Is Aloe vera more poisonous 

Is Aloe vera more poisonous than the toxic heavy metals like Arsenic, Mercury, Lead etc.,?  Everyone would find such question quite funny. But it is not funny, Siddha system of medicine believe so. If anyone has doubt, please read the Schedule E1 of Drugs and Cosmetic Act of India. The science and logic of Siddha system behind such claim would end up like searching and finding God!
 The shocking fact is that the other traditional system of medicine claimed to have co-evolved with Siddha system of medicine – Ayurveda, considers all these metals to be poisonous substances.  

The question that boggles the mind is that the Lord Danvanthri (who gifted Ayurveda) when cautioned his disciples to play safe with these toxic metals, why Lord Siva while gifting Siddha system did not caution about the danger of these metals to his disciple?  

Should we assume that these metals are not toxic to a certain group of the population? Then such science is amazing and the scientific world should award the author for bringing such truth to light.  

The animal Koala can eat and digest the leaves of Eucalyptus but not by any other animal. Similarly, Panda can eat and digest the leaves of bamboo but not by any other animals.  

It is not Aloe vera alone, even Lawsonia otherwise called as henna is also poisonous than Arsenic, Mercury etc., according to Siddha. According to Siddha system, none of the heavy metals are listed under poisonous substances in Schedule E1.   

Ayurveda clearly specifies all such metals to be poisonous. Ayurveda consider all most all heavy metals like Gauripashana (Arsenic) Hartala (Arseno sulphide), Manahashila (Arseno sulphide), Parada (Mercury), Rasa Karpura (Hydrargyri subchloridum), Tuttha (Copper sulphate) Hingula (Cinnabar), Sindura (Red oxide of lead), Girisindura (Red oxide of mercury) as poisonous and are listed under Schedule E1. But Siddha system does not consider them as poisonous as per Schedule E1 listing.   

We can find several such contradictions between Ayurveda and Siddha if we refer to the Schedule E1 of Drugs and Cosmetic Act and other fundamental principles of both the systems.

Siddha system claims that when the plant Aloe vera is cut, the yellow coloured exudates that ooze out and accumulates beneath the cuticle is poisonous. Aloe vera being a succulent plant, the exudates or most constituents of the exudates scientifically has to come only from the plant. So how such exudates can be removed and how the plant Aloe vera can be made free from being poisonous, no explanation is available in the ancient Siddha system.   

The debate is not about Ayurveda or Siddha but how the Government of India allows one traditional system to list certain materials as poisonous and not by the other system.  

It has been scientifically proven that most of the heavy metals are extremely harmful.  What this absurd contradiction tells us?  

Next to rice and wheat, perhaps, Aloe vera is the most used and hyped herb by various industries such as food, nutraceutical, and FMCG to catch the attention and mind of the customers. But interestingly Aloe vera is poisonous than Arsenic, Mercury, Lead etc., according to Siddha system? 

Siddha experts won’t be silent than being knowledgeable in giving some wonderful explanations to the above contradiction. One such explanation is that all such heavy metals are poisonous only when they are used as such but Siddha system prescribes special procedures to purify these metals before process them.  If we ask scientifically how the metal toxicity is removed and how they ensure whether the toxic metal has become non-toxic and drug…..the answer would defy deafening silence. If we ask further, most of them would get angry, hyper-emotional and what not? 

The procedure to test whether the heavy metals are processed completely or not is filled with astonishing science.  The final product is when placed on water, it must float…it means the process is perfect. Similarly, when we touch the powder, it must fill all the fine ridges in the fingers…..then the process is perfect. How such test would say the metal has lost its toxicity and has become drug!!!??? 

The big question before the civic society is that why we value our ancient tradition barring and breaching all scientific norms and codes and promoting AYUSH as medical science….that can save humanity all over the world?  

Are the above science and scientific explanations only various Departments of AYUSH has brought out to our country since 1970 with the continuous sponsorship and patronage of the Government for meeting all most all demands?  

Why still we promote AYUSH as medical science, drug, cure, and diagnosis based system?  

Logically some AYUSH expert would ask how the early men had survived after taking all these substances so-called poisonous by modern science. 

What was the population of India before and after the advent of vaccination? AYUSH was in existence ever since humanity or over 5000 years? What was the life expectancy of man over last 100 years? 

For curable diseases, AYUSH has no drugs but claim to cure most of the incurable diseases?  If we lend our ears further, even they would cure AIDS and cancer at metastasis!!! 

Does this not sound funny, bizarre and wacky? When AYUSH products are given along with allopathic drugs, the treatment duration gets shortened and therefore AYUSH products are effective is yet another ‘wonderful science’ happening these days.  

The question is, had the ancient Siddhars developed Siddha products to be given as adjuvant along with allopathic drugs so the treatment duration could be reduced? It means Siddhars were aware of allopathic drugs several thousand years ago itself and that is how they have developed Siddha to play second fiddle to scientifically proven allopathic system. Is it so?

Does this attempt not look like somehow the AYUSH vaidyas wants to create some role for themselves and their products because AYUSH is getting exposed as unscientific and ineffective?  

Ayurveda considers snake poison to be poisonous. But Siddha, God knows whether snake poison is wonder drug or not or even they use snake poison at all.  

Even Lord Siva who gifted Siddha system too was susceptible to snake poison and that is how he got the name Neelakanda (blue-necked). It is true that the science of such system do say, if we bite back the snake that had bitten us, the venom gets neutralized!!!  

Is this ‘hilarious’ science, we have given the status as a medical science and all those who have studied such subject - doctor.   

Why do we move forward with AYUSH as medical science and instead why can’t we promote AYUSH as paramedical practice?  

It looks like are we not promoting ‘nothing’ and ‘nonsense’ as medical science?   

The Sanskrit sloka in worship of Vishnu and Veda Vyasa says 

“Vyasaya Vishnu Roopaya, Vyasa Roopaya Vishnave”

It means, Vishnu and Ved Vyasa are same.  

Today pseudo-science is the other name of AYUSH and vice versa. Otherwise why the AYUSH vaidyas in private practice engage in cross pathy, justify and demand legal right to breach allopathic system? If AYUSH is effective, like some faithful patients, should we no expect the AYUSH vaidyas to excel in the own system? Let us not forget the truth that AYUSH is indeed paramedical practice and not medical science.

S Ranganathan

THE HANS INDIA |    Aug 01,2016 , 09:40 AM IST