HISTORY OF MEDICINE

History reveals that medicine is the essence of our lives and determines our physical, mental, social and economic status. Medicine has evolved over the centuries from historical medical practices of the Egyptian and Babylonian age, which believed in the supernatural and treated the illness by controlling disease-causing demons. Back then, medicine then was not based on science but on pacifying the supernatural. Medicine then gradually evolved with scientific rationalization to justify the various causes of disease. This was the age when several new concepts of medicine were evolved which depended upon nature to facilitate cure. Diseases were cured by the use of herbs, medical plants, etc, but their efficacy was limited due to reasons like non standardization, lack of data, information and evidence. The advent of “PENICILLIN” and other antibiotics, which could manage diseases which once killed and crippled thousands of people, marked the onset of new era in the management of disease. This resulted in the evolution of what we now refer to as the ‘Allopathic system’ or modern system of medicine. This also changed several theories and concepts related to the system of disease management. However, the advent of modern medicine with its high efficacy, practically wiped out the other systems of medicines like homeopathy, ayurveda, naturopathy, etc.

Resurgence of concept of “NATURAL CURE”

For most of the later part of the 19th century, allopathy or modern system of medicine dominated the domain of healthcare. The theory prevalent then was that disease was caused due to germs (pathogens, virus, and bacteria) that infiltrate the human body. Treatment revolved round destroying these germs from the body to reinstate health. (THE GERM THEORY) Later however it was realized that the environmental factors like diet, lifestyle, practices, etc determine the ability of a human body to fight these disease causing agents (i.e. germs). Also as the life expectancy of people across the globe increased, it resulted in the onset of a new series of life style disorders, which could not be explained by the germ theory, but were attributed to environmental factors. This created a realization that natural cure measures like diet and regimen (yoga, physical exercise) are crucial in determinates of health. Further, allopathic system of medicine, after almost a century of dominance, showed that though it was effective, it had several side-effects and limitations. This slowly diverted and attracted people toward natural cure systems, which had very few side-effects, while being equally effective.

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