Textbook of Ayurveda 2

Vasant Lad is one of the great Ayurvedic teachers and presents this ancient science in a form that is understandable for today's students. In the second volume of his textbook series, he conveys the essential elements of clinical assessment in Ayurveda. The human body speaks a logical language. A good Ayurvedic therapist must train all the tools of perception and discrimination in order to know exactly where the patient is in the disease process in order to choose the most effective treatment. Vasant Lad explains in detail and in a practical way how a thorough examination should take place. This includes the five clinical barometers such as research into the causes and preceding signs, the phases of the disease process, the three categories of examination such as observation and palpation, the eight methods such as pulse, urine and stool diagnosis, assessment according to constitutional type, assessment of the digestive fire Agni and the metabolic waste Ama. In addition, detailed information is given on the disorders of the basic types (doshas), the various tissues such as muscle and fat, the three body essences Prana, Tejas and Ojas and the body channels (including digestion). In the appendix there are forms for a complete patient examination. With its illustrations, diagrams, questionnaires and practical examples, this book gives the learner a unique introduction to the secrets of the Ayurvedic examination. Dr. Vasant Lad is the director of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque and is active in the dissemination of Ayurvedic knowledge worldwide.