Historical Foundations of Neonatal Care in Tamil Nadu: From Traditional Practices to Modern Surgical Innovations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63682/jns.v14i32S.8948Keywords:
Tamil Nadu, medical history, neonatal surgery, traditional medicine, Siddha medicine, cultural competency, indigenous knowledge systems, pediatric care, historical analysis of complex neonatal conditionsAbstract
The medical legacy of Tamil Nadu encompasses a remarkable continuum of neonatal healthcare practices spanning more than two millennia. Through meticulous examination of ancient Siddha manuscripts, colonial documentation, and ethnographic records, this comprehensive analysis illuminates the sophisticated approaches to newborn care that flourished long before the advent of modern surgical interventions. The investigation reveals how traditional Tamil physicians developed intricate systems for identifying congenital anomalies, implementing therapeutic interventions, and providing comprehensive family-centred care that remarkably parallels contemporary best practices in neonatal surgery. The Siddha medical tradition, with its emphasis on holistic healing and precise diagnostic methodologies, established fundamental principles of neonatal care that continue to influence healthcare delivery across Tamil Nadu. These historical insights demonstrate the evolution of medical knowledge from ancient diagnostic techniques to colonial-era hybrid practices, ultimately informing current approaches to culturally competent neonatal surgical care. Understanding these deep-rooted medical traditions enables contemporary practitioners to bridge cultural divides while delivering optimal care to Tamil families navigating these traditions.
Downloads
Metrics
References
Agathiyar. (n.d.). Agathiyar Vaidya Kaviyam [Classical Tamil medical text]. Palm leaf manuscript preserved at Government Oriental Manuscripts Library, Chennai.
Arnold, D. (1993). Colonizing the body: State medicine and epidemic disease in nineteenth-century India. University of California Press.
ATSVS Siddha Medical College Manuscript Library. (n.d.). Kabaala Kutta Nidhanam [Scalp lesion-ology]. Palm manuscript collection, Munchirai, Tamil Nadu.
Bala, P. (1991). Imperialism and medicine in Bengal: A socio-historical perspective. Sage Publications.
Brass, P. R. (1972). The politics of ayurvedic education: A case study of revivalism and modernization in India. Health and Culture, 342-371.
Chakrabarti, P. (2014). Medicine and empire: 1600-1960. Palgrave Macmillan.
Chopra, R. N., Nayar, S. L., & Chopra, I. C. (1986). Glossary of Indian medicinal plants (3rd ed.). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
Dahanukar, S. A., Kulkarni, R. A., & Rege, N. N. (2000). Pharmacology of medicinal plants and natural products. Indian Journal of Pharmacology, 32(4), S81-S118.
Daniel, E. V. (1984). Fluid signs: Being a person the Tamil way. University of California Press.
Good, B. J. (1977). The heart of what's the matter: The semantics of illness in Iran. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 1(1), 25-58.
Government of Tamil Nadu. (2008). Siddha formulary of India (Part I). Controller of Publications.
Hardiman, D. (Ed.). (2006). Healing bodies, saving souls: Medical missions in Asia and Africa. Rodopi.
Harrison, M. (1994). Public health in British India: Anglo-Indian preventive medicine 1859-1914. Cambridge University Press.
Kandaswamy, N. (2012). Tamil traditional medicinal system – Siddha: An indigenous health practice in the international perspectives. International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Bio Sciences, 3(2), 609-618.
Krishnamurthy, K. H. (1991). Bibliographic survey of Indian medicine and homoeopathy. Central Council for Research in Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy.
Kumar, D. (1998). Medical encounters in British India. In Disease and medicine in India: A historical overview (pp. 302-338). Tulika Books.
Leslie, C. (Ed.). (1976). Asian medical systems: A comparative study. University of California Press.
Murugesan, M., & Premkumar, K. (2005). History of medicine in India: From antiquity to 1000 A.D. Indian National Science Academy.
Murugesa Mudaliar, K. S. (1988). Siddha medicine in Tamil Nadu. Institute of Asian Studies.
Narayana, D. B. A., Katayar, C. K., & Brindavanam, N. B. (1998). Original system of Indian medicine. In Glimpses of Indian medical tradition (pp. 15-34). Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth Foundation.
Narayanaswamy, V. (1975). Introduction to the Siddha system of medicine. Research Institute of Siddha Medicine.
Obeyesekere, G. (1976). The impact of Ayurvedic ideas on the culture and the individual in Sri Lanka. Asian Medical Systems, 201-226.
Panikkar, K. N. (1992). Indigenous medicine and cultural hegemony: A study of the revitalization movement in Keralam. Studies in History, 8(2), 283-308.
Patwardhan, B., Warude, D., Pushpangadan, P., & Bhatt, N. (2005). Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine: A comparative overview. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2(4), 465-473.
Pillai, C. P. V. (1979). Introduction to Siddha medicine. Research Department, Government Museum.
Pushpangadan, P., & Dan, V. M. (2002). Ayurveda and plant drugs: Retrospect and prospect. National Institute of Science Communication.
Ramachandra Rao, S. K. (1985). Encyclopedia of Indian medicine: Historical perspective. Popular Prakashan.
Ramakrishna, Y., Fatima, S. S., & Kumar, K. P. (2011). A study of Siddha medicine with special reference to Agathiyar traditions. Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine, 41(2), 83-92.
Ramaswamy, S. (1997). Passions of the tongue: Language devotion in Tamil India, 1891-1970. University of California Press.
Selvamurthy, W., Sridharan, K., & Ray, U. S. (1998). Yoga research in India: Scientific studies during 1975-2000 A.D. Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology, 42(4), 445-452.
Shanmugavel, G. (2014). Siddha medicine–background, principles, and the application for skin diseases. Clinical Dermatology Review, 2(1), 21-27.
Sivaramakrishnan, K. (2006). Old potions, new bottles: Recasting indigenous medicine in colonial Punjab (1850-1945). Orient Longman.
Subbarayappa, B. V. (1984). Indian medicine: A bibliographic survey (Vol. 1, Traditional medicine). Indian National Science Academy.
Tamil Nadu Dr. M. G. R. Medical University. (2008). Siddha Maruthuvam (Pothu). Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy.
Theraiyar. (n.d.). Theraiyar Venba [Classical Tamil medical verses]. Traditional Siddha text on diagnostic principles and therapeutics.
Trawick, M. (1987). The Ayurvedic physician as scientist. Social Science & Medicine, 24(12), 1031-1050.
Venkataraman, R. (2015). Traditional medicine systems in Tamil Nadu: Historical perspectives and contemporary relevance. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 173, 127-136.
Warrier, P. K., Nambiar, V. P. K., & Ramankutty, C. (Eds.). (1993-1995). Indian medicinal plants: A compendium of 500 species (5 volumes). Orient Longman.
Wujastyk, D. (2003). The roots of Ayurveda: Selections from Sanskrit medical writings. Penguin Classics.
Zimmermann, F. (1987). The jungle and the aroma of meats: An ecological theme in Hindu medicine. University of California Press.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
- Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
Terms:
- Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
- No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
