Tamil University of Thanjavur is planning to host a two day national seminar on "Siddha Medicine: R&D Institutions and Pharmaceutical Industries" on December 9 and 10, 2002. The seminar is jointly organized by the Department of Siddha Medicine and the Department of Industries and Earth Sciences of the University.

The scientists and teachers from various universities and R&D institutions in Siddha Medical System who are working on both human and veterinary diseases are expected to participate in the programme. Siddha practitioners, pharmaceutical industries, drug manufacturers, administrators involved in various Indian systems of medicine are also to benefit from the seminar.

The organizers said that the seminar is aimed at reviewing the strength of Siddha Medical System for human as well as animal diseases and to assess the status of scientific validation/ standardization of Siddha drugs and identify the thrust areas for scientific research.

Use of toxic elements in Siddha drugs and scientific validation and the use of industry-institution alliances in Siddha sector would also be discussed in the seminar.

The technical sessions are on the following subjects:

1) Review of the strength of Siddha medical system for human diseases
2) Review of the strength of Siddha Medical System for animal diseases
3) Use of toxic elements in Siddha drugs and scientific validation
4) Scientific validation / standardization of Siddha drugs and identify the thrust areas for S&T interventions
5) R&D institution / industry alliances and identification of areas for collaboration

Siddha medical system is one of the traditional systems of India that is known to offer effective treatment for all types of arthritis, hepatitis, infertility, urogenetal disorders, skin disorders etc. It also provides extraordinary veterinary therapeutic practices for which even modern medicinal system could not provide complete cure.

Presently Siddha system is patronized only in East Asian countries and is yet to be popularized in western countries. This needs scientific calibration and standardization of the herbal, polyherbal, herbomineral drugs as well as on the use of toxic elements in Siddha medicinal preparations through chemical, biochemical, pharmacological, phyochemical , microbiological, physiological and botanical research studies.

The accumulated knowledge of traditional medical system and large bio-diversity of India offer a great advantage to the industry to expand Siddha market beyond the country. The seminar is expected to be a major step in this direction.