SRI LANKA - INDIGENOUS MEDICINE [ AYURVEDA ]

Sri Lanka has its own indigenous scheme of traditional medicine (Ayurveda)

This system has been practiced for many centuries in the island nation. The Sri 

Lankan Ayurvedic tradition is a mixture of the Sinhala traditional medicine

Ayurveda and Siddha systems of India, Unani medicine of Greece through 

the Arabs, and most importantly, the Desheeya Chikitsa, which is the 

indigenous medicine of Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka developed its own Ayurvedic system based on a series 

of prescriptions handed down from generation to generation over a period of 

3,000 years. The ancient kings, who were also prominent physicians, sustained 

its survival and longevity. King Buddhadasa (398 AD), the most influential of 

these physicians, wrote the Sarartha Sangrahaya, a comprehensive manuscript 

which Sri Lankan physicians still use today for reference.

Ancient inscriptions on rock surfaces reveal that organized medical services 

have existed within the country for centuries. In fact, Sri Lanka claims to be the
first country in the world to have established dedicated hospitals. The Sri 
Lankan mountain Mihintale still has the ruins of what many believe to be the 
first hospital in the world. Old hospital sites now attract tourists, who marvel 
at the beautiful ruins. These places have come to symbolize a traditional sense
 of healing and care, which was so prevalent at that time.

Historically the Ayurvedic physicians enjoyed a noble position in the country's 
social hierarchy due to their royal patronage. From this legacy stems a 
well-known Sri Lankan saying: "If you can not be a king, become a healer." 

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