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4. (ii) Functional aspect of substances (dravya)
It is important to note, that it is the functions and the inherent qualities of a substance, which the Ayurveda holds to be the most essential factors, which any medical system must be aware of in treating diseases. It recognizes, of course, the other aspects of a substance, like the atomic contents, or the structure or the analysis of it, in which the ancient Vaiśeşika system or the modern Western science specializes. The knowledge of these other aspects has its use, no doubt; but the Ayurveda is seen to emphasize the fact, that for its pharmacology the important thing is a knowledge of the specific quality (and not mere quantity) of a substance, its effectiveness (and not merely its structure), its synthetic value (and not merely its analytic content). While the qualities and functions of a substance have to be studied in relation to their effect on the internal organs of the body, a clinical system is absolutely essential in the Ayurvedic medicine. The living and active human body on the one hand, and the innumerable natural substances found in its environment, of which it is itself an individual product on the other, and the mutual reactions of their forces and qualities upon each other becomes thus the central field of study with which Ayurveda is primarily concerned. To elucidate this further, I may quote an interesting and critical observation made by a leading Indian physician in this connection.. He asks: "If only the apparent similarity between the digestive processes in the body and the chemical processes in a laboratory were taken to be the only criterion in deciding questions of comparative biological nutrition and treatment, how shall we explain the striking disparity between the natural foods adoped by the same species of animals, like; a buffalo, an elephant, a tiger, a lion or a pig? The elephant with his huge body lives only on grass and herbs, i.e., is completely vegetarian, and yet it has great strength and intelligence, for which he does not need any meat-eating! If we see, that frogs are relished by serpents and mice by cats and decaying flesh by vultures, we have to conclude, that behind these instinctive nutritional predilections there must be existing some bio-chemical functional differences, which the Ayurveda recognizes as the special biological aptitudes of those ( 8 )
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