The domain of Medicine; Things we must be aware of
Our nation has always been a seat of controversies in the field of health and other related things. The controversies regarding the production, testing and pricing of medicines still exist. During the tenure of the Vajpey government, the United States of America seized the complete patent of a very rare fungus namely Cyclosporine which is found only in some parts of India. This fungus is an important component for making an effective medicine to protect human lever and Indian medical companies were producing it with the licence from the Government of India, which included Cypla, the largest producer of medicines in India. The sale of this medicine contributed an amount of Rs.2400 crores as the tax. This was lost merely due to the carelessness of the Vajpey government. Our nation is in no way inferior to anyone in the field of research and the production of medicines. But, we are backward in making income out of it.
A rare gem to preserve
Ayurveda is the backbone of Indian medicinal heritage. This is the land of Charaka, Charakasamhitha, Susrutha, Susruthadhyaya, traditional native medical practitioners, Ashtagurus and Moossathus. Allamidarfousy has stated it clearly that India was considered to be a place of fame not only for its popularity for the trade of spices but also for its excellence in the field of treatments for poisons, numerous types of medication and the ways to understand the roots of every disease. Kerala, particularly, the Western Ghats is a place where most of the herbs are found. The British colonizers introduced allopathic medicine without obstructing the growth of Ayurveda in India. Pookkoya Thangal and his ancestors made their courageous entry into such a historical circumstance. Irrespective of the popularity of the other branches of medication, the medical treatments provided by the Kodappanakkal Tharavadu stands apart by its unique and amazing output.
A unique sparkle of genius to seek
The reasons for this amazing uniqueness are many. One of these is the grandeur of their faith in the Prophetic tradition aka Ahulbaiths. Secondly, the lessons they have obtained from the Sufis. Thirdly, they sustain their age old tradition in the field of treatments. Fourthly, they confidently go on with their medical tradition without any revolts against the modern ways of medication and that is the reason why many of the new age doctors come to the tharavadu seeking the blessing before they begin with their career.
It is unfortunate that nowadays certain disastrous happenings are going unnoticed in India. Though the physical growth of Ayurveda is acknowledged through the emergence of Ayurvedic hospitals and the growing number of its practitioners, it is highly regrettable that
Thousands of native herbs that were once found abundantly in the soil of Kerala are slowly becoming invisible. Those herbs and their seeds, flowers, stems, leaves and roots which are inevitable in the production of Ayurvedic medicines have become mere facts and pictures given in books. This exactly is the time we realize the greatness of the Panakkadu and its surroundings along with the Sayyids and their ways of treatment. The Kodappanakkal tharavadu is blessed with the profuse availability of these otherwise rare medicinal plants. The Sayyids still indomitably stand as the supreme upholders of the wellness and health of the people in a world where people no longer believe in such holy ways of traditional medical treatments.
The perfect blend of the traditional and the contemporary
According to Ibnuseena and Charaka, the pioneers Yunani and Ayurveda, any medical treatment becomes effective in relation to the speciality of the topography. Cure for each diseases lay adjacent to its cause. Ignited by this vision, the successors of Pookkoya Thangal have formulated their treatment as a combination of the Arabic Ayurveda, the scientific medicinal lessons obtained from the prophets and the Yunani and made it in such a way that it is suitable for our atmosphere and topography. P.M.S.A succumbed to death by making a soulful relation by naming his children after the name of his uncle and mentor Ali Pookkoya Thangal as a token of his respect and gratitude. He contributed the name Ali Shihab to the names of the coming generations. Muhammadali Shihab, Umar Ali Shihab, Hider Ali Shihab, Saddique Ali Shihab, Abbas Ali Shihab and Munavvarali Shihab are the reminders of this rich tradition.