''Agada'' is one of the eight branches into which
ayurveda
Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population repor ...
medicine is traditionally divided. Literally, ''gada'' means a disease and ''agada'' means any agent which makes the body free from disease; however the term ''agada'' is used specifically for the branch of medicine dealing with
toxicology
Toxicology is a scientific discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnosing and treating expos ...
, the description of the different types of
poison
Poison is a chemical substance that has a detrimental effect to life. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broa ...
s, and their
antidote
An antidote is a substance that can counteract a form of poisoning. The term ultimately derives from the Greek term φάρμακον ἀντίδοτον ''(pharmakon) antidoton'', "(medicine) given as a remedy". Antidotes for anticoagulants are s ...
s.
''Agada Tantra'' is defined as a section of toxicology that deals with
food poisoning
Foodborne illness (also foodborne disease and food poisoning) is any illness resulting from the spoilage of contaminated food by pathogenic bacteria, viruses, or parasites that contaminate food,
as well as prions (the agents of mad cow disea ...
,
snakebite
A snakebite is an injury caused by the bite of a snake, especially a venomous snake. A common sign of a bite from a venomous snake is the presence of two puncture wounds from the animal's fangs. Sometimes venom injection from the bite may oc ...
s,
dog bites,
insect bites, etc.
The school of toxicology was founded and expounded upon by Kashyapa, also known as Vriddhakashyapa, a contemporary of
Atreya Punarvasu. He lived in
Taksashila in what is now
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
. His text was called the ''Kashyapa Samhita''. This, however, is a different book than the ''
Kashyap Samhita'' of
pediatrics. This text is not available now but the references of this text are found mentioned in different commentaries. Some other texts written by Alambayana,
Ushana
Ushana () is a king featured in Hindu literature. A member of the Yadu dynasty, he is described to be the son of a king named Tamas. The Vishnu Purana states that Ushana performed a hundred ashvamedha
The Ashvamedha ( sa, अश्वमेध, ...
,
Saunaka, and Latyayana were known to exist. However except for references to them, the original texts are no longer available.
The traditional practice of toxicology is still practiced by different families of
vishavaidyas (poison doctors) who specialize in toxicology. However, their knowledge is limited compared to the knowledge possessed by the earlier ayurvedic physicians. In ancient times, it was the job of Vishavaidyas to protect members of the
royal families
A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/ rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term p ...
from being poisoned, as well to poison enemies of the kings.
References
More sources
Search on Google Books* Forensic medicine under Indian system of medicine(Ayurveda). By Dr. U. N. Prasad
Ayurveda
Alternative detoxification
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