Health in Goa in the 17th century: the reports of some French travellers.

The writings of the French travellers who visited Goa in the 17th century attest to the importance of Ayurvedic medicine, although the term Ayurvedic was never used at the time. The diseases affecting Goa were not different from those at every European trading post, and the remedies used were identical. However, at the end of the century, especially after 1685, Goa's population declined sharply, partly due to the precarious living conditions there, and also as a result of competition from the Dutch and English trading companies.