The Symbiotic Relationship Between the Folk and Classical Streams of Medical Knowledge in India

Abstract

India's diverse heritage of medical knowledge has nurtured the development of a pluralistic health care set up in the sub-continent. Underlying the diversity of India's medical heritage is an intricate relationship between the folk and classical streams of knowledge. This paper attempts to sketch the dynamics of this interaction by a careful study of evidence available in the classical texts of Ayurveda.