A prologue on "Vastuguna Dipika". The Andhra Ayurvĕda Nighantu of 1883 A.D.

ABSTRACT

Vastuguna Dipika is a Nighantu Grantha written in Telugu language on Ayurvĕda drugs, diets and deeds in an alphabetical order in Telugu language and it is a much popular book for more than a century. Yerra Venkata Swamy (retired district Munsif) has authored and published it on 23rd June, 1883 A.D. It is a period of printing facility introduced in India. It is edited and reprinted eight times by the successors of same "Yerra" family during a period of century. The subject content of the book has been slowly updated from edition to edition. Vastuguna Dipika comprising of 1148 pages in written. Drug like Coffee, Cabbage have been elaborately dealt with Ayurvĕda viewpoint. Certain drugs like Lasuna, Haridra also have been dealt very elaborately. In this book several drugs are grouped according to action and indications. Mineral drugs and mercurial preparations are also dealt in detail. Along with the properties of drugs and diet the properties and uses of certain routine deeds like bathing, sleeping exercise etc; are explained in the book. An alphabetical index of diseases in English in found along with the alphabetical indices of drugs in English, Telugu and Sanskrit languages.