The Science of Life
Ayurveda or Unani – call it what you will – both the practices use nature as the centre of their healing process. The two medical practices rely on a holistic understanding of the human life and try to connect the body's constitution and life forces with nature. The Star Magazine looks at how Sadhana Aushadhalaya and Hamdard Laboratories Bangladesh, two of the biggest herbal medicine producers in the country, aim to keep the practice of natural medicine alive in today's world of quick cures and instant gratification.
The Origin
Thousands of years ago, the 17th incarnation of Lord Vishnu descended to the worldly realms with the sole purpose of spreading the 'knowledge of life.' Dhanvantari, usually depicted in images with medical herbs in one hand and a pot in another, was the physician of the gods but his source of medicine was one that came from earthly means. Nature was his muse, and he made full use of this abundant source by using herbs to treat both celestial beings and mortals.
In a more material setting, Dhanvantari was said to be an early Indian medical practitioner and one of the first surgeons of the world, whose knowledge of herbal based cures and natural remedies earned him a coveted position as one of the 'Nine Gems' in the court of Indian ruler Vikramaditya. This was the beginning of Ayurveda – the science of life.
Whatever the story of origin may be, Ayurveda was clearly a product of India while Unani, a similar branch of natural healing, was originally based on the teachings of Greek physician Hippocrates, who struggled all his life to free medicine from the clutches of superstition and magic to give it the status of science. It was then developed as a modern healing system by Hakim Ibn Sina, and became a fully operational and flourishing medical system under the patronage of the Mughal Empire in India.
Over time, the two medical practices have almost become interchangeable. Both Unani and Ayurveda use herbs and plants in healing patients. Both focus on the four elements of nature – earth, water, fire, and air – which affect the human body in different ways. Both Ayurveda and Unani use natural forces of the body to maintain the symmetry of the different spheres of a person's life, and bring back proper health.
From Generation to Generation
Even on a hartal day, Sadhana Aushadhalaya has a steady stream of customers coming in to consult the in-house kobiraaj or ayurvedic practitioners, to ask advice on complaints ranging from a simple toothache to heart ailments. There's never an off-day for the flagship Shadhana medicine store in Old Dhaka, situated next to the factory of the famous herbal medicine manufacturers, says practitioner Chitta Ranjan Das.
“We have devoted clients whose trust on Sadhana is inherited from their parents and grandparents. And we also have clients who have become regulars after having our medicines only once,” says Das, who has been with Shadhana since 2009.
Mohammad Nazrul, a sub-inspector, came all the way from Gazipur to Old Dhaka just to get his mother checked by the practitioners at Sadhana. “I have heard from friends and relatives that Sadhana's medicines can work wonders for every kind of illness. My mother suffers from arthritis and weak bones and we've tried the 'Western' medicines but they don't seem to be doing much good. We've just started the treatment prescribed by the kobiraaj here, and my mother says that she can already notice slight difference in her health.”
Sadhana Aushadhalaya was founded by the martyred Ayurveda physician and philanthropist Jogesh Chandra Ghosh in 1914. Ghosh was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and was also a member of the American Chemical Society. His aim in forming the herbal medical drugstore was to promote natural remedies and offer affordable, accessible medicine to the poor people of the country.
“Even when his family left Dhaka for India during the Liberation War, Jogesh Chandra Ghosh stayed back, as he considered the country to be his own. He didn't want to leave behind Sadhana which he had founded with so much love, and resisted the call of his family to flee the land,” says 88-year ayurvedic practitioner Rai Mohan Banik, who has been working with Shadhona for 60 odd years.
The decision to go against the wishes of his family, and remain in Dhaka proved to be fatal for Ghosh. During the East Pakistan genocide in 1964, Ghosh had sheltered several Bengali Hindu families of his neighbourhood in Sadhana's factory in Gandaria. In 1971, when the Pakistani Army began a systematic murder of the intellectual population of the country, all the Hindu staff of the drugstore fled the country to seek refuge in India but Ghosh was adamant about his decision to stay back. On April 4, the Pakistani occupying forces stormed the factory premises and charged the 84-year old Ghosh with providing shelter to rebels before shooting him dead.
His son, Dr Naresh Chandra Ghosh, revived Shadhana Aushadhalaya after the end of the Liberation War. Currently, the factory is run by Jogesh Chandra Ghosh's granddaughters who live in Kolkata but visit the factory from time to time to ensure its smooth operation.
“Ghosh resisted the oppression of the Pakistani occupation army in his own way till his last breath. He might be long gone but his contribution to medicine lives on through Sadhona. Even now, our oldest clients are moved to tears whenever they talk about his benevolence or recall the brutal manner in which he was killed,” says Banik.
While talking about the benefits of Ayurveda, Banik explains that the basic principle of the practice is to treat patients after acquiring a holistic understanding of the mind, body and spirit. As nature is the driving force of every life, it will also help us fight against various diseases, he adds. Treatment is offered after the practitioners are able to identify the basic source of the ailment, and then patients are treated accordingly.
Different kinds of herbal plants and trees are cut and processed in Sadhana's factories, and then used to form tonics or tablets where natural components such as cardamom, cinnamon cumin, cloves, bay leaves and even raisins are added. Hygiene is of utmost importance in ayurvedic practice, says Banik as he stresses on the importance of regular bathing, skin care and oral hygiene.
When asked about the most popular medicines offered by Sadhana, Chitta Ranjan Das pulls out a list of names that are in huge demand by regular clients. “Dashamula Risht, a health tonic is extremely popular especially during the winter. It helps with immunity and reinvigorates the body, and is completely natural. We use different parts of ten trees including the wood apple tree, parul, briotti and several others. Our trademark Chawanprash is an all-time favourite, and even now mothers frequent our stores to buy it for their school-going kids,” says Das.
As Das continues to talk about the different ways trees and plants can be used as cures, a man rushes in and complains that the medicine that he was given for his gastric was not working even though it's been a couple of weeks. “Do you have diabetes?” Das asks sternly. The man nods sheepishly and is chided by Das who says that one needs to disclose every medical condition to the kobiraaj if they want ayurvedic treatment to work. “Thank God, there are no side-effects of ayurveda,” he says with a smile before attending to the patient who listens with rapt attention to everything the kobiraaj has to say.
Quality at All Cost
42-year-old Brishti Khan is a regular client of Hamdard's. Her mother use to get herbal medicines from here when Brishti was a child and she hopes to continue with the tradition.
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“It all started with my grandparents who relied heavily on Hamdard for every ailment, be it big or small. I've seen that their medicines work even in situations where tradition allopathic medicines fail. I might be a modern working mother but when it comes to medicine, I'm all for herbal medicines which, in my judgement, have far-lasting benefits when compared to allopathic treatments,” she says.
Hamdard has been around for 106 years, and is still running strong. It was founded by Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed who set up a small herbal shop in Delhi in 1906. In 14 years, the small shop turned to one of the largest herbal medicine producers in the world. Before his death in 1922, Majeed willed that Hamdard be donated to the Waqf boards, and eventually his will was followed. At present, Hamdard is run in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh with each country having its own board of trustees appointed by the Waqf Council of the respective country.
After his death, his sons, Hakim Abdul Hameed and Hakim Mohammed Said saw to the running of Hamdard for sometime before handing over the reins to the Waqf boards of the three countries.
“Hakim Hafiz Abdul Majeed imbibed some principles that are followed by every member of Hamdard even today,” says Dr Hakim Md Yousuf Harun Bhuiyan, Managing Director of Hamdard Laboratories (Waqf) Bangladesh. “His main aim was to promote the preservation of the eastern tradition of herbal medicine as a science rather than just a culture. He could have continued making profits and his children could also defy the wishes of their father and thrived on the sales of Hamdard's products, but Majeed wanted to serve the people selflessly and that's what he taught his children as well,” says Bhuiyan.
Traditionally, Hamdard would only offer Unani medicines but over the years they've changed their stance by manufacturing ayurvedic medicines as well. Under the leadership of Dr Hakim Md Yousuf Harun Buiyan, Hamdard has been successful in employing physicians of modern medicine as well as kobiraaj and hakims, and use their expertise “to bridge the gap between traditional medicine and modern medicine.”
“Today, even the Western world is in awe of our traditional eastern way of treatment. They are spending millions on researching on how to enhance their knowledge of the curative powers of herbs and plants,” says Bhuiyan.
Bhuiyan cites his own example to explain the healing powers of natural herbs and plants. “When I was younger, I was suffering from high fever. I remember shivering and shuddering continuously and this continued for some time. A relative, who had some understanding of Unani treatment, visited me with a concoction of some herbs and plants, and asked me to drink the mixture. Within minutes I started to feel better and within days, I was completely fine,” he says.
Even though the interest in Unani medicine is on the rise, Bhuiyan says that a lack of government support is hindering further growth and preservation of traditional medical practices like Unani and Ayurveda. Hamdard has already established a university with a Faculty for Natural Sciences and has founded several colleges around the country but without proper government support further growth is difficult, says Bhuiyan.
Hamdard, however, will continue to promote traditional medicine practices with or without the support of the government, says Bhuiyan “Our commitment is to our customers, who blindly trust our products. And our goal is to offer them the best products at an affordable rate,” he concludes.
Being Natural
The Western world might term these practices as 'alternative medicine' but the use of nature for treatment has been an intrinsic, unique part of our culture since time immemorial. Herbal tonics are the medicines that our mothers would buy from stores like Shadhana Aushudhaloy or Hamdard to immunise us against ailments. As we grow older, we start seeking instant relief and fast cures, and in that process we seem to have forgotten how traditional plants can still act in a far more effective way of staying healthy.
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Know Your Dosha
According to Ayurveda, the characteristic personality of an individual is determined by a combination of three 'Doshas' or bodily humors that make up one's constitution - Vata, Pitta and Kapha. An individual's health, diseases, cure for any disease etc are governed by these three doshas. Each person has all three Doshas, but usually one or two dominate. Knowing your type can help you understand what foods, exercises, and lifestyle elements can support and nurture your health and which ones can cause imbalance.
Vata
Elements: Air and Space
Vatas tend to be small and thin. They have dry, rough skin and dry hair. Their primary organ is the colon. They are usually restless but highly creative and imaginative. Vatas don't like the cold and are wont to prefer warm food over frozen or driend foods.
When in balance, Vata promotes creativity and flexibility. Out of balance, Vata produces fear and anxiety. Physical ailments connected to the air element, such as emphysema, pneumonia and arthritis, are predominant when Vatas become imbalanced.
In order to be balanced, Vatas need to keep warm and maintain calmness, avoid raw, cold foods, stay out of cold weather and keep a regular routine, avoiding strenuous activities. Yoga, Tai chi, walking and swimming can be ideal forms of exercise.
Sweet berries, fruits, small beans, rice, and all nuts and dairy products are good food choices for Vata types.
Optimum meal times: breakfast at 7am, lunch at noon, a snack at 4pm and a full dinner at 6pm.
Pitta
Elements: Fire and Water
Pittas tend to be of medium build, strong with straight or thinning hair. Their primary organs are the small intestine and stomach. Pittas have a sharp mind, are determined and can and retain information easily. Patas generally don't like the hot weather or humidity.
When in balance, Pitta promotes intelligence and understanding. Out of balance, Pitta produces anger and jealousy. Physical ailments connected to the fire element, such as fevers, inflammatory diseases, skin rashes, ulcers, and jaundice, are predominant.
In order to be balanced, Pittas should avoid excessive heat, oil and steam while limiting the intake of salt, excessively oily or fried food as well as caffeine, alcohol, and red meat. Pitas should also exercise daily and try to get plenty of fresh air.
Eat fresh vegetables and fruits that are watery and sweet, especially cherries, mangoes, cucumbers, water melon, and avocado.
Optimum meal times: breakfast at 7am, lunch at noon, a snack at 3 pm and dinner at 6 pm.
Kapha
Elements: Water and Earth
Kaphas tend to be of a larger build than both Vatas and Pittas. Their primary organ is the chest. Kaphas have oily skin and thick hair. They are calm, have strength and a reflective thought pattern. Kaphas dislike damp and cold weather but they could benefit from going to bed early and rising early in the morning.
When in balance, kapha promotes endurance, strength, calmness and forgiveness. Out of balance, kapha produces greed and envy. Physical ailments connected to the water element, such as congestion, sinusitis, lethargy, weight gain, diabetes or water retention are predominant.
In order to be balanced, Kaphas should stay active and get plenty of exercise, avoid fried, oily foods, dairy and iced drinks and sweets. They should eat plenty of fresh vegetables and break from their routine periodically.
Tea with dried ginger and lemon is a great stimulant for Kaphas.
Optimum meal times: breakfast at 8am to 9am, lunch at 1pm, a snack at 4 pm and dinner at 6pm.
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