Neuroscientists have succ-eeded in creating ‘ghosts’ inthe lab by tricking the brainsof test subjects into feelingan unexpected ‘presence’.Under normal circumstancesthe brain is able to form aunified self-perception, butlead researcher Olaf Blankeexplained that when thismalfunctions the braincreates a secondpresentation of its body.

GHOST STORIESHarvard researchers havedeveloped a new bio comp-atible hydrogel that can befilled with cells or moleculesand injected in the body todeliver drugs or stimulatetissue regeneration. By tuningtheir shape, physical proper-ties and chemical compositionand infusing them with cells,biomedical engineers havesuccessfully used hydrogels as3D molecular scaffolds.

JABBIN’ FUTURETRUE OR FANTASYBrace upIndia is taking cyber security lightly despite26% of world’s attacks originate here page C

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Inside storyTech knowScientists in China describedone of the weirdest flyingcreatures ever discovered, apigeon-size dinosaur with wingslike a bat that lived not longbefore the first birds. Thedinosaur, named Yi qi (meaning“strange wing” in Mandarin),lived about 160 million yearsduring the Jurassic Period,about 10 million years beforethe earliest-known bird,Archaeopteryx.

FINANCIAL CHRONICLE, TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015 - PAGES 4

Budha Chandra

RAMA JAYASUNDAR

AGROUP of students andscholars make their way to thepicturesque foothills ofHimalayas. The curious

onlookers whisper among themselves:“Look! There goes the famousPunarvasu Atreya, the eminent disci-ple of great Bharadvāja, leading theinternational congregation ofayurvedic doctors from across thecountry and beyond.” The crowdhears Agnivesha, one of the stu-dents, say: “Our teacher Atreya hasasked the six of us, his students, torecord the proceedings. In the veryfirst chapter, you will find mention ofall the names of the participatingayurvedic physicians. My work willbe called Agnivesha Tantra.”

Agnivesha leaves in a hurry as hisother classmates Bhela, Jatūkarna,Parāśara, Hārita and Kşārapāņi callout to him. Little did he realise thenthat his work would be redacted cen-turies later by Charaka and wouldcome to be known as CharakaSamhita.

The world is waking up to the rig-orously documented clinical experi-

ence and pharmacopoeia of ayurveda,the basic aim of which is to maintainthe health of a healthy person andoffer treatment to a diseased person.

Long the main healthcare systemin India, the origin of ayurveda islost in the mists of antiquity. It suf-fices to say that codi-fied ayurveda wouldantedate Hippocratesby many centuries.Ayurveda’s history anddevelopment are clo-sely interwoven withIndia’s, to the extentthat ayurvedic knowl-edge has had a verydeep impact on thelifestyle of its people.In almost every house-hold, there was (andstill is) knowledge ofayurvedic treatmentfor common ailments.Handed down thro-ugh generations, every family had itsown time-tested formulations for awide range of health conditions. Anumber of medicines could be pre-pared at home from commonlyavailable ingredients and herbs.

Ayurvedic principles of healthy liv-ing were incorporated into daily rou-tines, as was reflected in the dailyregimens, traditional use of spicesand medicinal ingredients incuisines and even religious rituals.Ayurveda has thus had a pervasive

influence on the dailylife of Indians and is,perhaps, the longestunbroken health tradi-tion in the world.

A large body ofayurvedic knowledgeand experience hasbeen preserved intexts written not onlyby practitioners ofyore, but also succes-sive physicians, indi-cating the continuityof this indigenousmedical system.

Ayurveda has itsroots in the Vedas

from which, many Indian philoso-phies have sprung. Ayurvedic termi-nologies, names, therapeutic prop-erties and use of more than 360plants are mentioned in Vedas [289in Atharva, 67 in Oushadhi Sukta of

Rg and 82 in Yajur]. Ayurvedic sub-jects are also dealt with in theAranyakas, Brahmanas andUpanishads. For example, theGarbhopanisad discusses growth offoetus and mentions the threedoshas (vata, pitta, kapha) anddhatu (tissue elements). Ayurvedicterms, plants, their medicinal prop-erties and formulations, such asmrtasanjeevani and vishalya-karani, find mention in Ramayanaand Mahabharata.

Ayurveda is a melting pot andsandhi of a number of disciplines, aproof that knowledge was not com-partmentalised in ancient India.Ayurveda is associated with anddraws from wide-ranging subjects.For example, vrksha ayurveda(plant science), mrga ayurveda(veterinary science), yoga, philoso-phy, metallurgy (for making surgicalinstruments), civil engineering andarchitecture (construction of hospi-tals and pharmacies), astronomy,ethics, water management, mathe-matics (calculations, units of meas-urements, weights and measures,concept of time, etc.), culinary sci-ence, chemistry and pharmacology

(for preparing medicines), diet andnutrition and agriculture. Just asallopathy has drawn from the basicsciences (physics, chemistry andmathematics), ayurveda uses ‘dar-shanas’, namely Kanāda’sVaiseshika, Gautamā’s Nyāya,Jaimini’s Purva Mimāmsa, Kapilā’sSānkhya, Patanjali’s Yogā andVyāsa’s Uttara Mimāmsa.

Some of these logical and philo-sophical schools of thought ofancient India are materialistic, con-cerned with the organic structure ofthe universe while others deal withevolution and their philosophicalimplications. The systematised sci-ence of ayurveda epitomises theirpractical applications by using thetraditional theories such as evolu-tion, tridosha, triguna, panchama-habhuta, karma (cause-effect rela-tionship), anu and paramanu(analogous to ‘atoms’ in the sense ofthe building blocks of physical mat-ter), interrelatedness and methodsto analyse problems in a scientificand logical manner (Nyāya andMimāmsa darshanas).

Ayurveda is, perhaps, the longest unbroken health tradition in the world

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Adopted from Tarka shastra(science of dialectics, logicand reasoning), ayurvedastresses the importance ofrational thinking and discour-ages blind dogmatic accept-ance.

These various theories andconcepts give rise to ayurve-da’s theoretical framework,under which, it has puttogether an enormous body ofobservational data. These the-ories and practices formingthe backbone of ayurvedahave been documented, vali-dated by practice over manycenturies and continue to bevalidated, and have, thus,stood the test of time. Just asmodern medical texts do notdiscuss individual cases butpresent consolidated results,ayurvedic texts also presentconsolidated observationsspanning over many cen-turies. A chronological analy-sis of these texts shows anincreasing knowledge of dis-eases, pharmacopoeia andtreatment regimens.

The human body is a com-plex biological entity providinga wide scope for multiple per-spectives. In western medi-cine’s predominantly structur-al hierarchical viewpoint,atom is at the lowest level,forming the basic buildingblock of the human body.Atoms make molecules, whichin turn progressively formcells, tissues, organs and organsystems such as skeleton,endocrine and reproductivesystems. The entire humansystem is reduced to the fun-damental unit of matter, forwhich reason this is known asa reductionist perspective.

Ayurveda’s perspective ofthe human body is predomi-nantly functional. Although, anumber of theories contributeto ayurveda, the theory of tri-

doshas [vata (V), pitta (P)and kapha (K)] runs as anundercurrent to its under-standing of health and ill-health. Ayurveda has identi-fied three key functions,namely, movement (vata),transformation (pitta), andgrowth and support (kapha).VPK also includes parameters,which are biophysical, chemi-cal and physiological innature, contributing to thecore function of that particu-lar category.

For example, dryness isincluded in V, increased tem-perature in P and unctuous-ness in K. All the parametersunder V, P and K are intra-and-interconnected, forming anetwork (see figure above).The key to health is the stabil-ity of these factors in the net-work, with disease seen as aperturbation.

The concept of innateunity and mutual interrela-tionship of everything in theuniverse is central to UttaraMimāmsa darshana. Ayurvedahas integrated this concept ofinterconnectedness into itsunderstanding of health anddisease by considering thehuman body as an indivisiblewhole with a network of inter-related functions, mind andconsciousness.

The hypothesis of interre-

latedness elaborated in UttaraMimāmsa thus finds practicalexpression in ayurveda.

The core idea of the humansystem as interconnected func-tions and system properties,and not merely a structuremade of atoms and molecules,is unique and gives ayurvedaan enormous advantage indealing with the human bodyin a holistic way. That ayurvedarecognises the importance ofthe mechanical aspects ofhuman body can be inferredfrom the well-developedbranch of surgery in those days.

Sushruta, the ayurvedicsurgeon is acknowledged asthe father of surgery even bypresent day surgeons. Yet,ayurveda is based on princi-ples that go beyond the purelymechanical view, i.e., a visionof wholeness, functionalinterdependence and unity.

Ayurveda has incorporatedthe theory of V, P and K in aninteresting way into its diagno-sis and therapeutic manage-ment. Factors such as dietaryingredients, plants, physicaland mental activities, seasonsand clinical symptoms have arole in health, disease andtreatment, and are also classi-fied and explained in terms ofV, P and K. For instance, thedietary ingredient of wheatincreases K; activity such as

exercise increases V; andautumn season increases P.

Example of classification ofclinical symptoms in terms ofV, P and K is: skin disorder —dryness indicates involvementof V, reddishness and burningsensation that of P, and pruri-tus and exudation that of K.VPK provides a theoreticalframework within which allclinical symptoms can beinterpreted — no clinicalsymptoms lie outside thepurview of VPK.

VPK thus serves as a com-mon platform for all the factors(plants, food ingredients, activ-ities, seasons and clinicalsymptoms) contributing tohealth and disease. From aclinical stance, it provides acommon interface facilitatingeasy conversion of all diagnos-tically and therapeutically rele-vant parameters to a commondenominator, enabling a VPK-based diagnosis and treatment.The ayurvedic therapeuticstrategy is, therefore, differentbut comprehensive, addressingall causative factors and incor-porating all the therapeuticallyrelevant parameters such asmedicines, diet and activities.

From inception, Ayurvedahas recognised eight mainspecialities. They are:

1. Kaya chikitsa - internalmedicine

2. Shalakya tantra - dis-eases of head and neck. Thisbranch is roughly equivalentto ophthalmology and otorhi-nolaryngology (ENT) medi-cine. Surgical techniques aswell as herbal treatments forconditions such as cataractsare included in this.

3. Shalya tantra - surgery.Surgery had a very importantplace in ayurvedic medicine.It covers topics such as anato-my, physiology and surgicalinterventions such ascataract, rhinoplasty and oto-plasty

4. Agada tantra - toxicolo-gy. It deals with classificationand treatment of all types oftoxins, including air andwater pollution, and bites ofpoisonous animals.

5. Kaumarabhrtya - paedi-atrics. All topics related tochildren, their pre-natal andpost-natal health, growth andchildhood diseases are cov-ered. It also covers extensive-ly, health and diseases afflict-ing women. Health of womenis given utmost importance inayurveda as their healthdetermines and influencesthe health of a child not onlywhile in the womb, but alsolater on.

Accordingly, the subjectsconcerned with conceptionand its protection, support

and nourishment, and deliv-ery come under the purviewof kaumarabhrtya. This isequivalent to today’s specialityof obstetrics and gynaecology.

6. Rasayana - rejuvenation.This branch deals with pre-vention of diseases andensures long, healthy life. It isconcerned with healthy diet,lifestyle and codes of behav-ioural conduct.

7. Vajikarana - this branchdeals with producing physical-ly, mentally and emotionallyhealthy progeny. These medi-cines rejuvenate, increase sex-ual potency and efficiency,and also treat infertility.

8. Bhutavidya - deals withdiseases caused by unseenand invisible factors. Thisincludes infections and psy-chiatric disorders.

Ancient rishis studiednature for its underlying pat-terns and ayurveda hasaccepted the Vedic hypothesisthat there are common princi-ples underlying the micro-cosm (individual) and macro-cosm (universe). Humans(animals and even plants) andthe universe are composed ofthe same basic elements andfollow the same physical laws.Ayurveda deals withmanushya ayurveda (dealingwith humans), mrga ayurveda(veterinary science) and vrk-

sha ayurveda (plant science/botany). The same fundamen-tal principles of V, P and Kapply to all of them (humans,animals and plants).

In ancient India, equalimportance was given to themaintenance of health ofhumans, animals and plantsalike. Vrksha ayurvedadescribes the entire life cycleof plants in addition to pre-vention and cure of plant dis-eases. It discusses the originof plant from seed, rules ofplantation, ideal agriculturalpractices, seasons of planta-tion, harvesting and reproduc-tion, different parts of plants,their structure and functions,and diseases afflicting them.

Allopathic medicnes aresuccessful in dealing with sur-gical conditions and medicalemergencies. However, thereare increasing number of dis-eases, which are not singleentities, but complex with oneleading to another. The bestexample is obesity, whichleads to a number of other dis-eases such as cardiovasculardisease, diabetes, cancer,osteoarthritis and sleepapnoea. As the world facesincreasing chronic, psychoso-matic, stress and lifestyle-related disorders, ayurvedawith its unique approach,holistic perspective, emphasison diet and lifestyle activities,and time-tested clinical prac-tices can play a crucial role.

As a healthcare system, itcan empower the individualwith a healthy way of life.Ayurveda is not a reminder ofa past glory but an example ofIndian knowledge system hav-ing contemporary andincreasing relevance. Its expe-rience and expertise accumu-lated over several millenniashould be used to benefit suf-fering people. ❚❚

(Dr Rama Jayasundar is aphysicist and an ayurvedic

physician, in the departmentof nuclear magnetic resonance

(NMR) at AIIMS, New Delhi)

NEXT WEEKMichel Danino on Indian

ecological traditions

Looking into the past for the future

Bud

ha C

hand

ra

DECODING HEALTH: Network of thevata, pitta and kapha factors — thekey to health is the stability of thesefactors

TOOLS & TECHNIQUES: Tools usedfor ayurvedic surgery on display atMuniyal Institute of Ayurveda MedicalSciences in Karkala (left); commonlyavailable ingredients and herbs thatpeople in India have incorporated intheir daily routines and religious rituals

M MUNEER

COMPANIES invest consider-able resources in CRM soft-ware across the world. Yet, the

ROI (return on investment) of suchinvestments is still not up to theexpectations. Perhaps the reason isalso because of not having the rightmetrics. Customer-oriented market-ing metrics that measure the ROI formarketing programmes need to suc-cessfully target specific customergroups for knowing the real results.

All CRM plans hinge on imple-menting an IT project and softwarethat consolidates data about a singlecustomer on a single customer serv-ice screen. Although this one-on-oneplan is a great thing to do, a companythat cannot differentiate betweencustomers with whom spending timecan improve profits and customerswho do not produce sufficient profits

to warrant expensive marketinginteractions, will not get the resultsthe IT vendor has promised.

Four basic issues thwart a compa-ny’s ability to achieve the promisedROI. The first is the inability to dif-ferentiate between customers whorepresent future value for the compa-ny and those who do not. For telecomcompanies, 20 per cent of customersgive over 100 per cent of total profits.Spending a disproportionate amountof time and resources on customerswho are unprofitable and likely toremain so drags on the ROI. This istrue even if a company has all of acustomer’s information in a singlelocation.

The second is the inability torecognise how to treat a customerwho is profitable or can be madeprofitable with an effort that also pro-duces a good ROI. As an example,consider two bank customers who

are equally profitable. One of the cus-tomers has 15 years of tenure, fourdifferent banking products and isretired. This customer is less likely tosearch for another bank, so meetinghis needs and responding to himcourteously and promptly is a low-cost way of maintaining an excellentrelationship. The other customeruses only two of the bank’s products,has two years of tenure and a historyof growing balances. He may be agood candidate for a deeper andmore profitable relationship if thebank actively markets new productsand services.

The third basic issue is failing todevelop a sense of the attributes ofvaluable customers. Companies canuse many techniques to understandthe basic motivation for making aninitial buying decision and turn thecustomer into a loyal advocate.Marketeers can identify the preferred

channels of communication anddetermine initial product and serviceofferings.

Finally, once the above three ele-ments are understood and a compa-ny has developed acquisition, cross-selling and retention marketing pro-grammes, marketeers need to devel-op ways to measure results.Companies must develop salesreporting that matches how the cus-tomer base is categorised. Instead oftraditional product reporting, marke-teers should develop a top-line reportthat measures how well the firmacquires new customers and the rev-enue and profitability of newlyacquired customers. The acquiredcustomers should be matchedagainst customers who were targetedto show that their profitability match-es the company’s expectations.

Existing customers should bemeasured separately and slotted into

several categories, including thosewho will remain profitable with littleextra effort; those who will increaseprofits with little extra effort; thosewho require effort to retain their cur-rent profitability; and those withwhom a sustained effort will have alarge ROI. By viewing each customertype separately, the company canunderstand how well their efforts arepaying off and how to allocate mar-keting funds to the various customercategories to optimise present andfuture profitability.

Lost customers need to be meas-ured as well. The maxim is thatretaining and growing an existingcustomer is more profitable thanattracting a new one. But measuringlost customers can reveal whetherthese customers are actually causinglost profits or if their loss means anincrease in profitability. Existing sys-tems can take this top-line, cus-

tomer-oriented measurement met-hod and analyse ways to improvemarketing performance. Marketeerscan identify the products that helpacquire new customers profitably,along with the media that attractedthose customers. Analyse marketingand advertising over longer periods oftime to determine if specific effortsattract more profitable and durablecustomers.

Customers do not bring profits tocompanies at equal rates nor do theyrespond to marketing programmes inthe same way for the same reasons. Awell thought out analysis and resultsmeasurement process that illustrateshow customer groups provide differ-ing profits and differ in their likeli-hood to be loyal, will help in a longway to make better ROI of the rela-tionship efforts. ❚❚

(The author is CEO andmanaging director of CustomerLab)

Know the nitty-gritties of return-on- investment

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