nurturing traditions

outlook

The Siddha System of Medicine

Krishnamachary

he siddha system
of medicine is one of
the ancient systems
of medicine found
in South India near
Kanyakumari in
Tamil Nadu. The term siddha means
achievements and Siddhars are those
who have achieved perfection in the
medicine. Eighteen Siddhars are
said to have contributed towards the
systematic development of this system
and recorded their experience in Tamil
language.

Siddha like all other

traditional medical systems
gave way to biomedicine
some 300 years back.
Revival happened and
institutionalized education
started in the middle of
the twentieth century
NGOs in different regions
of country carry out field
based research and other
university departments on
medicinal plants, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology,
and State public health
Department also carry
out field based research
activities to promote the
Siddha system

The Siddha system of medicine

emphasizes on the patient, environment,
age, sex, race, habits, mental frame
work, habitat diet, appetite, physical
condition, physiological constitution
of the disease for its treatment
which is individualistic in nature.
Diagnosis of the disease is done
through examination of pulse (ratio
of Vatham, Pitham, Kapam etc),
urine, eyes, study of voice, colour
of the body, tongue and status of
the digestion of individual patient.
System has unique treasure for the
conversion of metals and minerals as
drug and many infective disease are
treated with the medicines containg
specially processed mercury, silver,
arsenic, lead and sulphur without any
side effects.
The strength of the Siddha system
lies in providing very effective
therapy for Psoriasis, Rheumatic

disorders, Chronic liver disorders,

benign prostate hypertrophy, bleeding
piles, peptic ulcer including various
kind of dermatological disorders of
non-psoriatic nature.
Varman (Pressure Manipulating
therapy) is special kind of treatment
in Siddha system and specific points
being manipulated by pressure with
the figure and the pain is relieved and
the restricted movement becomes free
and active.
Thokkanam is another type of
treatment which includes applying oil
on the area of swelling and pain and
massaging so that the neuromuscular
and musculoskeletal pain and swelling
is relieved.
The Siddha system of medicine
is very popular in Tamil Nadu and
most of the Primary Health Centres
and Government Hospitals are having
Siddha wing and this system of
medicine to be utilized throughout
India by opening Siddha Wing
throughout the country.
During the last six decades, there
has been continuous development
in Siddha medical education and
this has led to the establishment of
the National Institute of Siddha at
Chennai as apex institute having six
specialities in post graduate teaching
leading to the award of M.D. (S)
Degree. These are Maruthuvam

The author is Joint Adviser in the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.

YOJANA June 2015

55

(General Medicine), Sirappu

Maruthuvam (Special Medicine),
Kuzanthai Maruthuvam (Paediatrics),
Gunapadam (Pharmacology), Noi
Nadal (Pathology) and Nanju
Nool & Maruthuvam Neethinool
(Toxicology).
For the development of focused
research in Siddha system of medicine,
Govt. has constituted Central Council
for Research in Siddha (CCRS), an
autonomous body under the Ministry
of AYUSH, Govt. of India.
Education
Siddha like all other traditional
medical systems gave way to
biomedicine some 300 years back.
Revival happened and institutionalized
education started in the middle of the
twentieth century. Diplomas were
awarded in the presidency of Madras
and medical registration based on
hereditary training was awarded.
An integrated course along with
allopathic training was in vogue till
1960. Subsequently an exclusive
college affiliated to university of
Madras was started at Palayamkottai
in Thirunelveli district of Tamil nadu
in 1964. Medical degree Bachelor
of Indian Medicine (BIM-Siddha)
with five and half years duration was
awarded. This college now conducts
post- graduate courses with three
years duration in five branches. The
other college at Chennai also conducts
both graduate and postgraduate
courses leading to Bachelor of Siddha
Medicine and Surgery and Doctor of
Medicine. (Siddha). Two colleges are
run by the government of Tamil nadu
and are affiliated to The Tamil nadu
Dr. M.G.R. Medical University,
Chennai. There are five private siddha
colleges in Tamil nadu and one in
Kerala. The National Institute of
Siddha imparts postgraduate training.
Around three hundred Graduates and
100 Post graduates pass out every
year.
More Specialty branches like
external therapies including Varmam
(Sirappumaruthuvam), Pathology
56

(Noi Nadal), Toxicology, (Nanju

Maruthuvam) and Pediatrics
(Kuzhanthai Maruthuvam), were
established in Post graduation of
Siddha medicine. The curriculum is
based on the one laid down by the
,Central Council of Indian Medicine,
New Delhi. (An autonomous body
formed under the I.M.C.C. ACT
1970.) University of Jaffna in Srilanka
also imparts graduate training in
Siddha medicine.
Govt. of India strictly implements
the qualifying norms for new colleges
and new specialization with the
objective of improving teaching
standards and also broad based review
of curriculum and syllabus which
includes modern sciences like Micro
biology, Medical Biochemistry,

Siddha like all other traditional

medical systems gave way to
biomedicine some 300 years
back. Revival happened and
institutionalized education started
in the middle of the twentieth
century. Diplomas were awarded
in the presidency of Madras and
medical registration based on
hereditary training was awarded.
Pharmacology, Toxicology and
Modern medicine. New diploma
course in integrated ISM pharmacy
and Nursing therapists to provide
well trained Para-medics for treatment
centers both in public and private
sector has been started in Tamil
Nadu. Currently, Internees are posted
to primary health centers to enable
them in delivering primary care after
completion and train them to work in
rural environment.
Ministry of AYUSH provides
financial support for conducting
Continuing Medical Education
program for teachers and for Govt.
P h y s i c i a n s . Yo u n g p h y s i c i a n s
undergo Training under Guru-Sishya
programme.
To start new Siddha Medical
College where Siddha Medical

College is not available, the Ministry

of AYUSH is sanctioning the college
and giving 10 crores for construction
of the college. Taking this opportunity,

the private management and the state

governments may start new Siddha
medical colleges in their areas.
Research
An apex body for research was
formed exclusively for Siddha,
Central Council of research in Siddha
which was earlier apart of CCRAS.
This autonomous council has one
central research institute for siddha
and regional Research institutes and
two units like survey of medicinal
plants unit and Clinical research
units.
Research is focused on clinical
research, literary research, drug
development and standardization
and Fundamental research. Apart
from central council the state dept
has also established centers for
Research in diseases like AIDS,
Cancer, Diabetes, Asthma, Infertility.
MultiDisciplinary research are
being carried out inidentifying new
health benefits for known drugs and
known benefits from so far unknown
drugs. Dermatological and Neuroskeletal muscular Disorders have
Been effectively treated. Clinical
research shows the Efficacy of various
Siddha formulations in Anti-natal
care/Post natalcare, Anemia, HIV,
Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis,
Psoriasis, cancer, Polycystic ovarian
disease and fibroid uterus.
Research organizations currently
focusing on child survival to
reduce the infant mortality, Safety
profile of Herbomineral drugs,
YOJANA June 2015

Drug standardization, Endangered

Siddha plants conservation and
multiplication, Literary research
and survey and documentation of
Traditional knowledge. Research
organizations in India which carry
out research are the Central Research
Institute for Siddha, three Postgraduate colleges of Siddha, Private
universities with grants from Dept
of AYUSH, Department of BioTechnology and Department of
Science and Technology.
NGOs in different regions of
country carry out field based research
and other university departments on
medicinal plants, Phyto-chemistry,
Pharmacology, and State public health
Department also carry out field based
research activities to promote the
Siddha system.
Manufacture
As many as six hundred units
mostly in the tiny sector and a few
in small scale sector are engaged
in the manufacture of Siddha
medicine. Government of Tamil
nadu pharmacies at Chennai and
Thirunelveli manufacture medicine
for the requirement of government
hospitals. The major Siddha Industries
in Tamil nadu are Indian Medical
Practitioners Cooperative Pharmacy
and Stores (IMPCOPS), SKM
Siddha and Siddha Pharmaceuticals,
Lakshmi Seva Sangh and Tamil nadu
Medicinal Plants Corporation Limited
(TAMPCOL) has consistently paid.
Each one of the above industry
has increased their production /
packaging capacity. Most of them have
excess capacity for future growth.
Rest of them are in the process of
improving capacity. Interestingly
most of them are manufacturers of
Classical formulations and increase
the number of Retail outlets and also
sales. Good manufacturing. Practice
(GMP) was implemented in 2002
and is mandatory for all AYUSH drug
manufacturing units. Sophisticated
Instrumentation Labs for analysis
are being established by companies.
There are four independent Third
YOJANA June 2015

party labs for testing quality standards

with expertise in Siddha.
Formulation testing
GMP education is carried out for
continuous quality improvement both
by Govt. bodies and Manufacturers
Association. Manufacture and sale
of Siddha medicine are regulated by
the state licensing authorityISM and
technical inputs for the formulations
are given by a competent authority
of the state directorate of Indian
medicine. The Drug and Cosmetics
Act of 1940 with various amendments
to it with specific reference to Siddha
is applicable to it.
Siddha in Global context
Siddha system of medicine is
also patronized extensively, more

Siddha system of medicine is

also patronized extensively, more
particularlyin Tamil speaking
countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore,
Malaysia, Mauritius and some
parts of Indonesia. The internet,
Social media and electronic
media particularly the Tamil
Television channels have created
an awareness among the Tamil
diaspora.
particularly in Tamil speaking
countries like Sri Lanka, Singapore,
Malaysia, Mauritius and some parts of
Indonesia. The internet, Social media
and electronic media particularly
the Tamil Television channels have
created an awareness among the
Tamil diaspora. Siddha system could
be practiced in any part of the world
as it stresses food as the basis for
health and even most of the remedies
for common ailments that affect
human being could be managed with
many spices used in kitchen and
adoption of healthy food habit based
on individuals body types, season
and health status. It has provided
simple lifestyle based practices
like breathing exercise, meditation
practice appropriate postural practice

for unison of body and mind. Yet

another advantage of siddha for
its universal utility is its branch of
Physical manipulation of Varma
and thokanam, which are carried
out by trained skillfully proficient
practitioners manually without drugs
or instruments particularly in case of
trauma or postural disorders and for
pain management.
Cost effectiveness
The Cost of drug and treatment
procedures are much less and are
affordable to vast majority of the
people of the developing countries
where universal health insurance
or public health delivery is in
adequate.
Ye t s t r e n g t h o f t h e S i d d h a
system is in the area of diagnosis,
particularly the pulse diagnosis which
is predominantly dependant on the
clinical acumen of the practitioner
and could be carried out in any
location and precise. It does not
require a great clinical laboratory or
costly instruments.
Most of the drugs based on food
ingredients, spices and plants are
proven to be safe in general. And
even in case of inorganic such as
coral, pearl oyster, conch shell cowrie
shells and processed calcinated
copper, zinc are safe in the micro
particulate state and dose levels.
Patenting of procedures
There are certain unique external
therapy procedures in Siddha
medicine like Varma which is slowly
gaining national attention. There
is a need to validate, standardize
these procedures before they are
patented. Like some postures of yoga
asanas being patented there is every
chance that these procedures are
also patented. So the CCRS is taking
special interest in standardizing and
patenting.
Crosspathy : Issues and
Challenges
There is a felt need among siddha
physicians who run clinics in remote
57

locations as well as the ones who man major hospitals that

they should be allowed to use some of the bio-medicine.
Since many patients come to Siddha treatment once they
find no alternative or in terminal illness, siddha physicians
feel it is their responsibility to provide pain relief, protect
patients from acute distress and prevent sudden death.
Now many cardiologists themselves recommend high risk
individuals to keep certain medications in their pockets
and use to prevent damage in ischemic heart disease. The
argument of these doctors arise from the fact that they
are taught in Human anatomy, physiology, Biochemistry,
Microbiology and pharmacology in their Siddha course
and also trained in Teaching hospitals in obstetrics. They
are not seeking complete use of bio-medicine. Moreover
in Tamilnadu, Allopathy and siddha are collocated in
Primary health Centres. In centres where there are only
one Allopath and one Siddha physician, on days allopath
is either on leave or on field work, Siddha physicians
are forced to attend patients who seek bio-medicine.
Since in remote hilly regions Allopaths hesitate to work
siddha physicians are forced to use bio-medicine. In most
medium sized hospitals even in metros there is a scarcity of
biomedicine trained physicians for night calls and siddha
physicians do the role. This challenge could be overcome
by bridge course for Siddha physicians.
Government Efforts
Both the Government of India and Tamil nadu State
Government have a policy to promote Siddha medicine
and are taking efforts to mainstream this system in
public health delivery. Various Institutions have been
established by the government and regulations are in place
for ensuring better quality of health care. WHO on its
part has initiated lot of efforts for strengthening various
components of system. Through Central Sector Scheme
and Centrally Sponsored Scheme, Public Health initiative
Scheme of Government of India, Ministry of AYUSH
Siddha Projects are carried out throughout India.
In central Government, Siddha physician are selected
through UPSC and posted in Central Government Health
Scheme Wellness Centre throughout India.
Increasing Popularity Abroad
Siddha System of Medicine is more popular in Sri
Lanka where Siddha Medical Colleges and Hospitals
are available. The system is also popular in Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand where Siddha Hereditary Physicians
and Qualified Physicians are Practicing and doing noble
services.

YE-39/2015

Realising the above value of Siddha system of

medicine, the noble system should be utilized further
nationally and internationally for the welfare of the human
q
beings.
(E-mail:dr.krishnamachariravi@yahoo.in)
58

YOJANA June 2015