ASTANGA ATURVEDA (eight branches of Ayurvetla)
 

Kya, BăLa, Graht, Ordhvaiiga, Saiya, DamWa,Jar and Va—are the eight branches (of Ayurveda) in whicbtreatment (of diseases) is embodied (described)—(5)
Notes --Kayac kitsA branch deals with the treatment of diseases arising ftoxn d -a ders of digestive activity, known in modern parlance as Inner Mediciie; Băla cikită is treatment of diseases of children (paediatrics), Graha cikisă means treatment of diseases arising from possession by evil spit its, athogenic micro.organisns etc. and deals mainly with mental diseases (psychiatry). Urdhvafiga cikitsă deals whh treatment of disc. ases of the head inclusive of the eyes (ophthalmology ), ears (otology), nose ( rhinology), throat ( laryngology) and teeth ( dentistry).
alya cikitsă also known as Jastra cikitsd deals with treatment of requiring the use of knife (surgery). Dam str5. cikiisă is treatment of diseases due to poison (toxicology). Jarä cikitsă also known as RasAyana chicitsa deals with treatment of diseases of old age (gerientology, geriatrics). Va cikitsA deals with treatment of diseases like impotence, sterility etc. and making man sexually strong by the use aphcodisiacs (verification).
From those treatises which are very eloborate (hence difficult to study ), only the essence has been collected and this treatise—At.ânga hdaya—prepared which is niether too succinct nor too eloborate.