HOW TOEXAMINE A PATIENT

An expert Ayurvedic physician (Vaidya) will, first of all, examine the patient by touch, physical inspection and prudent and reasonable questioning (but never a patient should be cross examined or agitated to the point of fury) but unpalatable words must always be avoided, at all costs.
First of all the physician puts his three fingers (from the thumb side) on patient’s right wrist, (on the blood vessel which starts from end of the thumb). Pulsation under the index finger will indicate vata dosha (disturbance of wind), under the middle sugar, it will indicate pitta-dosha, and pulsation under the ring finger will indicate kapha dosha. Pulsation under the middle finger will indicate sound health of a person. Any lack of equilibrium or variable pulsations will enable the physician to determine real cause of his patient’ s complaint. It is said that best results and diagnosis can be achieved when a patient is examined in the morning, on empty stomach, when physical status is normal. Inspection of pulse, physical examination and questioning will enable and experienced physician to deduce actual and real cause of the disease. An adept physician has eight ayurvedic branches at his command, to treat his patients, as per details below:
1. General medicine
2. Surgery and various medicines connected with surgery
3. Medicines pertaining to eyes, ears, nose, mouth and throat (ophthalmic, E.N.T. and mouth)
4. Psychiatric (Maansik) medicines
5. Paediatrics and Midwifery
6. Toxicology
7. Rejuvenating medicines
8. Aphoridiasic medicines
Perhaps, this is the reason why Ayurveda is rightly called the ‘Science of eight branches’ (Asthaang Ayurveda)
An experienced vaidya is now armouned with latest pathological tests and various diagnostic investigations devices which should always be availed of and no element of hesitancy should ever mask his approach. In addition, he should also take into consideration the elements of person’s nature & temperament, time, space, environments place. Resorting to short-curs should not be the tract of a vaidya. His aim ought to be to eradicate the disease once and forever, no matter the duration of time taken to achieve his end.