A review on the principles of Rasa Shastra in Indian System of Medicine and its homology with Modern Chemical Processes

Abstract

Ayurveda medicine is one of the oldest holistic healing sciences it was developed around 3000 years ago. Different branches of science were nurtured by it like biology, genetics, microbiology, clinical medicine, surgery, astronomic, pharmaceutics and metallurgy etc. In Ayurveda system of medicine various formulations have been described in the traditional literature, which adopted the processes which are quite similar to the processes used today in modern medicine for formulation of various dosage forms to get the desired effect for the optimum period. Science and technology in ancient and medieval India covered all the major branches of human knowledge and activities. In any, early civilization, metallurgy has remained an activity central to all civilizations from the Bronze Age and the Iron Age, to all other civilizations that followed. Various chemicals like common salt, alkali, borax, and compounds of elements Cu, Fe, Hg and Au were used as well as techniques for making of the alloys were also very common. The applicability of natural preservatives like oil, sugar, salt were also very much known in ancient time. However, the terms used as stated in traditional literature were not similar to the modern times. Also, the acidic and alcoholic fermented products were prepared very commonly.