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Medical Sciences in Jaina Canons : (223)
medical practices and seven surgical ones. This suggests medical treatment to be more prevalent. Ugrāditya mentions sixty such practices - a notable development over the canonical period. Most of these are used today with a little better fineness. Different Types of Medicines
The medicines mentioned in the canons belong to the ten categories: (a) Different parts of medicinal plants. (b) Extracts or decoctions of plants, (c) Minerals and metal-formed (d) Dried plants or their parts,
compounds, (e) Mixtures of varying number of (1) Medicinally smoking compounds constituents,
of varied nature, (g) Spirituous decoctions and extracts. (h) Skins of animals (ram, hyena,
tiger) with or without hairs (for flatulence, paralysis and
leprosy), (i) Urines (for snake bites); rice (i) Specially prepared oils (for powder and honey (for fistula),
massaging or anointing) The medicines are supposed to be effective only when given in proper quantity and for stipulated time. It seems that the last category and 'g' also, above contains small amounts of alcohols, but it is presumed to be harmful or un-usable in practice. Moreover, the canons do not make any reference to mercury except in Prajñāpanā and Jivājīvābhigama ", which are taken as later compositions. This means that medical use of mercury is a post-canonical phenomenon.
The canons mention evil spirits and demigods. It seems that demonology was one of the important learnings of those days. It is also a section of Ayurveda and Prāṇāvāya. The demonical diseases are defined as those, which are incurable, by any type of medical treatment. They are supposed to be caused by eighteen different types of demigods." The irreligious, deceitful and lonely people do suffer from these diseases. These could be treated by re-directing and strengthening the inner energy by incantational, meditational and austere practices. Per chance, the general and mastered medicines are not effective in such cases. The medical practitioner of canonical age was, thus, required to be proficient in demonology also. Currently these are treated as psychological depressions and meditation etc. are taken as means to improve them. The village-India still believes in these diseases.
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