Ayurveda in Sri Lanka

Buddhism has admittedly been the most powerful influence on the development of the culture if Sri
Lanka from at least the 3rd century B.C. relieving the suffering of all living creatures both human
beings and animal is one of the highest ideals of Buddhism. The ancient rulers of Sri Lanka as
devout followers of Buddha naturally gave high priority to the physical wellbeing of the people. The
fact that king provided medical facilities is borne out not only by numerous references in literary and
epi-graphical sources, but also by archaeological remains.

The form of medicine practiced was of course Ayurveda, as modified to suit local conditions and
needs. It is quite natural that Sri Lanka with its close geographical ethnic and cultural ties with India
has also adopted the system of medicine practiced in the Sub-continent.

The ancient rulers played an active part in not only relieving the sufferings of the people when they
the afflicted with disease, but also in ensuring that minimum standards of sanitation were observed.

Mahawamsa, the Great Chronicle of the Sinhalese refer to several kings who founded medical
institutions. Mention is made of King Pandukabhaya (circa 4th century B.C.) as having set up a lying
in home and a hospital. King Duttugamunu (circa 101-77 B.C.) bestowed food on the sick and
provided medical attention for them.

Upatissa (426-468 A.D.) founded hospitals "for cripples, woman in travail, for the blind and the sick
he erected great nursing shelters and alms halls."

Buddhadasa (398-426 A.D.) is by far the best known ruler as far as the ancient medical science in Sri
Lanka is concerned. An eminent physician himself, he is said to have effected marvellouscures. He is
also credited with the compilation of Sarasthasangrahaya a compendium of all existing handbooks,
composed in Sanskirt. He appointed physicians to treat soldiers, horses and elephants. Special
asylums were set up for the cripples and the blind.

DappulaII and Kassapa IV built hospitals both at Anuradapura and Polonnaruwa. Culavansa refers to
the construction of a hospital at Anuradapura by KassapaV(913-923 A.D). This is confirmed by
epigraphical evidence.

Parakramabahu 1(1153 1186 A.D.) best known for the construction of numerous Irrigation works, is
also credited with establishment of hospitals and care of the sick. He built a large hospital "for many
hundred sick people fitted for their sojourn there, and had placed in it, the way described, a
complete collection of all articles for use. There also he gave to each sick person a special slave
(attendant.). "Two of the important officers in his administration were Mahavedana (Chief Physician)
and Sulu Vedana (the Deputy Chief Physician). The royal hospitals were staffed with both male and
female attendants.

Inscriptions belongings to early centuries of the Christian era make numerous references to
physicians and medical facilities. "Vedana " (Physician) appears to have been a respected member of
the community. Grant of medical facilities to Buddhist monks was considered an act of great charity
as evidenced by references to such grants in inscriptions. By the 9th and 10th centuries A.D. there
are references to hospitals; dispensaries to refer at this stage to the view held by some that Sri Lanka
was the first country in the world to have established a hospital in the modern sense of the term.

The slab inscription at Mihintale belonging to the reign of Mahinda IV (956-972 A.D.) is of special
interest to the students of the Ayurveda. It refers to the practice of application of leeches to get rid
of impure blood, a practice followed to this day.

The remains of the monastic hospital at Mihintale of which a detailed description has been given by
Mr. H.C.P. Bell in the Annual Report of the Archaeological Survey of Ceylon for 1910-II provides the
best archaeological evidence of a medieval hospital in Sri Lanka. Of special interest is the
sarcophagus-like trough of stone called "medicine boat" discovered at this place. Such troughs have
also been discovered at Thuparama (in Anuradapura) and at Medirigiriya.

The people of ancient Sri Lanka have exhibited a high degree of technical skill in the matter of
provision of sanitary facilities. There are remains of privies, urinals and bath rooms. There were bath
rooms paved with stoneslabe and provided with well carved basins of stone for washing purposes.

Drainage was carefully planned. At DaladaMaligawa (Temple of the Tooth) in Anuradhapura a drain
to the distance of 400 it has been traced. Dr. Senarat Paranavitharana while studying the
excavations of Parakramabahu'spalace at Panduwasnuwara has discovered a very interesting type of
latrine and urinal with acement floor. The solied water from closet was conducted along a conduit
into a circular brick-built pit lined up with rings of terra cotta.

Meticulous attention was paid to the provision of clean drinking water. This is proved by the remains
of numerous wells discovered. Clean water provided for bathing too. Remains of stone baths are
found in Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Water was brought into these from tanks and channels in
the neighborhood by means of underground pipes of stone or terra cotta. Outlets, made of stone
were provided to empty them when it was necessary.

Great care was exercised in keeping the cities clean. As early as the reign of King Pandukabhaya
(4thcentury B.C.) a special officer called Nagaraguttika was appointed to look into the sanitation and
public safety in the city.Chandalas(People of low caste) were especially employed to clean the
streets and the sewers and to carry corpses.
During the period of the ruler of Sinhalese Kings, Ayurvedasystem of medicine flourished in this
country. It received active royal patronage. The physicians enjoyed a pride of place in society. The
Buddhist temples as the repository of knowledge preserved the religions as well as the medical
texts.

With the establishment of the colonial rule, indigenous arts and sciences were neglected. Ayurveda
received no official support from the rulers. The oriental languages were relegated to the
background. This was a further blow to the Ayurveda as knowledge of Sanskrit is vital to the study of
this system of medicine.

As Gunner Myrdal has said (Asian Drama Vol. III-page 1562) during the period of colonial rule,Most
south East Asians did not have access to modern medical care.It was available mainly to colonial
officials (both civil and military) other Europeans and to a very limited number of native born
persons in upper strata of society. The facilities were however gradually extended to the
plantation.Sri Lanka was however in a comparatively more advanced in this field when compared to
many South East Asian countries. Professional medical training was begun in 1870. At the end of the
colonial rule there was passed from generation to generation.

Though deprived of official support, Ayurveda did not pass from scene. Majority of the people
particularly in the rural areas depended on Ayurveda, for treatment of their illnesses. There were
"traditional" physicians who practiced this system of medicine. Though they lacked the formal
training of a physician, the knowledge they acquired by years of patient study and practical training
was passed from generation to generation.

This was an anomalous situation. The modern system of medicine which was adopted and
encouraged by the government catered only to a small fraction of the population. The indigenous
system which a great majority of the population practiced was not given the due recognition. There
was very little awareness at least higher classes in society, faithfully imitating the West, looked down
upon indigenous culture as something inferior. Even the practitioners of Ayurveda medicine were
referred to by a term generally considered to be derogatory-quite in contrast to the position that
prevailed some centuries previously. Such was the position Ayurveda was reduced to, till the early
years of the present century.

THE REVIVAL OF AYURVEDA

Four centuries of foreign rule had led to a neglect of many aspects of indigenous culture. This was
particularly true of indigenous medicine. Especially during the period of British rule allopathic
medicine was greatly encouraged resulting in a decline and neglect of Ayurveda. From the second
decade of the present century onwards, however there was a movement for revival. This movement
came in the wake of an agitation for political independence. It derived the active support of some of
the national leaders, who succeeded in enlisting the support of the administration for winning some
concessions for the development of Ayurveda.

In 1925 there was a demand by some members of the Legislative Council for the allocation of a sum
of money for the training of Ayurvedic physicians. This was followed by the passing of a resolution
for the appointment of a committee to study the feasibility of this proposal. The Committee
recommended, inter alia, that a Board of Indigenous Medicine be constituted to deal with the
subject of training of physicians, and that a College is set up in Colombo for this purpose with a
hospital and an outdoor dispensary attached to it.

The first Board of Indigenous Medicine constituted in pursuance of this recommendation consisted
of following members. Mr. K. Balasingham (Lowyer and member of the Legislative Council-
Chairman)Mr. A. F. (later Sir Francis) Molamure (subsequent by the speaker of the House of
Representatives) Hon. D. S. Senanayaka (who became the first Prime Minister of Independent Sri
Lanka) Hon. W. A. de Silva (who later became Minister of Health) Mr. (Later Sir) D. B. Jayathillaka
(who became the Leader of the House in the State Council) Mr. Donald Obeysekara (Bar-at-law and
chairman of the Oriental Studies Society) Mr. C. Mthukumara and Mr. M. S. P. Samarasinghe.

All of them are remembered for their untiring efforts to restore Ayurvedato its due place. Two of
them however stand out prominently. They are-Mr. K. Balasingham,due to whose efforts the College
and Hospital at Borella were founded and Mr. Donald Obeysekara who made a significant
contribution for the promotion of Ayurvedic medical education.

The setting up of the College and the Hospital at Borella in 1929 is an important landmark in the
movement for the revival of Ayurvedain this country. Between 1929 and 1961 when the Ayurveda
Act was enacted is a formative period, the major part of which is marked by the role played byb Hon.
S. W. R. D. Bandaranayake. His tenure of office as Prime Minister (1956-1959) gave him an ample
opportunity to work for the upliftment of the indigenous system ofd medicine.

In the field of Ayurveda Hon. S. W. R. D. Bandaranayakeis chiefly remembered for his efforts in
placing the College and the Hospital which were originally state aided organizations under direct
state management, for the provision of administrative machinery for the registration of Ayurvedic
practitioners and for the establishment of the Department for the Development of Indigenous
Medicine.

He also made a substantial contribution to the development of the Ayurvedic curative services by
initiating a programmer of construction of Ayurvedic hospitals under the management of the
Department.
However, it is with the enactment of the Ayurveda Act No. 31 of 1961 that the solid foundation for
the development of Ayurveda can said to have been laid. The legal framework and the
administrative structure brought about as a result of the coming into operation of this Act have been
dealt with in chapter 4.

Since the implementation of this Act the following important steps have been taken.

(1) The establishment of the Department of Ayurveda.

(2) The establishment of the Bandaranaike Ayurvedic Research Institute.

(3) The expansion of the Central Ayurvedic Hospital, Borella and setting up of several hospital and
dispensaries in different parts of the Island.

(4) Increase in the number of dispensaries run by the local authorities and payment of enhanced
financial grant.

(5) The establishment of the Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation

(6) Upgrading the Ayurveda College as an affiliated body of the University of Colombo

(7) The establishment of Boards for compiling the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia and indigenous
prescriptions

(8) Publication of books on Ayurveda

(9) Scheme for the training of traditional Ayurveda physicians

(10) The establishment of the Ministry of Indigenous Medicine as a separate Project Ministry

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

The subjects and functions pertaining to Ayurveda are in the charge of the Ministry of Health. Since
their very inception the Department of Ayurveda, the Ayuvedic Drugs Corporation and the statutory
bodies created under Ayurveda Act have come within the purview of this Ministry.
On the 14th of February 1980 the new project Ministry of Indigenous Medicine was created. To this
Ministry were assigned the supervision and execution of policy in respect of institutions, subjects
and functions categorized under "Ayurvedic Medical Services".

However the Ministry of Health retains control in policy matters and maintains a general supervision
over these activities. In any statute pertaining to Ayurveda in which the term "Ministry" occurs it is
construed as a reference to the Minister of Health. Appointments to statutory bodies under the
Ayurveda Act and the Ayuvedic Drugs Corporation are made by the Minister of Health.

The establishment of a separate Ministry of Indigenous Medicine is regarded as an event of great

significant for the development of Ayurveda in this country. This is the first time a separate Ministry
for Indigenous Medicine was set up anywhere in the world. It is also of interest to note that Hon.
Dharmasena Attygalle, M.P., who was appointed as the first Minister of Indigenous Medicine is a
reputed Ayurvedic Physician, hailing from a family of well known physicians.

There are two institutions under the supervision of the new Ministry: the Department of Ayurveda,,
in charge of the curative services, regulatory functions, research and certain matters pertaining to
Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation engaged in the production and sale of Ayurveda Drugs.

The Department of Ayurveda executes some of the functions assigned to it through its own
administrative network. The rest of the functions are performed through three statuary bodies set
up under the Ayurveda Act, viz: the Ayurvedic Medical Council, Ayurveda Educational and Hospital
Board and the Ayurvedic Research Committee, one non statutory committee, viz: the Ayurveda
Formulary Committee and the Research Institute at Nawinna.

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FAQ

What is ayurveda?

Ayurveda is the system of medicine which support us to healthy and long life.Thus ayurveda totally
means science of life

What are the Diseases for which treatment is available in ayurveda?

Ayurveda has effective treatment for diseases of all systems of the body,of persons of all age
groups.There are special treatment for the diseases of elderly,women and children.Disorders of
nervous system,respiratory system, digestive system,circulatory system,diseases of urinary tract,
metabolism disorders,disorders of reproduction,mental disorders and many more illnesses are
successfully treated with ayurveda.

What are the modes of ayurvedic treatments?

There exists eight divisions of ayurvedic therapeutics namely kayachicitsa (Internal medicine), shalya
(surgery), shalakya (Otorhinolaryngology and Opthalmology), kaumr Bhritya (paediatrics,
gynaecology and obstetrics), agada tantra (toxicology), rasayana (Gerentorology), vajikarana
(Aphrodisiacs) and Bhootavidya (psychiatry).

What is ayurvedic approach to prevention of diseases?

Ayurveda defines health as the state in which the dhatus are in equilibrium if this is disturbed
disease is caused. Therefore the prevention of vitiation of the doshas (humors) is the first step in
prevention of diseases, whether agantu ( exogenous), nija ( endogenous) or manasa ( mental) in
nature.

Does ayurveda have antibiotics?

Antibiotics are substances derived from microorganisms to destroy harmful microorganisms, usually
disease causing bacteria or fungi. There are no antibiotic drugs in Ayurveda as the term denotes in
modern medicine. But the active principles of some herbs, which produce the same effects as
antibiotics are used in the formulation of ayurvedic drugs. Thus infectious diseases ( krimiroga)
which are exogenous ( agantu) were effectively treated even in the pre antibiotic period. But unlike
antibiotics, these drugs helped the patient to develop resistance against the pathogens and were not
intended to attack them

Do ayurvedic drugs have side effects?

Ayurvedic drugs cause neither side effects nor physical or psychological dependence. This is why
ayurvedic treatment is termed shuddhachikitsa a genuine treatment .

Can one take ayurveda medicines with modern medicines?

If not indicated otherwise by the attending physician,ayurveda medicines can generally be taken
along with allopathic medicines.Moreover,ayurveda medicines are used as adjuvant to allopathic
medicines in most of chronic and degenerative diseases.

Does Ayurveda advocate vegetarianism?

The classical texts describe three types of diets- saatvik, rajasik and tamasik, the saatvik diet consists
of leafy vegetable, fresh fruits, milk, curd, butter, honey and so on. The rajasik diet consists of hot
and pungent foods meat, beans and so on. This is suitable only for those who engage in heavy
physical work. A tamasik diet includes fermented and highly spiced foods, curd, wines and so on and
is considered harmful to health. According to Ayurveda, a saatvik diet, moderate physical exercise
and regular practice of yoga help one to maintain good health.

What's the difference between Ayurveda & Western medicine?

Ayurveda treats the person as a whole, taking in to consideration his/her activities and the
environment.
According to Western Medicine the diagnosis is focused mostly on the identification of a disease. In
Ayurveda the diagnosis is much deeper.

10 Why are most ayurvedic treatments time consuming ?

Toxins (ama) that accumulate in the human body take a long time to manifest as some disease, in
the meantime, our body and mind get somewhat habituated to them. Removal of these at one go.
Like the surgical removal of a tumour, is practically impossible besides, it would also go against the
wisdom of the body according to which the immune system works. This is why a comparatively
lengthy purvakarma pradhanakarma paschatkarma mode of therapy has been designed for the
elimination of disease causing factors.