Medico-historical study of "aśvattha" (sacred fig tree).

Aśvattha (Ficus religiosa Linn.) is a tree which has got mythological, religious and medicinal importance in Indian culture since ancient times. As per Vedic Index Aśvattha means horse stand, a place or site or an object where or under which horses stand. Aśvattha is also known as Pipal and Bodhidrma. This tree is the oldest depicted tree in India. In Vedic times it was used to make fire by friction and considered sacred. Atharvavĕda associates it with the third heaven. It discusses medicinal properties of Aśvattha along with Soma and Kuştha. Aśvattha is associated with the triad of Gods-Brahma, vişņu and siva. Reference to Aśvattha is found in Rămăyaņa, Mahăbhărata, Bhagavadgĭta, Buddhistic literature, Arthaśăstra, Purănăs, Upanişads etc. non-medical literature also. According to Ayurvĕda it has several synonyms. Most of them symbolize its sacredness. Aśvattha is useful in various ailments like consumption, vomiting, ulcers in oral cavity, burns, gynaecological problems etc. Thus its medico-historical importance, regional nomenclature, morphological features in brief etc. are being presented in this article with few illustrations.

Influence of Tantra on ayurveda and Kamasutra.

A close study of ancient works of ayurveda and Kamasutra shows that the knowledge of anatomy and physiology of different parts of reproductive organs particularly of female genitals is lacking. Hymen, defloration and clitoris do not find any mention in earlier works. Works of medieval and late medieval period mention the different parts and their utility and function especially in the sexual enjoyment. Worship of vagina or Yonipuja was a common practice in some sects of Tantrists like Kaulas, Kapalikas and others. This practice resulted in the close observation of different parts and thereby knowing their importance and role in the sexual enjoyment, which was also a part of the practices of Tantrism. This knowledge appears to have been incorporated in works like Bhavaprakasa of ayurveda and Paururavamanasijasutra and others of Kamasutra. They describe three Nadis in the female genitalia and clitoris others.

History of son preference and sex selection in India and in the west.

In the history of mankind, there was a time when women dominated the world. In due course of time, as the patriarchal societies evolved, the status of women gradually declined. Sons were preferred to daughters. In India, the Brahmin community promoted such customs and rituals, which gave more and more importance to sons eg. Lighting the funeral pyre of the father was told to be a pre-condition for salvation of his spirit. Similarly, in western civilization also women were considered to be weak. In consonance with such a mind-set man has been trying various techniques for sex-selection since antiquity eg. for acquiring a son choosing a special day, time and posture for sexual intercourse, special diet, charms and amulet and prayers etc. In Vedas also punsavana karma has been described as a technique for acquiring a son. Apart from these techniques, female infanticide has also been used as a way to create a male dominated, son-worshipping society. On development of the technique of ultrasonography as an example of progress of science and technology, man has devised a new way of killing females in womb itself, which has resulted in continuous decline in female: male sex ratio in India. To stop this, Indian Govt. promulgated PNDT Act 1994. But considering the widely prevalent practice of use of various regimen of sex-pre-selection by people as well as unscrupulous medical practitioners, Govt. of India has amended this Act (2002). Still, as authors have found in one of their studies, sex-selection drugs are being used widely by north Indians for getting a son. Here, it should be noted that sex-selection methods are being used in west also. But the perspective is different. There, it is not used for female feticide or for acquiring a son. Rather, it is more an effort towards demonstrating the control of man over the NATURE.

Festivals and medical relevance (with special reference to medieval Andhra society).

The physicians of indigenous medical science believed that the climatic changes are one of the causes for diseases. They observed that severity of a disease depends on the movements of the planets. Thus, they prescribed ritucharya as a remedy to their evil influence and also, made the people to follow some of the important regulations for the maintenance of health by incorporating them into the religious rituals by instituting some new festivals and customs like Vinayakachaturthi, Ugadi and Dasara etc., in course of time. The primary data regarding the subject can be found available in the contemporary literary works, medical texts, travellers accounts, inscriptions and the temple monuments.