Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medical system widely practiced in India today, probably originated some 3,000 years ago. The origins of Ayurveda, "the science of life," are uncertain, but the remedies used may have evolved from prehistoric drug lore. The theoretical concepts and methodologies of Ayurveda are set forth in the classic texts attributed to Charaka, Susruta, and Vagbhata, semilegendary physicians, authors, and founders of the Ayurvedic system of healing. Mythic tales of ancient India survive in the form of four collections known as the Vedas, sacred books of divinely inspired knowledge....
