Siddha medicine

Siddha medicine is a form of traditional medicine originating in southern India. It is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India. The Indian Medical Association regards Siddha medicine degrees as "fake" and Siddha therapies as quackery, posing a danger to national health due to absence of training in science-based medicine. Identifying fake medical practitioners without qualifications, the Supreme Court of India stated in 2018 that "unqualified, untrained quacks are posing a great risk to the entire society and playing with the lives of people without having the requisite training and education in the science from approved institutions".

In rural India, siddhars have learned methods traditionally through master-disciple relationships to become local "healers" known as siddhars. Siddhars are among an estimated 400,000 traditional healers practicing medicine in India, comprising some 57% of rural medical care. Siddha practitioners believe that five basic elements – earth, water, fire, air, sky – are in food, "humours" of the human body, and herbal, animal or inorganic chemical compounds, such as sulfur and mercury, used as therapies for treating diseases.

The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy of the Government of India regulates training in Siddha medicine and other traditional practices grouped collectively as AYUSH. The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R Medical University offers courses with advanced degrees, such as BSMS (Bachelor in Siddha Medicine and Surgery), MD (Medical Doctor, Siddha) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The Central Council of Indian Medicine, a statutory body established in 1971 under AYUSH, monitors education in areas of Indian traditional medicine, including Siddha medicine. Siddha degree holders can become registered Siddha practitioners and are allowed to prescribe drugs as per the standards recorded in the Siddha Pharmacopoeia of India (SPI) under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. However, modern medicine prescriptions by Siddha practitioners are also considered as quackery by the Indian Medical Association.

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