CRITICAL STUDY OF RAKTAMOKSHANA W.S.R. TO CHARAKA SAMHITA

Lord Dhanvantari, an incarnation of Vishnu, the promulgator of Ayurveda holds leech in his hand indicating the importance of leech therapy in the field of medical practice. The practice of Raktamokshana can be traced back from Vedic period and the references related to bloodletting by means of leech application are available in the Kousika sutra of Adharvana Veda. The extraction of blood for the cure of many disorders was in practice since antiquity until the late 19th century. Hippocrateswas also reported that bloodletting was in practice in Greece during the fifth century B.C. It was used to "treat" a wide range of diseases, becoming a standard treatment for almost every ailment, and was practiced prophylactically as well as therapeutically. A British medical text recommended bloodletting for acne, asthma, cancer, cholera, coma, convulsions, diabetes, epilepsy, gangrene, gout, herpes, indigestion, insanity, jaundice, leprosy, ophthalmic conditions, stroke and the other one hundred diseases also infers the importance of Hirudotherapy in the medical practice. Though Charaka has not incorporated Raktamokshana (bloodletting) in the group of Panchakarma, mentioning of more than 30 references of Raktamokshana for the management of Jwara (fever), Gulma (abdominal tumor), Kushta (skin disorders), Arshas (piles), Visarpa (herpes) and Vatarakta (gout) etc. suggests the comprehensive knowledge about bloodletting therapy. The details of the historical perspective as well as the references related to Raktamokshana in Charaka Samhita are discussed in thisarticle.