Ayurveda Acharya Charaka speaks of two kinds of Vaidyas. One group will kill the disease. The other will kill the disease, but along with this the patient also gets killed. It is for us to decide which of the two we have to choose.