THE GLOBALIZATION OF MEDICINE: A LOOK AT AYURVEDA’S INCREASING PRESCENCE IN BIOMEDICINE

Abstract

This thesis examines the rich history, principles, and methodology of the traditional Indian medical system called Ayurvedic medicine, how it is being adapted through its contact with biomedicine, and how it is presently being practiced in India. The earliest evidence of healthcare in India can be traced to the Dravidian civilization of the Indus River Valley more than 4,500 years ago. However, the written origins of Indian medical practices emerge out of the earliest primary texts of Hinduism compiled about 3,500 years ago. It is in these texts that the central concepts of Ayurveda are first mentioned, including the three doṣas or humors, dimensions of the body that must be in balance in order for a person to experience good health. Subsequent Hindu scriptures consider how health and spirituality are related to each other and reveal the historical development of Ayurvedic medical principles. It is from this religious context that Ayurveda emerges as a systematic medical tradition in approximately 450 BCE. Ayurveda has proven to be a dynamic tradition, responding to ever-changing cultural influences and historical movements. However, as new practices have been assimilated into the tradition, old ones are preserved or adapted. As a consequence, Ayurveda has remained current and meaningful to people throughout the centuries, and it has endured as a medical practice in India for over 2,500 years. More recently, the mutual influence and convergence of ideas between cultures and religions has led to the globalization of medicine. The increasing interaction between Ayurvedic medicine and biomedicine provides a fascinating case study of such intercultural exchanges. In this study, I will explore these interactions through the examination of Ayurvedic practices and principles relating to reproductive medicine, both through textual analysis and field research in India.