History of Indian Herbal Medical Science
Dhanvantari appears as Vishnu with four hands, only holding medical herbs in one hand and a pot containing rejuvenating nectar (amrita) in another.He is the first teacher of the Ayur-veda, the Vedic (Vedic kaal time period) medical science.
Ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine.
In Sanskrit, the word ayurveda consists of the words āyus, meaning "longevity", and veda, meaning "related to knowledge" or "science". Evolving throughout its history, ayurveda remains an influential system of medicine in india.
The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India.The Suśruta Samhitā and the Charaka Samhitā were influential works on traditional medicine during this era.Over the following centuries, Ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments and diseases.
In Western medicine, Ayurveda is classified as a system of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that is used to complement, rather than replace, the treatment regimen and relationship that exists between a patient and their existing physician.