Are we searching Mangos in Neem tree – AYUSH must ponder the reason for its failure?

Why many herbs and herbal preparations documented in ancient Siddha and Ayurveda systems loudly claimed/advertised to posses several therapeutic effects fail to show any effects in reality?

The Nilavembu kudineer can be taken as best example. When we suffer from head ache & or with fever and we take Nilavembu kudineer, will we get any instant relief and if so how soon or how long we have to wait? Further for how long and how frequently one must take Nilavembu kudineer to experience significant relief?

Is there any clear cut answer to believe the claims of Nilavembu kudineer through own experience? With whosoever we have interacted, clearly said that they have not got any benefit from Nilavembu kudineer for head ache and fever and finally they have to take asylum in allopathic system. When we speak these facts, immediately some Siddha experts would say, the wonder drug Nilavembu kudineer is meant more for preventive purpose against viral fever.

The theme of the discussion is not Nilavembu kudineer or its efficacy. If the antipyretic and analgesic effects of Nilavembu kudineer are true, then it would have hit adversely the sale of acetaminophen long ago because it was freely distributed once in Tamil Nadu to anyone and every one in the street.

The irony is that even some institutionally qualified Siddha practitioners in private practice may not dare to adventure only Nilavembu kudineer upon their patients without any allopathic drugs because such adventure may challenge their practice and survival may be because Nilavembu kudineer will not offer any benefit that people can experience with their sense organs, wisdom and knowledge.

Spiritual knowledge perhaps may be required to know about the ‘drug ness of AYUSH’ products.

The question is why despite so much of celebrity status enjoyed by Nilavembu kudineer, still it fails to perform?

Was our ancient Siddhars were wrong in their insight? The big question that begs an answer is how sure we are to say Nilavembu as described by ancient Siddhars is botanically Andrographis paniculata?

If we review the ancient Siddha literature, the plant Nilavembu is described with some minimal morphological characteristics. How with such minimal descriptions, the subsequent Siddha experts authentically concluded it as Andrographis paniculata?

Even today, different plants carry almost same name and some same plants are called differently in different parts of India. Even within the same region also such differences in naming the same plants exist. The term Brahmi is associated with both Centella as well as Bocoba.

The point of doubt is that if the ancient Siddhars have attributed all such therapeutic benefits to certain plants that were studied and experienced several thousand years ago by them are if different from what our modern day Siddha experts have identified and are using, in every likelihood, we will not get any desired outcome from such herbal preparations as claimed by ancient Siddhars.

Such an endeavor would be like searching mangos in neem tree or tamarind fruit in grapevine.

Should it not the responsibility of the system to verify how accurate are the plants used by the modern day Siddha system are the ones described by ancient Siddhars?

When several herbal preparations of Siddha system are not working, should they not verify why they are not working? Is it due to the fact that plants used these days and described by Siddhars in the ancient texts are different?

Instead of asking such questions, how can the system like a tutored parrot that repeats the same old phrase i.e., Siddha system is time tested, magical system, holistic, discovered by Siddhars etc. Chanting the same old hymn over many times can breed only the same result and not different results.

Not only many modern day Siddha experts are unwilling to ask such questions but also are intolerant towards any such questions. If anyone asks such questions, they treat such people as enemy of Siddha system, lack knowledge, are foolish etc.

Even the most delicious jack fruit is also called differently in Kerala and in Tamil Nadu. When the situation is such even today, how we claim the accuracy of identity and botanical speciation of plants used today are the same as from the descriptions of ancient Siddhars?

The botany students know how tricky and difficult is the taxonomy of plants and how difficult to identify the species of several plants that are already identified when inflorescence is absent.

Another aspect also we must consider. Several plants have gone extinct over several years and the process of extinction still continues in an alarming rate. How sure are we that all those plants used and described by ancient Siddhars have not got extinct by now and ignorantly we may be using some other plants assuming these are the plants used and described by ancient Siddhars?

Should the conscience of Siddha authorities over the years ask why Siddha system is receiving such poor patronage even from own graduates in private practice and are after cross pathy? Why the Siddha preparations do not have any curative value and does not meet even the simple definition of drug?

It looks like the wonderful Siddha system has been destroyed by especially by those who have heavily benefited from the system (people in Government sector).

They have systematically failed to establish the science of Tridosha and their own methods of disease diagnosis and disease descriptions. Most of the modern day vaidyas have failed to use own method of disease description & diagnosis (noi nidhanam) and have jumped the fence to take joy and pride in using stethoscope than reading pulse to know the Tridosha imbalance.

The system has failed to verify whether the plants used by them and described by the ancient Siddhar are same or not and if they are same why they are not effective, why own graduates in private practice distrust own system and engage in cross pathy…… etc.,

The above facts only have collectively destroyed the wonderful Siddha system, the pride of Tamil Nadu. Cross pathy by large number of Siddha vaidyas in private practice is like fixing the last nail in the coffin of Siddha system. Let us save the system from cross pathy which is nothing but an autoimmune disease progressively paralyzing the Siddha system.

S Ranganathan