Professor C. Dwarakanath: A visionary in Ayurvedic education and research

Abstract

Professor C. Dwarakanath was an eminent personality in the field of Ayurveda who contributed to the development and modernization of Ayurvedic education and research. Although he is famed as the author of seminal works in Ayurvedic literature, little is known about his family or distinguished career. A review of his life was done based on information collected from online databases, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Shodhganga, and the Internet Archive; old literature on the history of Ayurveda and luminaries in Ayurvedic medicine; and books authored by Prof. Dwarakanath and written by his followers. Prof. Dwarakanath had held several key positions, including Research Officer and Advisor (Indian Systems of Medicine) to the Government of India. Throughout his professional life, he was guided by Capt. G. Srinivasa Murthy, his mentor. His contributions to research in Ayurveda began with his original research on “gold therapy” in pulmonary tuberculosis at Hamburg University, Germany. He was the Officiating Secretary of the Chopra Committee, which introduced several measures to harmonize Western and Indigenous systems of medicine. His contributions to drug research through the Composite Drug Research Scheme and his work at the Indian Council of Medical Research have helped integrate Ayurveda with modern research. His efforts popularized Ayurveda worldwide. His books remain as evidence of his erudition and penmanship. He will ever be remembered as a pioneer in Ayurvedic research.