This section is from the book "Holistic Medicine", by Shriniwas J. Kashalikar.
The significant and characteristic feature of holistic approach is to generate a guiding light for all die discipline in medical field as 111 as all other branches of science. Holistic approach in medical field has ushered in an era of expanding the conceptual and therapeutic scope of individual disciplines as 111 as discovering the continuity amongst them Thus increasing number of members of different disciplines is studying the principles and practice of other disciplines. But holistic approach has made and will continue to make even greater and far reaching impact on physical sciences as 111. Thus it is holistic approach which vnuld point out die ignorance of a physicist or a doctor, with respect to the physical and chemical structure of space and fame and physical dimensions of emotions and thoughts respectively. It is with holistic approach that one can hypothesize die instrumental role of electrical fields in respect of meridians in Chinese medicine and chakras'in hathayoga.
7. As regards the method of evaluation, it recognizes the effectiveness of treatment It points out, for instance, the chemical analysis of honey or an ayurvedic or homeopathic drug trial in animals would at best have a limited inference value. It brings to our notice that drug trials with ayurvedic or homeopathic drugs and allopathic diagnosis do not make a completely reliable trial. Holistic approach teaches us that pneumococcal pneumonia per se without any further characterization with respect to praknti (constitution), doshavaishamya, dhaturvnddhi, dhatukshaya etc. One cannot reliably conduct drug trials with ayurvedic drugs. Similarly, allopathic diagnosis such meningococcal meningitis per se does not have homeopathic remedies and hence conducting such disease oriented dials with homeopathic medicines is incorrect Holistic medicine recognizes die scope and limitations of the knowledge which is derived from animal experimentation and the dissection of cadavers It identifies the flaw or limitation intrinsic to in limitations of the so called standardization of doses without taking into consideration the nature of the patients' constitutions It realizes that the observations of tissues under microscope tell us only part of the "truth" underlying. It recognizes the limitations of such observations because of the influence of the procedure such as fixation and the chemicals and dyes used It recognizes the ambiguity and exaggeration in ayurvedic texts which render it very difficult to practice with efficacy Holistic medicine makes us aware of natural variation expected in the diagnosis amongst different homeopathic practitioners m homeopathic system. Holistic medicine tells us that this is because of die overlap of drug properties as well as individual variations in die clinicians' approach and die skill of eliciting history from patients Holistic medicine teaches us the possibility of interaction amongst planets, geomagnet, gems at various hours of the day and our life, but it does riot overlook the fallibility inherent in the so called sciences dealing with these interactions. It also tells us about the non-specific nature of therapeutic modalities such as ayurveda, magnetotherapy in the same vein as it tells us the limitations of radiotherapy, chemotherapy etc, which are lesion or ehopathology oriented.
Holistic medicine by its accommodative scrutiny of various effects of unam, naturopathy, magnetotherapy, faith healing, hypnotherapy, color therapy, music therapy, gems, stars and planets on the life of individuals, enriches the repertoire of means of healing life.
8 Holistic medicine transcends disciplinary as 111 as every other kind of bias or prejudice and takes us towards truth and more complete health Thus it should be clear to everyone that it is not one more addition to already existing divisions of medical field Since holistic approach aims to understand life and existence more fully, it shares the spirit of enquiry characteristic to ayurveda with respect to biological properties of the herbs and other medicaments It shares the concepts of 'proving" and potentiation of homeopathy It can relate and appreciate the influence of yoga and panchkarma. Since it is 111 versed with the Sankhya philosophy, it can easily develop an insight into the environmental influence and the role of Aahaara [diet] and Vihaara [conduct] in life Herein lays its ability to enrich the field of dietetics and conduct enormously as will be seen later.
9. Sometimes one comes across a term 'integrated medicine" According to this view medical field is already integrated. The question or the challenge is to unravel this 'integrity" amongst various concepts of human existence and the universe The challenge is to rediscover the "integrity" in therapies In authors view, all those who practice integrated medicine do show greater ability to overcome prejudices. This is an important advancement. One can learn from the experience of practitioners of integrated medicine, and develop holistic approach increasingly fruitfully But often mere gunshot therapy [indiscriminate combinations of drugs] so much and justifiably criticised in allopathy, is accepted and practiced as integrated or holistic medicine. This is a path of least resistance, utter irresponsibility and poses maximum risk for the health of the patients and is detrimental to the healthy development of the concept and practice of holistic medicine.
10. Having said thus far, one has to consider one very powerful argument against holistic medicine. This argument is, "With so much holistic considerations die very tenets of all disciplines of medicine as 111 as science are shaken from the root and hence there is hardly anything left, which the doctors can bank on This is likely to make the medical scientist as 111 as a clinician less definitive and more indecisive" The counterargument is, "The students of holistic medicine do not and should not have the spirit of blind definibveness and decisiveness. This in fact is better because they would not indulge in more definite but less complete decision about the treatment On the contrary by frank dialogue the doctors and patients together would arrive at an enlightened, fearless arid accurate decision. This would be true for researchers as IB"
It is tobe appreciated that the aim of this series of articles is riot merely to supply information about various disciplines of medical field Instead, the aim is to develop and share with the readers, holistic approach or perspective which eventually will lead to deeper understanding of life and more effective intervention whenever necessary. For this reason the author have taken liberty to conceptualize by conjecture, speculate, and hypothesize wherever deemed necessary It is obvious that readers are expected not to accept but provisionally share and not to follow but work on and develop the conceptual framework and then practice of holistic medicine as presented in this series of articles.
 
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