Book Review

1. Introduction

Siddha Medicine is an ancient Medical system which is in the Tamil language flourished more in southern part of India. This medical system has its own school of terminologies (TNs) in the Tamil language to describe signs and symptoms, diagnostic methods, pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies. For a better understanding of these TNs, we have to know its brief exposition. To bring the Siddha system globally, analogues modern medical term for these TNs have to be derived. The brief exposition and analogues modern medical term for these TNs are available in T.V.S. Siddha Medical Dictionary written by a great scholar, Maruthuva Agaraadhi Thandha Maamaedhai (Man of cyclopaedia Dictionary) T.V. Sambasivam Pillai. In order to honour his contribution of Siddha cyclopaedic dictionary, Hon'ble Prime minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi, had released commemorative postal stamp of T.V. Sambasivam Pillai on 30th August 2019. This article reviews this T.V. Sambasivam Pillai Siddha, Cyclopaedic Medical Dictionary.

2. Book details

T.V. Sambasivam Pillai Siddha Medical Dictionary is not only a Tamil to English Medical Dictionary but also a Siddha Encyclopaedia. This Dictionary provides descriptions (DNs) for the TNs in Tamil and also in English. It explains 86,618 TNs arranged in the order of Tamil Alphabets. It has been extended in five volumes and available in 8 books with the perfect binding which is shown in Table 1.

Table 1.

Book details.

S. No	Volume	Part	Publisher/year	Letters present (as per Tamil Alphabet)	Page No.	No. of TNs
1.	Volume-I	I	Research Institute of Siddhars Science/1938.	A, Aa, I (3 letters)	880	10,064
2.	Volume-I	II	Research Institute of Siddhars Science/1938.	i, ee, u, oo, e,ae, i, o, oa, ou(10 letters)	862	7562
3.	Volume-II	I	Research Institute of Siddhars Science/1938.	Ka, Kaa (2 letters)	800	9318
4.	Volume-II	II	Research Institute of Siddhars Science/1938.	Ki to Kou (10 letters)	536	7575
5.	Volume-III		The Directorate of Indian Medicine/1977	Sa, saa, si (3 letters)	472	7790
6.	Volume-IV	I	The Directorate of Indian Medicine/1977	Si-sow, nja series,da series to tha,thaa. (36 letters)	1020	9427
7.	Volume-IV	II	The Directorate of Indian Medicine/1978	Thi-thow – Nha series (22 letters)	980	9774
8.	Volume-V		The Directorate of Indian Medicine/1978	Pa series to Nau series (120 letters)	1292	25198
Total Number					7098	86,618

3. Introduction to author

Thanjavur Vilvaiah Sambasivam Pillai, in short T.V. Sambasivam Pillai is the author of this great and incomparable Medical Dictionary. He was put up as a clerk in the Police Department. After the sudden demise of his wife and children due to epidemic disease, he diverted himself in preparing Dictionary with the palm manuscripts and hand-written materials of his forefathers. He had dedicated 15 years of his life from 1916 for the compilation of this compendium. It is quite astonishing to note, “How a single person can compile a Bilingual Medical Dictionary with 7098 pages in the year of 1931 itself!“. It reflects his dedication and hard work. Apart from his hard work, he sold all his properties and spent it for the foundation of a Research center named “The Research Institute of Siddhars' science’’ for the purpose of publishing this Dictionary. He published the first two volumes, successfully. While the remaining three volumes of the book in the preparatory phase, the author died in 1953. His unpublished works were in darkness for many years. The scientist, G. D. Naidu and his son along with some great scholars took great steps and approach the Government of Tamil Nadu to publish the last 3 volumes. Department of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, Government of Tamil Nadu published the volume III, IV, and V. Then the same reprinted all the volumes.

4. The purpose of the book and its contribution to Siddha Medicine

Literature is a plethora in Siddha system of Medicine. But all in the form of Tamil poems. Understanding the lyrics is most important to know the proper information. This book serves as reference material to understand the correct meanings, correlations with modern medical terms which will pave the way to enlighten the Siddha system of medicine globally.

5. Contents review

The standard of the content and richness of this compilatory work are very high. This compendium contains two parts. One is the terminology part. Another one is the description part. Terminology part is in Tamil. Description parts are expounded in both Tamil and English. In some TNs, the description part may link another terminology. If the TNs were analyzed, it can be categorized into 52 categories. The total number of TNs in each categories are General Tamil Terms (3467), Signs and Symptoms (5851), General Diseases (6092), Diseases of Male (144), Diseases of Female (406), Paediatric Diseases (439), Medical Terms (5537), Anatomical Terms (3862), Physiological Terms (3465), Herbal drugs (8977), Mineral drugs (5475), Animal products drugs (2290), Thogai sarakku (306), Siddha Medicines (1581), Siddha Pharmacological Terms (3597), Siddha External Therapy Terms (1043),Toxicological Terms (1190), Siddha Rejuvenation Terms (275), Yogam and Spiritual Terms (1930), Siddhar related Terms (548), Magic and Evil Terms (745), Herbs (10,655), Shrubs (2156), Trees (8114), Aquatic plants (625), Botanical terms (1323), Greens (689), Flowers (1004), Unripe fruits (144), Fruits (1146), Vegetables (657), Fish (851), Insects (820), Worms and Parasites (292), Birds (1437), Animals (2424), Veterinary Terms (505), Measurements (377), Medical Instruments (954), Astrological Terms (117), Ornaments (661), Timeperiod (636), Literatures (451), Sanskritterms (17), AyurvedaTerms (356), Unani Terms (62), Emotional terms (309), Food stuffs (2766), Nature related Terms (1956), Locations (274), Physics Terms (197), Chemistry Terms (566).

6. Specific content analysis

Specific contents present in DNs are analyzed and categorized into five major groups on the basis of the skeleton of description. One TN is randomly selected from each group and cross-checked with standard dictionaries and classical texts. The five major groups are.

6.1. Siddha medical terminologies

Siddha medical terms covered 25.82% of total TNs. It includes Anatomy, Physiology, Signs and symptoms, General diseases, Diseases of Male and Female, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatric diseases and other Siddha medical-related terms. DNs of these TNs has Definition in Tamil, Definition in English, synonym terms, Analogues modern medical term and some may have detailed explanations. Randomly TN “Annaakkazharchchi” is analyzed for authenticity. Analogues modern medical terms, the definition of Annaakkazharchchi are matched with the information given in the Oxford Medical Dictionary.

6.2. Siddha pharmacological and non-pharmacological terminologies

It covered 29% of total TNs. It includes herbal raw drugs, mineral raw drugs, animal products raw drugs, Thogai charakku, Medicine, Pharmacology, External therapies, Rejuvenation Therapy, Spiritual and Yoga. DNs of these TNs have an appropriate Botanical name, Chemical name, Zoological term, Morphological characters, Name of the medicines, Indications, Medicine preparing techniques, preparing methodology (SOPs), Mode of administration, Adjuvants and Practising methodology. Randomly TN “Kandhagam” is analyzed for authenticity. Availability, properties, indications of Kandhagam are matched with the information given in Siddha Materia Medica Part –II.

6.3. Life sciences terminologies

It covered 4.9% of total TNs. It includes Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Herb, Shrub, Tree, Aquatic plants, Worms, Parasites, Insects, Birds, and Animals. DNs of these TNs have definition in Tamil, definition in English, synonym terms, analogues modern medical term, botanical name, chemical name, zoological term, morphological characters, habit, habitat. Randomly TN “Aanai nerunjil” is analyzed for authenticity. The botanical name, habit, habitat of A. nerunjil are matched with the information given in FRLHT.

6.4. Other medical systems terminologies

It covered 1% of the total TNs. it includes Veterinary, Ayurveda and Unani. DNs of these TNs have explained the disease of the animals and medicines used to it, Medical terms, Medicines, preparatory methods.

6.5. Other Tamil terms

It covered 42.38% of total TNs. General Tamil terms, about nature, denoting time, locations, food substances, ornaments, emotions, astrology, literature, measurements, magic and evils, Siddhar related terms. DNs of these TNs have definition in Tamil, definition in English, classical Tamil poetry and some have an extensive explanation. Randomly TN “Aaravam” is analyzed for authenticity. Meaning of Aaravam is matched with the meaning given in Tamil Lexicon.

7. Proportion analysis

If the TNs are analyzed for proportionality, the number of TNs in 27 Tamil alphabets (Tamil vowel −12 letters, Tamil consonants 15 letters-ka series −12, cha, chaa, chi) are enormous which covered 3550 pagesthe but TNs of remaining Tamil alphabets (191) are in 3549 Pages only. It shows that there are the least number of TNs and brief DNs present in those remaining Tamil Alphabets. Tamil Alphabets covered are very least in number and DNs are very extensive in Volume I-part-I. Tamil Alphabets covered are more in numbers but DNs are very brief in Volume V. Papers present and number of TNs in all the books are more or less same except Volume V which were a little high.

8. Readability

T.V.S. Dictionary is rendered appropriately in an elegant, simple and clear language. Bilingual DNs enables to understand the TNs in a very easy way.

9. Comparison with other dictionaries

Descriptions are very extensive in T.V.S. Dictionary, it has shown that it had attempted an advance on the previous nigandu, lexicons, etc. while they are just in a dictionary mode. T.V.S. Dictionary stands on a high pedestal while comparing with other Dictionaries. It vividly explains different meanings with several explanations for a single Terminology.

10. Role of T. V. S. Dictionary in research

Siddha Scientific Terminologies are collected and rendered in a very extensive manner in both Tamil and English help to understand in a better way. In a research question developing, it provides Siddha scientific terminologies like disease name, symptoms, Siddha medicine, etc. Perusing this dictionary can complete the literature review. For writing article, it provides Siddha scientific terminologies to make it very professional.

11. Strengths of the book

On the DNs part, he had exposed many meanings or DNs for a single terminology. He had mentioned botanical names, zoological names, chemical names which help to identify the flora, fauna and chemical substances. In the case of medical terms, he compared with modern medical terms which open the new door for health researchers. DNs part in encyclopedic mode helps to get more information. He had dedicated 250 pages exclusively to explain about Siddha System of Medicine. For the terminologies part, he had chosen TNs from more branches of medical systems like pathology, pharmacognosy, pharmacology, non-pharmacological interventions, yoga, food, etc. for holistic health approach. He had compiled enormous TNs for first 27 Tamil alphabets which itself occupy 3 volumes (3550 pages). 50% of TNs (43,000) were related to the Siddha Medical system. No other book has such a huge collection. Therefore, it is a dictionary of TNs likely to be used in writing dissertations, Thesis and Monographs for all postgraduate scholars, research scholars, researchers. It is clear and easy to find the TNs what we are looking for among long entries because of the bold font and arranged in Tamil Alphabets. Derivatives of the terminology are easily identified as they were given next to next. The DNs are presented in a clear way, and it does not overwhelm with too many details that might confuse, but it gives the most important and the essential information. If there are any controversies, he had discussed well in the NOTE section appropriately. It is a real treasure for research scholars to create a research question which needs Siddha disease name correlated with Modern medicine disease name. It's a dictionary that documented Siddha terminologies and also helps to know the Etymology. This compendium work speaks about the glory and scientific background of Siddha Medicine.

12. Weaknesses of the book

The number of TNs present after 27 Tamil alphabets are very least when compared with TNs of first 27 Tamil Alphabets (whole Tamil vowels (12) and Tamil consonants ‘Ka’ to ‘Thi’). Due to his demise, many TNs in Volume IV and V are in the lack of DNs.

Need for updating scientific names like botanical names, zoological names, chemical names. Siddha system has many classical texts. It contains several thousands of Siddha medicines. But this book refers only 1581 Siddha Medicines. These books are very bulky, not compact enough to carry. The authors of this article can identify 910 words from Gunapaadam - Thadhu book (Siddha Materia Medica), 747 words from Gunapaadam - Mooligai book (Siddha Materia Medica) which were not mentioned in this Dictionary. Many important TNs of Siddha medicine has been left out. These terms, he might have collected, and it might not been published.

13. Conclusion

T.V·S Siddha Medical Dictionary which is an epitome and versatile compendium gives deep insight into the Siddha Medical system. It also throws new light on Siddha Medicine to think in new innovative ways. It will be very useful to the target population like Medical and life science students, physicians, academicians, researchers, Tamil scholars, health industries in a great way. We trust it will soon be the most needed books in Health services.

Conflict of Interest

None.