Vanaspati: Plants and Plant-Life as in Indian Treatises and Traditions c6.t2.3

c6.t2.3

As the title indicates remedies of supernatural diseases were exclusively directed against supernatural agencies, such as demons, Yakshas, ghosts, curse of gods or the like. Plants used as drugs were sometimes applied by themselves, and sometimes in association with incantations, invocations, and magical formulæ. A pronounced characteristic of the Eastern system of medicine is that it provides for the cure against the diseases of the spirit, which the West has left to the region of incurability, where in the language of Macbeth's Physician—"the patient must administer to himself." Of all the supernatural diseases witchcraft seems to be the most prevalent one, and a very large number of plants are prescribed as remedies against it. While giving remedies against this disease in detail, the hymns of the *Atharva Veda* coming under this head throw a lurid light upon the contemporary state of customs and beliefs—a state of civilisation characterised by ferocity, superstition, envy and malice. Besides witchcraft may be mentioned obsession by *Yaksha*, Demon, *Apsarā*, *Gandharva*, sorcery, curses, ghost, etc. All the plants prescribed are not, unfortunately, named; only a few and a very few have been identified with their modern representatives.