Tabiyat : Medicine and Healing in India

This book is a collection of nine masterly and thought-provoking essays written by noted physician Farokh Erach Udwadia. In this book he discusses topics of contemporary importance like Ayurveda, medical ethics, medical inventions during wars, nursing and the influence of Florence Nightingale, importance of music in healing and death.

The word "Tabiyat" is an Urdu word whose origin is Arabic, meaning "nature, temperament, disposition" in English. This book is a collection of topics of contemporary significance reflecting the author''s ethical conviction to combine today''s science with yesterday''s art of medicine in the hope that the pursuit of science as applied to medicine does not do harm to humanity. One of the essays trace the roots of Ayurveda, its philosophy, rise and achievements and also discusses reasons for its stagnation after the 18th century in contrast to the rise of Western medicine whereas another essay celebrates the contribution of scientists who revolutionized the fields of microbiology and surgery with sheer single-minded dedication in an era where modern principles of trials were non-existent. The author re-emphasizes on ethical practices to maintain the sanctity of this noble practice and highlights the example of Florence Nightingale. He also brings in the theory of how medical innovations happen during the scourge of wars, inherent power of music in healing and how medicine liberated in the renaissance era. The author concludes with a mixture of conjecture, philosophy, and poetry on Death.