ok INDIAN MATERIA MEDICA (Retd ) stated that “there are a great many indigenous drugs of extreme utility, but little known to students of Western Medtcme” In the course of a xeview of my book “Indian Plant and Drugs” the Indian Medical Gazette said many years ago “As regards the greater uses of Indigenous drugs we think the tendency of Indian practitioners 1s quite the other way. They are too much inclmed to run after the latest drug or new poison cleverly advertised by pushing German and American (I would add here “and other foreign”) firms of drug manu- facturers and if this bock will help to drag the Indian practi- troner from seeking out and using new synthetical preparations wath fancy names and persuade him to go back to the numer- ous useful drugs of his own country at will be of great use and value” Under the circumstances what a boon the Medical Practi- fioners can confer on their patients, especially of the poor and muddle elasses 1f they will only mtelligently employ sunple and efficacious bazaar medicines, in other words, Indian remedies (hundreds of which are to be met with in the pages of this book) in place of costly forergn medteinest And what a saving an intelhgent house-helder will make in his expense, time, trouble and anxiety, if he will have a little more of self. rehance and a little less of the feeling of helplessness in cases of minor complaints of everyday occurence and wth discre- tron, will make use of the numerous, simple, harmless, home- remedies given in thas book! It as a well-known fact that pure fresh vegetable drugs are more powerful in their efficacy than those which have undergone various Laboratory pro- cesses for their preservation and preparation according to Western methods Moreover the extraction of alkaloids by the use of alechol, etc, 19 said by Ayurvedists to desiroy the actual and intrmsie therapeutie activities of the drugs These were the considerations that strongly anmmated me throughout during the preparation of this manual Besides the two crores of rupess which cost to our country year after year for the purpose of importing foreign drugs and prepara- tions, five to six times that amount 1s being exacted as com- potndmg charges from poor and middle classes who, thoughPREFACE xx unable to pay are compelled to do so under the condittons pre+ vailing at present in this country In Append:x HIE I have given a list of “Substitutes for im- ported Foreign drugs” which can be used in heu of the foreign ones To Indians who are brought up on Indian food, soul and climate with Indian habits of life, temperament and en- vironment, Indian drugs naturally suit better and are safer than European medicines which are prepared mainly to suit European constitutions built upon their peculiar food, climate, habits and manners of life This may perhaps be the reason why, in numerous cases where Allopathic treatment fails, md- genous systems of medication succeed In the description of drugs and their preparations I have also mentioned important Ayurvedic and Unani preparations, thezr composition or mode of preparation, uses and doses, and an Appendix VI has been given a description, of the principal forms and methods mm which Ayurvedic medtenes are pre- pared for uses, external and internal Because, these are the preparations m common use in India among Kavirajas and Vaids About the good effects of Ayurvedic treatment a host of distinguished and experienced Anglo-Indian and Indian medical men trained in the western system of medicme, not to say several European and Amertcan Doctors, have spoken lughly To quote a few, the late Sir Charles Pardel Lukis speaking in the Imperial Legislative Council, March 1916, sad —"I resent strongly the spirit of trade unionism which leads many modern doctors to sugmatise all Vaids and Hakims as quacks and charlatans I shall always be proud of the fact that I was privileged to have the friendship of two such trained men as Nawab Shafa-ud-doula of Fyzabad and Maha- mahopadhyaya Byayratna Sen of Calcutta” Speaking on different occasions on Ayurveda he said as follows —“We (Allopaths) are just emerging from the slough of empiricism Personally I would frankly say that 1f I were all, I would pre- fer to be treated by a good vaid or hakim than by a bad dotor” He added—“I am not alone in my opmuon.as regards the value of the indigenous system of medicine If I err I do so m good company arnongst whom I may mention my friend and former colleague Sir Havelock Charles, Col King of Madras and Dr 3xxaiv INDIAN MATERIA MEDICA Turner of Bombay” Also he 1s reported to have stated thus~ —The longer I live in India, the more intimate my connection with Indians, the greater will be my appreciation of the wrs- dom of the ancients and the more I will learn that the West has still much to learn from the East"—(Bnitish Medical Journal, Oct 1918} On another occasion he 1s stated to have sad —“The longer I remain in India and the more I see the country and the people, the more convinced I am that many of the empirical methods of treatment adopted by the Vaids and Halkums are of the greatest value and there is no douvbt whatever that their ancestors knew ages ago many things which are now a days being brought forward as new dis- covenies" He has also said on ancther occasion that “these trained in the western system should learn to unravel the my- steries of the Indigenous system and unearth its hidden trea- sures The truths contamed m them should be studied” The Indian Medical Gazette Nov 1924, says —“It (Ayur- vedic) and not Western Medicme 1s the medicine of the (Indian) people”, and the British Medical Journal, Sept 15th 1924 stated—“the native practitioners perform a useful ser- vice in the villages more especially m the medical side of prac- tice” Dr Geo E Clarke, MA,MD, Philadelphia, writes — “JT would rather trust ancient Hindu practice than the allo- pathic practice of what we are wont to learn mm this enlighten edage If the physicians of the present day would drop from the Pharmacopoeia all the modern drugs and chemeals, and treat their patients according to the method of Charaka, there would be less work for the undertakers and few chronfe m- valids in the world’ Such 1s the efficacy of AyurVeda ac- kmowledged even by the western emment and experienced physiaans Ag regards 2ts popularity even among wealthy classes, Sir Patrick Hehir admits it (Times Educational Sup- plement) and states that “same of the leaders of pure Ayur- yedic practice make considerable fortunes out of their calling and when consulted in up-country cases from the large towns charge heavy fees” Leading Ayurvedic Physicians an urban areas “command princely fees in attending Princes, noblemen and rch people in cases where Allopathy fails” Any number of such recommendations and opinions inPREFACE XxXxXV favour of the Ayurvedic treatment from famous European and American doctors may be quoted, but the above 1s enough 10 convince even the hardened sceptic about the populanty and efficacy of the Ayurvedic system of medicine Ayurvedic or indigenous form of treatment is resorted to by the mass of Indian population Progressive Indian States have given an impetus to the Indigenous Systems of Medieime If only the Medical practitioners in India whe are well-trained in the Western Science of Medicine, take some interest in the use of reputed indigenous remedies or medication m their practice, they wll do a world of good to the poor suffermg mullions in India. To give them all the facrlities of knowledge and in- formation in this matter I have spared no endeavour, as will be evident from the contents of this book Many Indian fruits, grains and vegetables employed as useful dietetic articles have been treated in order to facilitate the study of Indian dietetics, which forms a chief factor in the cure of diseases, as well as the preservation of health and good nutrition Indian drete-therapy 1s as valuable as 1ts medico- therapy and both combined are preferable to Foreign Drug- therapy, in case of Indian Patients To awaken and sustam an interest among the Medical students of the Western System in the indogenous drugs and remedies, I have set apart 101 copies out of this edition for presentation to those who top the hist of successful students m:n the examinations in the Materia Medica subject in the various Medical Colleges and Schools an India In the preparation of this book I have consulted many Works on Ayurvedic or Hindu Medie:me and those treating of the properties and uses of the Indian drugs or Bazaar medi- cines and medieinal plants of India, in the shape of books, bro- chures, periodicals, Govt Reports, Rsearches, Theses, etc, which are too numerous to mention here, to the authors of all these I acknowledge my mmdebtedness I have also to ex- press my grateful thanks to several local and mofusstl Doc- tors and Scientifie Scholars who had so kindly lent to my younger son (A K. Nadkarni) books, magazines, theses etc, for my reference The botanical deserzption of drugs 1s omitted, as the Indian