With the help of the Department of AYUSH, New Delhi , VK-nardep has started documentation on “Traditional Visha Vaidya Practices (TVVP) in Southern parts of Tamilnadu. We (Dr.V. Ganapathy and VK- nardep technicians along with healer Ramachandran Nair and Suresh Kumar) documented indigenous traditions at Madichal near Kaliiyakkavilai in Kanyakumari District.

Take for example, traditional Visha Vaidya Thiru. Kolappan. Now his age is 81, his experience spans six decades. His son K.Suresh Kumar (age 39) has now an experience of 20 years. Both are rendering service to the community through their K.S.K. Siddha Visha Vaidya Salai near Madichal. Healer Kolappan’s whole generation is doing Visha Vaidya healing for more than 200 years. Per month he is treating an average of 10 – 15 cases. He is treating a range of poisonous bites: the Aranai bite, Cobra bite, Analai bite, Rat bite, Scorpion bite etc. and also non poisonous snake bite and Cat bite etc.But he is not giving treatment for poisonous materials intake.

How does he identify the bite?

He differentiates two kinds of bite. One is Erai (food) bite; that is usually snake biting others during its search for food. In this type of bite, even poisonus snake bite is not  harmful. The second type is the Visha Kadi or poisonous bite. This is very dangerous. And this in turn has has 4 types from One teeth bite to Four teeth bite.  Of these the four-teeth bite is the most dangerous. This four-teeth bite is almost non-curable.

What are the vital indicators in treating a poisonous bite? The place and time of bite, oozing of bleeding, muscles involvement and the nature of pain: all these play vital role in the identification of the nature of bite.

How does he select the patient for treatment?

Once the patient comes, the Vaidhya cleans the place of bite in the body. Then he examines the patient for the following:

• whether his eye has changed into white,
• whether there is leakage or output of body fluids like semen,
• nature of bleeding,
• site of bite
• time of bite.

He restrains from treating if the bite is at:

• ankle joint and
• above the neck.

He checks what he calls AMIRTHA nilai (which is in traditional knowledge system considered as a prime body holistic vital ebergy flow in the body )condition. If the bite is above the Amirtha nilai point place, then he restrainst from treatment, as the bite has been fatal already. Here the explanation of the selection of patient has parallels with Varma treatment.

Methods of Treatment:

1. Clean the bite spot in the body with hydrogen peroxide (but we suggested alum water).

2. If the patient is unconscious, then he/she is given immediately “Saramaari thylam”(a herbo mineral metalic living material medicated oil). The quantity is 15 to 20 ml. If the patient is conscious then he is giving Vizha Kudineer (prepared herbal decoction – Andrographis, dried Zinger, Pepper, Indigo, Sweetwood, etc.are main ingredient).

3. After giving this herbal formulation, the healer uses Vizha Kal ( A kind of herbo-mineral medicine stone like substance) on the affected place. This formulation get applied (by pressing) for a minimum of 15 minutes to 1.30 hrs at the bite place. During that time the rubbing of the stone generates a Heat. So thehealer repeatedly changes his finger. If the venom is inside the body, the stone will stick on the place; if not it will drop. After the application is over, the physician takens the stone and puts it into the milk. The milk changes its colour to blue.

4. Then again the patient is given the Vizha Kudineer

5. If the patient still in the dangerous stage, the healer uses Uyiralathy Kulikai ( a pill prepared from herbo-mineral and living materials). This is given one to three times, depending upon the situation, along with the above said Vizha Kudineer or Indigo leaves juice.

6. In between the above the course of treatment the physician also chants the mantras repeatedly. As per his experience, he considers the mantras to have an significant healing effect.

Advise to the patient:

The healer advises the patient to intake only satwic food.  The patient is also advised to avoide sleep for the next 24 hrs to 36 hrs. For the next one or two days the healer keeps the patient under observation and advises the patient to take Vizha Kudineer for 3 days. Now he advises non-vegetarian food: particularly chicken. The healer avoids completely the conventional first aid treatments for the poisonous bites. His charges are usually a minimum of Rs.300- 700/ and in rare cases upto Rs.2,000/-.

Textual knowledge source:

He is following “Vizha naraneeyam” a Vizha Vaidya book more than 20 years back, but now he is following  “Malanguravan Vazhi” – a Vizha Vaidya literature in Malayalam. He is also often refers Karuida panchatram, Agasthiiyar Vizha Vaidya nool. During our interaction he stressed the importance of Prana and Amirtha nilai pulli ( traditionally considered as a point of body’s holistic Vital energy). He shared the experiences of how he encountered and cured some of the challengable poisonous bite cases and how he arrived at the treatment and some medicines preparation also. He shared the experiences of his father and father-in-law who were also healers.

He also gives treatment to chronic poisonous bite oedematous ulcer and skin diseases. He is now very much worried about his current and future practise having become endangered. He attributes this to lack of awareness and neglect by Govt policy. We expressed our gratitude for his heart to heart interaction and appreciated the challeneges he faces in practicing this life saving healing system even during the changing times. We collected the sample medicines and documented the interaction in the form of video as well as through the prepared performa.

- Dr. Ganapathi

வர்ம-சித்த செயல்பாட்டு விளக்க பட்டறையை கடந்த மே மாதம் 2010 இல் விவேகானந்த கேந்திரத்தின் இயற்கை வள அபிவிருத்தி திட்டம் நடத்தியது. இந்த பட்டறையில் இந்த மருத்துவ சிகிச்சையின் தத்துவார்த்த சட்டகத்தை விளக்குகிறார் டாக்டர்.வே.கணபதி அவர்கள்:

உள்-சூத்திரம் புற சூத்திரம் என்றால் என்ன? உள் சூத்திரம் என்பது உடலில் உள்ள ஏழு ஆதாரங்களையும் விளக்கும் விசயமாகும். இதில் சகஸ்ராதாரமும் அடங்கும். புற சூத்திரம் என்பது இந்த ஏழு ஆதாரங்களையும் இயக்குவதற்கு துணை நிற்பவற்றை விளக்குவது. இடகலை பிங்கலை என்பவை கீழ் ஆதாரங்களில் செயல்படுவன. மேல் ஆதாரங்களில் மூன்று கலைகள் செயல்படுகின்றன. அவை சிவகலை சக்தி கலை மற்றும் பரகலை. இதில் சிவகலை நான்கு, சக்தி கலை எட்டு. இந்த பன்னிரண்டுடன் பரகலை ஒன்று. இவை செயல்படுவதைப் படிப்பதே உள்சூத்திரம் அல்லது பிரம்ம ரகசியம். இதையே அமிர்த நிலை ரகசியம் என்றும் கூறுகிறோம். ஆகவே அமிர்த நிலை ரகசியத்தை தெரிந்து கொள்ள பரத்தின் கலையை தெரியவேண்டும். அதற்கு அற வாழ்க்கை அவசியம். அந்த அறவாழ்க்கை வாழ சித்த மருத்துவர்களுக்கு விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. இது நமக்கு கிடைத்த மிகப்பெரிய அருட்கொடை. இந்த இயக்கங்களை அலங்கரிக்கப்பட்ட ஒரு சப்பரத்துடன் (தேருடன்) ஒப்பிடலாம். அந்த தேராக இருப்பது சிவகலையும் சக்தி கலையும். தேர்வடமாக இயங்குவது பிராணகலை. அதன் இயக்க சக்கரங்கள் பஞ்ச பூதங்கள். இந்த சப்பரத்தில் தெய்வாம்சமாக இருப்பது அமிர்த கலை.

Life Protecting Tripala (Tamil) is a well written book on a widely used Siddha medical combination of three common medicinal plants. But the book brings out many unknown useful aspects. Tripala is a traditional combination of three medicinal plants that are found common throughout India. These are Amalaki/Nelli (Emblica officinalis), Bibhitaki/Thantrikai (Terminalia bellirica), and Haritaki/kadukkaai (Terminalia chebula). Many traditional medicinal formulations are formed using this combination and they are effective for a wide spectrum of health problems.  The book gives a detailed list of the diseases that the combinational formulations can cure and how this can also improve the general health of the people who intake it.The book has been written after an exhaustive study of Siddha medical literature and traditional texts.

The book chiefly deals with the formulation of Tripala Surnam – a very popular and effective medicine.

The book is rich in content and the reader is treated to a visual array of intelligent cartoons that makes the reading a pleasant experience. For example the book illustrates with the following cartoon, the point that fish should be avoided when taking Tripala formulations:

Thirty two aspects related to Tripala are discussed in this book. The book reveals how the Tripala is also related to the Indian Trinity of Brahma (Amalaka), Shiva (Bibhitikai) and Vishnu (Haritaki). Thus the book provides a holistic treatment to the subject.

Written by Siddha Doctor Ganapathi who is an authority in the field the book clears all the doubts that may arise for a common person who wants to use this medicine. The book also shows how this can be used to purify water and also gives the bio-chemical components of the formulation.

உயிர் காக்கும் திரிபலம்Uyir Kakkum Tripalam (Life Protecting Tripala)

Author: Dr. Ganapathi

Pages: 60

Price: Rs 40/-

Secretary VK-NARDEP

Kanyakumari -629 702

Traditional bone setting technique world is very big. Here a common fracture- colles fracture locally known as “kozhikaluaththu murivu” (meaning fowl-neck-fracture) is chosen. Twenty genuine Vaidyars or indigenous healers, skilled in traditional bone setting techniques in treating the fracture, are chosen. They are from the three southern districts of Tamil Nadu where these traditional techniques have survived so far. Twenty patients who have fresh problem of colles fracture are identified. A detailed documentation of the traditional practices, the method of curing over the entire period of treatment and also the observations of the cure and improvement are made. A reference database of traditional sources of these traditional bone setting techniques is also developed in parallel to the documentation of the treating and curing techniques. The documentation is also done in digital format. There is ninety percent cure and high degree of improvement noticed in the treatment of fractures.