Critical Evaluation of Ayurvedic Rasa Pariksha (Gustatory Examination) in Diagnosis and Prognosis of Diseases WSR to Modern Gustometry

Abstract

Ancient Ayurvedic acharyas have described many clinical methods to diagnose the disease. Rasa Pariksha (Gustatory examination) is one of them. Acharya Charaka, described this test in Vimansthana and Indriyasthana separately. The sense of taste and smell are related to each other as both use same type of receptors. There are two aspects of gustatory examination. One is about the taste of body fluids as and another is loss or alteration of taste on tongue. Acharya Charaka, is of the view that, although Gustation is sensory subject, but while testing the taste of various body fluids like urine, sweat, stool etc, it should be tested by inference. For e.g. the sweetness of urine (glycosuria) may be tested by observing the ants to it. By observing the flies on patient’s body physician should assume sweet taste of the body (hyperglycemia). If there is doubt of disease being Raktapitta (coagulopathy), the little amount of blood should be fed to either dog or crow. If they taste it then it is the pure blood. If they do not intend to taste it then it is the Rakta-Pitta. In Ayurveda, animal model was developed to test the taste. It is observed and concluded that, Ayurvedic Rasa pariksha is helpful in diagnosing and prognosing the diseases. As per modern medical science, the four taste qualities, sweet (with sucrose), salty (with sodium chloride), sour (with citric acid), and bitter (with quinine hydrochloride) are assessed. Modern gustometry methods such as • Magnitude Matching • Spatial Testing • Electrogustometry may be used to test the particular loss of taste.