Basic Concepts
The principles and doctrines of this system bear a striking resemblance to Ayurveda, with a specialization in Iatro-chemistry. According to this system, the human body is a microcosm of the universe, and the same applies to the nature of food and medicines, regardless of their origin.
Similar to Ayurveda, this system postulates that all entities in the universe, including the human body, are constituted by five fundamental elements: earth, water, fire, air, and sky. The food consumed by the human body and the medications it employs are all composed of these five elements. The therapeutic effects and actions of these substances depend on the proportion of elements they contain and the dominance of certain elements.
Just like Ayurveda, this system recognizes the human body as a composition of three humors, seven primary tissues, and waste by-products like feces, urine, and sweat. Food is regarded as the fundamental building material for the human body, transforming into humors, body tissues, and waste products. A state of equilibrium among humors signifies good health, while any disruption or imbalance leads to illness or disease.
This system also delves into the concept of spiritual enlightenment in life. The proponents of this system believe that achieving such a state is attainable through the use of medicines and meditation.
Materia Medica
This system has cultivated a vast and distinctive repository of knowledge about medicinal substances, promoting the use of metals and minerals. To appreciate the depth of this system's mineral materia medica knowledge, we can examine the comprehensive drug classification briefly outlined below:
- There are 25 types of water-soluble inorganic compounds referred to as 'UPPU, encompassing various alkalies and salts. Additionally, there are 64 varieties of mineral drugs that do not dissolve in water but release vapors upon exposure to heat. Thirty-two of these are natural, while the remainder is artificial.
- Seven drugs do not dissolve in water but emit vapors when heated.
- The system has separately classified various classes of metals and alloys that melt upon heating and solidify upon cooling. These include substances like gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, and iron. They undergo specific processes of incineration and are employed in medical treatments.
- There exists a group of drugs that sublime when heated, featuring substances such as mercury and its various forms, including red sulphide of mercury, mercuric chloride, and red oxide of mercury.
- Sulfur, insoluble in water, plays a pivotal role in Siddha materia medica alongside mercury for therapeutic use and maintaining health.
The above classification reflects the extensive knowledge and investigation of minerals that this system has developed for therapeutic purposes. Furthermore, there are medicinal substances derived from animal sources. The system has published handbooks on Siddha treatments for common diseases and ailments.