Encyclopedia of Ayurvedic Medicinal Plants

ASTANGA ATURVEDA (eight branches of Ayurveda)
 

salyam, salakyam, kaya cikitsa, bhutha vidya, kaumara brityam, agathatantram, rasayana tantram, vajeekarana tantram- are the eight branches (of Ayurveda) in which treatment (of diseases) is embodied (described)

Notes --Kaya cikitsa branch deals with the treatment of diseases arising due to improper digestive activity, known in modern  as Inner Medicine;

          Bãla cikitsã is treatment of diseases of children (pediatrics), Graha cikitsã means treatment of diseases arising from possession by evil spit its, pathogenic micro organisms etc. and deals mainly with mental diseases (psychiatry). Salakya deals with treatment of areas of the head inclusive of the eyes (ophthalmology ), ears (otology), nose ( rhinology), throat ( laryngology) and teeth ( dentistry).
         Salya cikitsã also known as Jastra cikitsa deals with treatment of requiring the use of knife (surgery).

Agatha tantram / Damstra. cikitsã is treatment of diseases due to poison (toxicology).

         Rasayana chikitsa deals with treatment of diseases of old age (gerontology, geriatrics).

         Vajikarana cikitsa deals with treatment of diseases like impotence, sterility etc. and making man sexually strong by the use aphrodisiacs (verification).
           From those treatises which are very elaborate (hence difficult to study ), only the essence has been collected and this treatise—Astânga hrdaya—prepared which is niether too succinct nor too elaborate.