The Portuguese were the first who introduce the European system of medicine in India. Initially, they came as ship physicians and surgeons. Later, at the city ports of Gujarat the British, the French and Italian physicians came. With their arrival a new system of medicine was introduced. Nonetheless, in the initial stage it was they who benefitted more from the Indigenous systems rather than the other way round. One of the early trained European to land in India was Garcia da Orta who lived and worked in Goa (1538-68).The Linschotin account here mentioned about the various medicinal plants and their uses.There were interaction between these two systems divided into three phases.
Table of Contents
1. Diseases and Medicine in 17th and 18th Century India: Interactions between Indian and European System of Medicine
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary research objective of this paper is to analyze the historical knowledge regarding diseases and medical treatments in India during the 17th and 18th centuries. It specifically aims to examine the levels of interaction and dialogue between followers of the indigenous Indian medical system and the Western medical knowledge introduced by European practitioners during the colonial period.
- Historical analysis of European physicians and travelers in 17th and 18th century India.
- Comparative perspectives on Indian versus Western medicinal practices and surgical skills.
- The role and influence of early European hospitals in India.
- Documentation and usage of indigenous herbs, plants, and medicinal stones.
- The evolution of the relationship between Western and Indian medical systems across three distinct historical phases.
Excerpt from the Book
Diseases and Medicine in 17th and 18th Century India: Interactions between Indian and European System of Medicine.
The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in India appears to be a period of interactions between the Indian and European system of medicine. It was the period when a number of European physicians visited India. An example can be given of Francois Bernier, Niccolao Manucci, Garcia da O’rta, John Ovington, John Fryer, Hemilton and Linschoten who not only wrote extensively on medical practices of India but also reveal the knowledge which was known and practiced by them. They also wrote about the climate and conditions of people during the period of their stay. It should, however, not be forgotten that many of these ‘European physicians’ who came to India were self-taught and learned and not exactly ‘men of medicine’.
A case in point can be Niccolao Manucci, who himself admitted his limited knowledge of the medicinal science. They came to India attracted by the new opportunities, which India offered. However these European ‘physicians’ have left behind their comments, which help us get a better understanding of the medical knowledge as it was known and practiced in India. In this paper an attempt is being made to analyse the knowledge of diseases and medicines as it was known in India as well as to understand the levels of interactions between the followers of the Indian system of medicine and the Western knowledge as introduced by these “mercenary” Western practitioners of medicine.
Summary of Chapters
Diseases and Medicine in 17th and 18th Century India: Interactions between Indian and European System of Medicine: This chapter provides an introductory overview of the medical landscape in colonial India, highlighting the arrival of various European travelers and their observations of local practices.
Keywords
Medical History, Colonial India, Indigenous Medicine, European Physicians, Humoral Medicine, Pharmacology, Bezoar Stone, Hospitals, 17th Century, 18th Century, Intercultural Exchange, Medical Science, Traditional Remedies, Surgery, Anatomy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this research paper?
The paper explores the interaction between the indigenous Indian medical system and Western medicine during the 17th and 18th centuries in India.
What are the central themes addressed in this study?
The central themes include the accounts of European travelers regarding Indian medical practices, the establishment of early hospitals, the utilization of local herbs and stones, and the changing dynamics between Western and Indian medical knowledge.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The goal is to analyze how knowledge of diseases and medicines existed in India and to document the level of interaction between Indian practitioners and Western medical influences.
Which scientific methodology does the paper employ?
The paper utilizes a historical analysis methodology, primarily relying on archival accounts, travelogues, and colonial reports from the 17th and 18th centuries to examine the medical landscape.
What topics are covered in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the observations of figures like Manucci and Bernier, the efficacy of indigenous treatments, the role of European-run hospitals, and the evolution of medical theory over three distinct phases.
Which keywords best describe the focus of this work?
The paper is characterized by terms such as Medical History, Colonial India, Indigenous Medicine, Humoral Theory, and Cross-cultural Medical Exchange.
How did European travelers generally perceive Indian medical skills?
Early European travelers often held a skeptical or disparaging view, frequently describing Indian practitioners as lacking formal anatomical knowledge or professional rigor, though their accounts provide invaluable data on local practices.
What was the significance of the "Bezoar stone" in this context?
The Bezoar stone (or Snake stone) was highly sought after by Europeans as a fashionable remedy for various ailments, including snake bites and fevers, despite later 18th-century scientific challenges to its efficacy.
How did the relationship between Indian and Western medicine change over time?
The relationship evolved from an initial phase of mutual curiosity and learning to a period of growing divergence, characterized by the Western emphasis on modern anatomy and physical sciences versus the traditional Indian humoral approach.
What was the status of hospitals in India during this period?
Hospitals, initially established by colonial powers like the Portuguese, French, and English, served as sites for treating soldiers and Europeans, while also functioning as institutions where various indigenous and Western medical treatments were observed and documented.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Mumtaz Alam (Autor:in), 2011, Diseases and Medicine in 17th and 18th Century India. Interactions between Indian and European System of Medicine, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/182021
