This section is from the book "Holistic Medicine", by Shriniwas J. Kashalikar.
The nuclear package of hentage, genotype (genetic factors) and other environmental maternal as 111 as other factors (epigenetic as 111 as other unknown factors) decide event; in organogenesis / embryogenesis.
Epigenetic factors maybe:
1) Drugs or other toxic substances consumed by mother during pregnancy especially during 4th to 8th weeks of intra uterine life.
2) Effects of external radiation,
3) Maternal hormones,
4) Emotions of mother (through hormones or ANS imbalance or-both!,
5) Mothers nutrition,
6) Infections to mother,
7) Maternal diseases such as uterine abnormality, malignancy etc.
8) External mechanical trauma.
Organogenesis during 266 days of intrauterine life leads to full term fetus, ready for delivery, after receiving food and oxygen from mother via placenta and umbilical cord.
Fetus lacks adult respiratory and circulatory systems as 111 as many other functions YOGA does not seem to explain anything related to fetus. Even AYURVEDA does not give parallels of KOSHAS or VAAYUS (PRAANAS) in the case of fetus. Possible relationship of SUKSHMA DEHA to fertilization etc remains an enigma just as the role of the same in determination of the genotype remains a mystery. Life of a fetus with respect to sleep-wakefulness, conscious- ness etc also remains a mystery.
Fetus is delivered usually at an appropriate date and time for survival in external world, unless there are accidents, earthquakes, assaults, surgical interventions etc.
The functioning of a neufcom baby is explored by physiological, anatomical, anthropometric, psychological approaches.
The good old concept common to many parallel approaches is that of the study of the constellation i.e. orientations of the stars, planets etc and their possible effects This is called JATAKA VARTAMANA. or KUNDAIi Besides this good old concept, HASTASAMUDRIK [PALMISTRY], PHYSIOGNOM Y [THE PREDIC TIONOFTHE NATURE FROM THE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS], NUMEROLOGY [THE PREDICTION BASED ON THE NUMBERS such as birth date] are also employed.
The newborn has a body (the study of which is advanced tremendously) and mind (the study of which is deductive from its manifestations in body or in behavior], gives insight into the individual newborns body and mind.
Thus allopathy tells us about conscious, subconscious and unconscious planes of mind and explains many phenomena on the basis of such understanding.
Allopathy teaches us the organization of body into different organ systems, organs, tissues, cells, cell organelles and details of the molecular phenomena Thus with die advent of CAT scan, PET scan, MRI, electron microscopy, endoscopy, radio-immuno-assays, immunocytochemical assays, it teaches us homeostasis. It teaches us the functioning of central nervous,cardiovascular, respiratory, immune, autonomic nervous, endocrine, reproductive, hematological, musculoskeletal, excretory and alimentary systems It teaches us precise characteristics of internal environment and factors modifying it. It throws light on various characteristics of nerve impulse, the language of central nervous system, details of receptors bringing in these impulses by transduction, determinants and regulating mechanisms responsible for cardiovascular Si respiratory functions. It explains the precise and moment to moment effects of autocrine, paracrine and endocrine secretions It also explains the functioning of hypothalamo-pituitary- gonadal-uterine axis and phenomena such as menarche and menopause.
Allopathy teaches us the details of formation and activities of blood, the elaborate details of myosin / actin / acbnin / troponin / tropomyosin and energetics of muscle contraction. It teaches us the molecular mechanisms determining acid-base balance in body and timely-appropriate formation of urine, digestion, absorption, assimilation etc. It enlightens us with precision details such as Nerve Cell Adhesion Molecules Si simultaneously enables us with splicing techniques and other techniques in genetic engineering It enables us to perform cardiac catheterization and treat heart patients'as IJ as it enables us to design and develop prosthesis and achieve a lot in re hab ilitation.
Allopathy thus in short, provides us with knowledge, simple ways of acquiring knowledge and relatively simple but tremendously useful techniques of investigations and interventions with respect to understanding conception, birth, growth, development, aging in health and disease, of the STHULA DEHA even with its restrictive approach and hence is indispensable. But its efficacy would multiply with HOLISTIC approach to human existence.
Holistic understanding of human existence, a cursory glance at which is made in the foregoing, will enable every one of us to be better clinicians, teachers, scientists, health policy planners, health executives etc. but more importantly to be better and wiser individuals.
 
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