General Information About Disease

Rules Of Diseases Under KARMIC Laws

Causes Of Diseases

General Information

Vatha Or Vayu

Bile

Philege

Disease is not only a general term for any deviation from the normal physiological conditions, but also to any deviation from normal psychological conditions.

It reminds of the proverb sound body in a sound mind. So there are two classes of diseases physical and mental and each arises from the other. Of a truth mental disorders arise from physical ones and vice versa. All diseases whether physiological or psychological have a constitutional background.

NOTE: Diseases are also caused without the derangements of humours in the beginning. When any of five senses are brought in contact with their objects in an excessive degree or in extraordinary manner, senses themselves become diseased and sometimes, affect the other parts of the body causing disease. The same is the case with the mind, because it is influenced by sudden attacks of grief, fear, joy and such other feelings.

The causes of all diseases or pathological conditions of the human body are to be sought in the abnormalities of the three varieties of material bodies that are always present in the human body or the improper functioning of the tissue cells of the body. Diseases caused by defficiency require nutrition and those caused by excess require reduction as by starvation or draining off matter.

Siddha physicians of ages old dived deep into the elusive symptoms of senile decay and carefully preserved their researches till they reached the penultimate cause of death. The Siddha scientists believed that as the origin of life was beyond the scope of the five senses, so the ultimate cause of dissolution would always be a mystery to man.

Karmic theory is the post-patent cause of the vitiation in the subtle body. All diseases under this head are the effects of previously existing causes, some originating from natural and some from spiritual causes. For such causes, the remedy lies in time alone, until the evil force, stellar and natural is exhausted and the law of universal justice is satisfied.

Again, there are hereditary diseases which according to Siddha system , are said to be the result and actions of one in his previous birth or births; and in the involutionary process some unrecognized conditions which induced in a parent the morbid tendency continues to act on the offspring; and the disease brings it s appearance late in life. The etiology of such diseases will be found mentioned in Karma Kandam.

So, Siddha system of medicine includes in it not only medicine but also Astrology, Magic, called ordinarily Mani, Mantram and Oushadam.

General Information about Causes of Diseases :

The causes of diseased are due to the disturbance of the Doshas of Dhatus; and they are attributed to the internal and external causes. The internal causes is constitutional or Karma Yogas, springing up direct from the disturbance of ,

1. Dhatus(Doshas) - the three humours.

2. Tissues - the seven Dhatus

3. Gunas or quality the guiding principles of mind.

4. Malas - the secretive and excretive wastes.

If the cellular tissues and the intercellular movement were normal, the said Dhatus will not be disturbed from their equilibrium and in order to prevent this, the nutrition must always be normal, apart from the surrounding environments. Failure in these respects will bring on diseases Karma Yoga and this has nothing to do with the function of the cells or the inter-cells as mentioned above, because the tendency to this inherited disease exists in the very ovum and semen constituting the embryo. In normal development, certain organs under the influence of the respective stars manifest their inherited tendencies many years after birth, and so, this disease may appear later in life.

When no reason could be assigned for the appearance of any disease it may also be concluded that the parents in whom some morbid tendency already existed, may be handed down to act on the offspring. No one can see when such tendency to disease begins it may be slowly gaining strength for generation according to the influence of the starts. So as already said, this disease has nothing to do with the action of cells of the body.

Now coming to external causes it is chiefly due to

1. Accident

2. Poisons

3. Hypnotic influence, ormintal impulses

4. Receiving injuries, Wounds, Cuts, Drowning, Atmospheric pressure etc.,

5. Mantrams.

6. Occult happenings as by evil spirits.

NOTE: Diseases as per old Siddha Chemical school are of five kinds.

1. By astral causes.

2. By impurities and poisons.

3. By the stoppage of the normal internal function of the body owing to morbid condition.

4. By spiritual causes

5. By action of Karmic Law.

Diseases arising from our thoughts are from spiritual causes and as such, this class includes all diseases inducted and from spiritual causes by evil wills from passion, disordered thoughts and morbid imaginations. The psychological status induced by their physiological actions, physiological results follow, such as shame producing blush, terror, paleness, fear causing diarrhoea, anger, envy, jaundice, melancholy abstructions, violent emotions, apoplexy and spasm in all; but miscarriage malformation of foetus and hysteria in the other sex.

So, in psychological diseases of man under this head many diseases are brought about especially by the abuse of his own physiological powers, in consequence of which his functionary organs lose their strength and vitality and disease is the result.

Vatha Or Vayu

Vayu is not mere wind but also that which causes motions energy and sensation of every cell in the body. Disproportionate Vatha is the cause of rheumatic diseases. The nervous function of Vatha is respiration, circulation of blood, excretions, sensation of hearing, sight, taste etc. The colour blackness is attributed to vatha destroys atoms and it is all powerful nerve force and the vital force. The grossest manifestation of Vayu is attributed with the gunas or qualities, dryness, lightness, clearness, coolness, motion, carrying the sensations of the various sense organs as Udana taking down the food through its proper receptacles, the separation of excretions from the assimilated food, the retention of the urine, semen, etc.

Increase of Vayu is followed by roughness of the skin, black complexion, exaciation, tremor of limbs, desire for hot things, loss of sleep and decrease of strength; whereas decrease of Vayu is marked by langour, shortness of speech, uneasiness, loss of consciousness etc. Its location is the lower region of the body. The function of Vadha lies in the nervous system.

Normally we inhale and exhale. The inhaled air after it is contained still in their receptacles the lungs, when it flows in joins, mingles and intermingles inside the system, produces heat and fire and over heat in the body. And when the whole is regulated evenly this function is called the Vatha i.e., the process of oxidation is being maintained in a normal state all over.

Vatha or Vayu causes diseases by abnormally increasing or decreasing the vital activities through disorder of the nervous system.

Vayu does not imply 'wind' but it comprehends all the phenomena, which come under the functions of the central and sympathetic nervous systems. A man of Vatha humour is generally weak and has lowered vitality and as such, can not have resisting power.

NOTE: Vayu which is more potent and important than the other, not only imparts movement to every living cell in the body, but also discharge the waste and harmful matter in various ways. Its function also includes those of the motor and sensory systems and also of sustaining the five fold vital air in the body through respiration.

If Vatha preponderates, diseases as rheumatism etc. is the result, if bile is found in excess, Liver diseases come in and in cases of phlegm, lung diseases prevail. If any two are found in excess of the third other disease result and so on. If all the three are irregular then delirium is the result.

Bile :

Pitta is not merely the bile, but also the functions of Thermo genesis or heat production and metabolism comprehending in its scope, the process of digestion, coloration of blood and formation of various secretions as bile, gastric juice, pancreatic juices and excretions which are the results of tissue combustion. A man of bilious humour possesses average strength and age. It is the principle of heat deriving from the third element fire as life depends upon certain degrees of heat; and its function is to cause digestion and assimilation of the food or whatever taken into the system. Disproportionate Pitta leads to liver diseases. Pitta not only helps digestion, but also assimilation as mentioned above; and it produces chemical changes giving rise to heat and temperature. Redness, fair complexion is attributed to bile as evolving from Rajas Character, Pitta creates atoms. It represents the all-pervading circulating function.

The generative function that assists the process of reproduction, which is the detachment of a part endowed with the power of developing into an independent whole, is performed by this force Pitta. It metamorphoses the Rasa or the essence of assimilated food through a successive series of organic principles to the protoplasmic substance. It is said to be latent in serum, and blood, lymph, chyle, albumen etc., and in the organs of touch and sight heat, keenness, lightness, etc., are attributed to this manifested pittam. It supports the body with the supply of bodily heat, power of digestion, sight,heat, thirst, hunger, appetite, complexion, intellect, power of memory, smartness and softness of the body.

Symptoms of excited or distributed condition of Pittas - burning sensation, yellow complexion, perspiration, impurities, decrease of strength, yellowness of stools and urine, sleeplessness, decrease of bodily heat an impaired state of digestion etc.

NOTE: The function of Pitta lies in the circulatory system; Pitta philosophy means when the bile mingles with the heat in the system and the Oxygenic Prana Vayu runs direct throughout the system co-mingled with this, into the tissues and cells, the increasing heat and overheat produced, is being regulated to a normally all over the frame by disallowing the abnormality of oxidation if any where localized; this is called function of Pitta.

Pitta causes diseases by causing disturbances or digestion, vascular or heats distributing mechanisms.

It also signifies the agent of metabolism that produces the bodily heat, digestion and oxidation. The term Pittam is applied to the metabolic processes in the organism as well as the fluid heat incarcerated in the secretions of the liver and gets with agent in the process of digestion.

Philege :

Kapha is not merely Phlegm but also implies the function of Thermo taxis or heat regulation, the formation of various preservative fluids as mucous, synovia etc. A man naturally of phlegmatic humour is naturally strong and long lived. This is also called Sleshmam which resides in the elements of earth and water. It causes the growth of the body and supplying nutrition to every living cell in the body. Disproportion of Phlegm leads to lung diseases. It lubricates and moistens the system and connects tissues and mucous membranes in the system. Whiteness is attributed to Kapham as evolving from Satwa, Kapha preserves atoms. It is the cohesive force connecting cell engrossing muscular energy. Kapham and Pittam are only transformations of the same energy Vayu; and that Pittam is the positive heat of the body, but Kapha is only the negative heat or the covering principle which prevents the excessive effect of the bodily heat by means of its humidity; and keeps intact the different component molecules. It supports the body with the supply of power of endurance, the development of organs, strength, smartness and coolness. Moreover, it is the function which regulates the material composition of the body determining its mass, the balance of assimilation. It also fills the cellular spaces of the body holds them together in a kind of cooling cohesion and prevents the combustion that may otherwise be caused by organic heat. The qualities attributed to the manifested Kapha are whiteness, coolness, chilliness, heaviness of limbs, firmness, smoothness etc. Symptoms of deranged Kapha are whiteness of the skin, dullness, feeling of looseness of joints, excessive sleep etc. Its function lies in the sympathetic system.

NOTE: Slethma is the function when the biliary matter and fire after the Vatha and Pitta functions are fulfilled, commingly joins the residual water stagnated in the Vascular system and becomes assimilated; and one which i.e., when the perspiratory function cannot be expelled out and when all the three together produces abnormality in the regulatory system produces an aliment long or large in either receptaculary lungs and vesicles; this function is called Slethma; and the effect of this is the production or secretion of phlegm. Kapha causes disease by freezing itself and obstructing the finer passages thereby causing disturbance of the lubricatory mechanism through derangement of the lymphatic system.