Traditional Indian systems of medicine
India’s traditional medicine systems have evolved over thousands of years, rooted in holistic principles and closely linked to the country’s cultural and spiritual heritage. The most prominent among these are Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga, and various folk traditions.
Ayurveda originated during the Vedic period and emphasizes balance between three doshas—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Foundational texts like the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita detail diagnostic methods, therapies, and surgical techniques. Sushruta, often regarded as the “Father of Surgery”, described procedures like nasal reconstruction and cataract surgery.
Siddha medicine, practiced mainly in Tamil Nadu, uses herbs, minerals, and alchemical methods, and traces its origins to sages like Agastya. Unani medicine, introduced during medieval Islamic rule, is based on the four-humor theory and was expanded in India by physicians like Hakim Ajmal Khan. Naturopathy integrates traditional Indian practices such as fasting, mud therapy, and hydrotherapy.
Traditional healers—vaidyas and hakims—served as community healthcare providers, passing down knowledge through oral traditions and manuscripts.
During the British Raj, these systems were marginalized in favor of Western medicine, but they persisted at the grassroots level. In recent decades, revival efforts have led to formal recognition under AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy), with the Ministry of AYUSH established in 2014. Today, these systems are being increasingly integrated into national health programs and the Global wellness industry.
Modern medicine in India
Modern Western medicine was introduced to India during the British colonial period in the 18th and 19th centuries. It gradually became institutionalized through the establishment of hospitals, medical colleges, and public health departments.
Role of Christian missionaries in modern medicine
Christian missionaries played a foundational role in the early development of Western healthcare services in India, especially in rural and underserved regions. Their contributions included:
- Introduction of Western medical practices: Missionaries were often the first to introduce allopathic medicine to remote regions, offering services regardless of caste, gender, or religion.[4]
- Leprosy care: Christian missionaries played a significant role in organizing care for people with leprosy in colonial and pre-independence India. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, leprosy patients in India were heavily stigmatized and often faced severe social exclusion. In some regions, traditional beliefs led to practices where individuals afflicted with leprosy were either buried or burned alive, based on the notion that a violent death would purify the body for reincarnation into a healthier form.[5][6] In 1874, Irish missionary Wellesley Bailey founded what became the Leprosy Mission in Ambala, establishing structured care for leprosy patients, including housing and basic medical attention.[7] One of the earliest leprosy hospitals in India was founded in Almora in 1835 and later managed by the London Missionary Society with support from The Mission to Lepers.[8] These institutions operated largely in rural and underserved regions, offering segregated facilities for men and women, and separate housing for uninfected children born to affected parents.[9] By the early 20th century, over 200 leprosy homes and asylums were operating in India, with a large number managed or supported by Christian missions.[10] These facilities functioned before any effective treatment was available and largely provided custodial care. Later, significant medical advances were introduced at institutions such as the Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore, where Dr. Paul Brand pioneered reconstructive surgery to restore hand and foot function in patients with nerve damage from leprosy.[11][circular reference] In the late 20th century, missionaries like Graham Staines continued this work; in 1982, he founded the Mayurbhanj Leprosy Home in Odisha, where he and his wife Gladys provided care, education, and vocational support to patients until his death in 1999.[12] These missionary efforts laid the groundwork for broader public health responses to leprosy in India prior to the introduction of multidrug therapy (MDT) by the World Health Organization in 1981.[13]
- Institutional legacy: Several prominent medical institutions were established by missionaries:
Christian missionaries played a foundational role in establishing modern hospitals and medical colleges across India, especially in underserved regions. Notable institutions include: Christian Medical College & Hospital, Vellore (1900)[14], Christian Medical College, Ludhiana (1894)[15], Clara Swain Hospital, Bareilly (1874)[16], Scudder Memorial Hospital, Ranipet[17], Holdsworth Memorial Hospital, Mysore (1906)[18], Thiruvalla Medical Mission Hospital, Kerala[19], Lady Willingdon Hospital, Manali[20], Bangalore Baptist Hospital[21], Miraj Medical Centre, Maharashtra[22], Baptist Christian Hospital, Tezpur[23], Emmanuel Hospital, Kota[24], Bishop’s Hospital, Nagercoil[25], Madhubani Medical Mission, Bihar[26], and Kothara Hospital, Nagpur[27].
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