Of Shastric ‘Yogams’ and polyherbals

This is an essay on the formulary logic of contemporary ayurvedic drugs. It suggests that there are three different ways of conceiving this logic: the biomedical formulary, the polyherbal formulary of the West, and the ayurvedic formulary. The ayurvedic formulary has a long history of endogenous inn...

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1. Verfasser: Naraindas, Harish (VerfasserIn)
Dokumenttyp: Article (Journal)
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: 2014
In: Asian medicine
Year: 2014, Jahrgang: 9, Heft: 1-2, Pages: 12-48
ISSN:1573-4218
DOI:10.1163/15734218-12341326
Online-Zugang:Verlag, Volltext: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15734218-12341326
Verlag, Volltext: http://booksandjournals.brillonline.com/content/journals/10.1163/15734218-12341326
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Verfasserangaben:Harish Naraindas
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:This is an essay on the formulary logic of contemporary ayurvedic drugs. It suggests that there are three different ways of conceiving this logic: the biomedical formulary, the polyherbal formulary of the West, and the ayurvedic formulary. The ayurvedic formulary has a long history of endogenous innovation. Its epistemic logic is best understood through the language of a shastric <i>yogam</i>. This paper will attempt to look at what this logic entails and how it is being transformed by contemporary drug making practices. The transformation produces a range of therapeutic possibilities that bears comparison with and resembles, however, not the biomedical but the polyherbal formulary of the contemporary West. This results neither in a straightforward ‘biomedicalisation’ nor in a ‘herbalisation’ of Ayurveda but leads instead, through a mangling of epistemic registers, to its creolisation and the production of a new ‘formulary language’ which is carefully and critically addressed.
Beschreibung:Gesehen am 12.12.2017
Beschreibung:Online Resource
ISSN:1573-4218
DOI:10.1163/15734218-12341326