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CORRESPONDENCE • An. Bras. Dermatol. 96 (05) • 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abd.2021.05.002   copy

Earliest details of dermatology by Ayurveda☆ ☆ How to cite this article: Rashmi TM, Sathish HS. Earliest details of dermatology by Ayurveda. An Bras Dermatol. 2021;96:649-50. ,☆☆ ☆☆ Study conducted at the TMAE’S Ayurvedic Medical College, Shimoga, Karnataka, India.

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Dear Editor,

I read the article entitled ‘‘History of dermatology: the study of skin diseases over the centuries’’,11 Ferreira IG, Weber MB, Bonamigo RR. History of dermatology: the study of skin diseases over the centuries. An Bras Dermatol. 2021;96:332-45. which is, astonishingly, the earliest descriptions of skin and its disorders detailed in the Ancient Indian Vedic texts, especially in Ayurvedic treatises have been unfound.22 Singh OP, Das B, Padhi MM, Tewari NS. Kushtha (skin disorders) in Vedic and other religious literature a review. Bull Indian Inst Hist Med Hyderabad. 2002;32:51 5.,33 Mitra J. Glimpses of the advancement of medical science as depicted in the Mahabharata. Bull Indian Inst Hist Med Hyderabad. 1995;25:20 37. Ayurveda, the Science of life, is the first treatise that contains numerous evidence of the origin of dermatology. Sushruta mentions seven layers of skin with a specific thickness and also dermatological disorders affecting each layer.44 Giri JK, Majagaiyan P, Singrapu SK, Gopal UB. Understanding of Twak — a conceptual review article. EJPMR. 2021;8:599 604. (Table 1). The layers of twak are, Avabhasini, Lohita, Shweta, Tamra, Vedini, Rohini, and Mamsadhara.55 Bhishagratna KL. An English translation of the Sushruta Samhita (Volume 2). Calcutta (India): Bhishagratna KL; 1911, p.144.,66 Gurav G, Dhaked R. A conceptual study of Twacha Sharir. IJARD. 2017;2:300-6.

Ayurveda designates Dermatological disorders as Kushta. Kushta, is the term assigned to the skin disorders in Ayurvedic texts, it includes various forms of pathologies of the integument system. The etiological factors for skin disorders are classified as physical, physiological, hereditary, and psychological,77 Gangwal VNR, Sawai VRV. Critical review of Psychodermatology in Ayurveda and contemporary science. IAIM. 2019;6:127-33. and there is one more segment of etiology which basically talks about sinful acts of an individual resulting in the development of pathological manifestation in the skin, the veracity of this cause has yet not been researched. Grossly, the disorders are grouped into two as Mahakushta (Skin disorders with a major imbalance of dosha or bodily humor with a deeper level of pathological invasion) and Kshudra kushta (skin disorders with less degree of vitiation of dosha).88 Singh S, Rai PB. Concept of dermatological disorders in Ayurveda. Medicine. 2015;4:5.,99 Singh Satyapal, Tripathi JS, Rai NP. An overview of Ayurvedic & contemporary approaches to Psychodermatology. J Phytopharmacol. 2014;3:286-99. The dreaded skin ailment, Leprosy, its etiopathogenesis, complications, and treatment modalities are described in detail in Sushruta’s treatise.1010 Robbins G, Tripathy VM, Misra VN, Mohanty RK, Shinde VS, Gray KM, et al. Ancient skeletal evidence for leprosy in India (2000 BC). PLoS One. 2009;4:e5669. Descriptions of Leprosy can be traced from all the ancient manuscripts of Vedic and post Vedic era, and numerous indigenous treatment modalities and certain other treatment modalities of religious and spiritual importance are also been described.1111 Hanumanthayya K, Manjunath KG, Yadav J, Balasubrahmanyam G. Leprosy discovered through religious books. RGUHS J Med Sci. 2017;7:122-5. Plenty of Ayurvedic practitioners are successfully treating skin disorders by adhering to the principles of Ayurveda as obtained through texts.

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Table 1
Seven layers of skin with specific thickness.
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    None declared.

References

  • 1
    Ferreira IG, Weber MB, Bonamigo RR. History of dermatology: the study of skin diseases over the centuries. An Bras Dermatol. 2021;96:332-45.
  • 2
    Singh OP, Das B, Padhi MM, Tewari NS. Kushtha (skin disorders) in Vedic and other religious literature a review. Bull Indian Inst Hist Med Hyderabad. 2002;32:51 5.
  • 3
    Mitra J. Glimpses of the advancement of medical science as depicted in the Mahabharata. Bull Indian Inst Hist Med Hyderabad. 1995;25:20 37.
  • 4
    Giri JK, Majagaiyan P, Singrapu SK, Gopal UB. Understanding of Twak — a conceptual review article. EJPMR. 2021;8:599 604.
  • 5
    Bhishagratna KL. An English translation of the Sushruta Samhita (Volume 2). Calcutta (India): Bhishagratna KL; 1911, p.144.
  • 6
    Gurav G, Dhaked R. A conceptual study of Twacha Sharir. IJARD. 2017;2:300-6.
  • 7
    Gangwal VNR, Sawai VRV. Critical review of Psychodermatology in Ayurveda and contemporary science. IAIM. 2019;6:127-33.
  • 8
    Singh S, Rai PB. Concept of dermatological disorders in Ayurveda. Medicine. 2015;4:5.
  • 9
    Singh Satyapal, Tripathi JS, Rai NP. An overview of Ayurvedic & contemporary approaches to Psychodermatology. J Phytopharmacol. 2014;3:286-99.
  • 10
    Robbins G, Tripathy VM, Misra VN, Mohanty RK, Shinde VS, Gray KM, et al. Ancient skeletal evidence for leprosy in India (2000 BC). PLoS One. 2009;4:e5669.
  • 11
    Hanumanthayya K, Manjunath KG, Yadav J, Balasubrahmanyam G. Leprosy discovered through religious books. RGUHS J Med Sci. 2017;7:122-5.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    18 Oct 2021
  • Date of issue
    2021

History

  • Received
    23 Mar 2021
  • Accepted
    25 May 2021
  • Published
    15 July 2021
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