scholarly journals Stretching Out Life, Maintaining the Body: Part I - Vayas in Medical Literature

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-65
Author(s):  
Christèle Barois
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Medical Literature ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Body Part ◽  
The Body ◽  
The Cross ◽  
Medieval India

The representation of the process of human life is at the heart of questions about longevity, rejuvenation practices and possibly those which aim at immortality. The key term for “age” in medieval India is vayas, which means “vigour”, “youth” or even  “any period of life”, that is to say  exactly the same meaning as ours (duration of life). As a criterion for the examination of the patient, vayas is invariably divided into three periods: childhood, intermediate age and old age, precisely defined in the ayurvedic saṃhitās. It seems that vayas might be a relevant gateway to the cross-disciplinary understandings of age in medieval India, and therefore to the conditions of its (relative) mastery.  

Material and Posture Modeling for Sleeping on Soft Low-Density Porous Material

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takahiro Yamaguchi ◽  
Hajime Kimura ◽  
Atsushi Sakuma ◽  
Kazushige Takahashi ◽  
Shigetoshi Mimura
Keyword(s):  
Physical Model ◽  
Mechanical Design ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Body Part ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physical Models ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Physical Parameters

Sleeping is one of the most important factors that influence the quality of human life, and this state of existence should be thoroughly investigated to improve the quality of the life. The mechanical design of bedding has great influence on the comfort of a mattress. Thus, objective and conventional techniques to evaluate the mechanics of mattress comfort could help improve the quality of sleep. In this report, an analysis technique for the assessment of the sleeping posture of humans is presented to facilitate the development of mattress design technology. Herein, an analytical model which imitates the human body has been formulated to determine the design parameters of a mass-spring-joint system on a soft underlay. The physical model is composed of five components that represent the head, chest, hip, femur, and calf, with each body part being represented by a simple ball model. The spring joint connecting the five parts reflects the neck, lumbar, hip, and knee joints. The specifications of the body model are determined by actual measurements and previous studies. In order to determine the physical properties of the mattress, two types of mattress urethane foam material are tested using the ball indenter method. The parameters include Young’s modulus, plateau stress, and other physical parameters. Variation due to the type of mattress has been observed in the laying test using a pressure distribution sensor sheet. In the analysis performed using the physical model, the variation in the lying posture and the extent of body sinking are observed to be the same during experiments. Both variations are compared using the change in force distribution in each body part. In conclusion, it was found that the observed changes in distribution are the same in the experimental and physical models. Therefore, the proposed model reliably reflects the design characteristics of the mattress.

Holistic approach to Geriatric Care

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Sreelekshmi VS ◽  
Dr. Prashasth MJ. ◽  
Dr. Muralidhara .
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
The Body ◽  
Noncommunicable Disease ◽  
Degenerative Changes ◽  
Health Maintenance ◽  
Healthy Longevity ◽  
Detailed Classification ◽  
Clinical Consequences

Old age is an integral part of human life. The branch of medicine or social science dealing with the health and care of old people is called Geriatrics. Diseases prevention and health maintenance is more important in old age because sickness related morbidity is more frequent, serious, chronic and more expensive to treat in this age group. Geriatric problems are best confronted by preventive measures than curative ones. Clinical consequences in various system of the body due to changes with ageing are described in text books. Various Ayurveda classics gives detailed classification of Vaya based on the degenerative changes in the body. The Nidana, Poorvaroopa and Lakshanas of Jara is clearly mentioned in Madhava Nidana. Importance of Dinacharya and Ritucharya in preventing Jara is mentioned by Acharyas. Ayurveda has the abeyantto avert disease by health promotion and noncommunicable disease prevention. Jara is considered as one among the eight branches of Ayurveda. Rasayana (Rejuvenation) and Jarachikitsa promote healthy longevity. Jarachikitsa and Rasayana helps to delay Vruddhavastha (ageing) and control geriatric degenerative changes in body.

scholarly journals Allegories of life, death and immortality in the book of Ecclesiastes 12:5b–7

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 48-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Tantlevskij
Keyword(s):  
Olive Oil ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Human Body ◽  
Human Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Eternal Life ◽  
Natural Phenomena ◽  
Life Activity ◽  
Golden Bowl ◽  
The Golden Bowl

Analyzing the famous passage Eccl. 12:5b–7, the author of the article comes to the conclusion that the expression "the almond tree blossomed" (12:5bα) contains the allegory of man’s birth and his young years; the phrase "the locust/locust tree became loaded" (12:5bβ) can be interpreted as an indication of the mature, productive/fruitful years of human life activity; the allegory of the caper, falling to winter ("and the caper bush fell"; 12:5bγ), correlates with the metaphorical description of old age and the approach of death in Eccl. 12:1b–2. So, one can assume that the passage Eccl. 12:5bα–γ includes the allegories of man's earthly birth, making up of his personality, maturity and old age in the form of natural phenomena that take place in Judea throughout the year — approximately from the second half of January to December. The allegory of the breaking "silver cord" (Eccl. 12:6aα), symbolizing the earthly demise, can be understood as a break in the connection between the spirit and the flesh of man (cf.: Eccl. 12:7). In 12:6аβ–b, Ecclesiastes adduces the allegories of death, expressed through the broken vessels ("golden bowl", "jar", a certain "vessel"), symbolizing the human body. The context also suggests that an allusion to the human spirit implicitly present in these allegories as well, which is symbolized by olive oil (in the "golden bowl") and water (in the "jar" and in the "vessel"), – not directly called, but contextually implied – returning to their eternal Fountain (cf.: Jer. 2:13, 17:13, also: Ps. 36:10) when their temporary receptacles are broken. The "spring" and the "well" (Eccl. 12:6b) are veritable symbols of life, and in the light of Eccl. 12:7b – perhaps symbols of eternal life in the Book of Ecclesiastes. As for the allegory of "the golden bowl", it clearly goes back to Zech. 4:2–3. In the light of the allegorical picture attested in Zech., chap. 4, and the text of Eccl. 12:7b, the allegory of Eccl. 12:6aβ – "the golden bowl will crack" – can presuppose implicitly not only the death of the body/"the golden bowl", but also that its contents – "oil", symbolizing the spirit abided in the body – will merge with the "oil" of the Divine Luminary, scil., with the Spirit of God.

Science and imagery in the ‘war on old age’

2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 941-961 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN A. VINCENT
Keyword(s):  
Life Span ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Moral Dilemmas ◽  
The Body ◽  
Natural Phenomena ◽  
Healthy Life ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Human Life Span

ABSTRACTSeveral professional groups present themselves as ‘waging war’ on old age. They construct old age as a naturalised, self-evidently negative, biological phenomenon, which must be attacked and defeated. These groups make different claims to technical expertise and their ability to control natural phenomena, and use different weapons to defeat ageing. There are those who focus on cosmetic interventions, that is, the control of the body and the removal or masking of the signs of ageing. There are those who equate old age with ill-health and identify themselves as warriors in a battle with disease, and others whose objective is to understand the fundamental intra-cellular processes of ageing and what controls the human life span, and then to extend its limits. A fourth group aims to make human immortality possible. Examination of the language and symbolic practices of these groups reveals that they share a dominant cultural view that devalues old age and older people. The use of military metaphors to describe the importance and difficulties of their task is most prolific among the first and fourth of these groups. The second and third groups disguise a contradiction in their aim of understanding the diseases and disorders of old age by advocating the goal of an extended ‘healthy life span’, which avoids having to confront the moral dilemmas of extending the lifespan for its own sake.

scholarly journals Old age – „how beautiful to be yourself”

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-54
Author(s):  
Ilona Zakowicz
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Social Group ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Human Life ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
The Body ◽  
Media Discourse ◽  
Late Adulthood ◽  
The Media ◽  
The One

in every given period one can observe different attitudes towards old age, death and the elderly, which are shown through varied stances and ideas about this specific period of human life. The reality of the xxicentury often regarded as “vision-centric” is dominated by the cult of beauty and youth which creates increasingly demanding requirements, rela-ted mainly to the attractiveness of appearance, of the body – especially the one belonging to the elderly. The increase in the number of senior citizens compared to the rest of the society that can be witnessed nowadays leads to the elderly being amore carefully examined social group. Mediated by the media discourse the images of the elderly are becoming more common and therefore the author’s attempt at reconstructing the postmodern strategy of the rendering of late adulthood seems to be an interesting and important topic to consider.

scholarly journals Senility and its inconveniences according to Speculum naturale by Vincent of Beauvais (Ab. 1194-1264)

1970 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Beata Wojciechowska
Keyword(s):  
Old Age ◽  
Human Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Physiological Changes ◽  
Natural Period ◽  
Isidore Of Seville ◽  
Ancient Times ◽  
Last Stage ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
The Stability

The stages of human life and the corresponding physiological changes have been described in many ways since ancient times. Although old age was characterized by physical and mental weakening (senility), it was portrayed as an age of wisdom which contrasted youth dominated by passions. Vincent of Beauvais devoted a few extensive chapters of Speculum Naturale to the last stage of life and cited works of Cicero, Aristotle, Horace, Virgil, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose, Avicenna, Isidore of Seville, which gave him a place in the intellectual tradition of his era. According to him, the advantages of old age were moderation in pleasures, lower libido, wisdom, maturity of advice, common sense and reconciliation to death. The negative aspects of senility were diseases, discouragement and drowsiness. The physical weakness of the body affected the stability of mind. Vincent recognized old age as a natural period in human life and characterized it from the philosophical and medical points of view. He chose those pieces of writings which he considered important and representing different aspects of old age. He advised on nutrition, strengthening of the body and mental energy. Vincent emphasized that old age should be considered as fate. Therefore, there is no reason to fall in despair and wallow in hopelessness, but prepare for death through a wise life.

Chronic Hypoxia as a Potential Factor in Human Life-threatening Diseases

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 3759-3762
Author(s):  
Sandhya MNVS ◽  
Vanitha K ◽  
Ramesh A
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Hypoxia ◽  
Atmospheric Oxygen ◽  
Human Life ◽  
The Body ◽  
Cellular Damage ◽  
Otto Warburg ◽  
Regular Treatment ◽  
Breathing Exercises ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions ◽  
Cancerous Cell

The review article focuses on the importance of adequate oxygen levels in the body as cure and therapy for many ailments. It is known that hypoxia is the cause for cellular damage and if it can be applied to major patho-physiology’s, it can be observed that slow and chronic hypoxic conditions are the cause for most of the diseases. On the contrary, providing each cell of the body with proper oxygen may be helpful in maintaining the immunity of the body and therefore treating many disease conditions. This theory, if tested may show positive results in heart related diseases, neuronal disorders, stresses, digestive disorders and the unresolved cancer too. Slow decrease in the levels of atmospheric oxygen could be a reason to induce chronic hypoxia. According to Dr. Otto Warburg, a Noble laurate, a normal cell when deprived of oxygen, may get converted to a cancerous cell, whereas a cancerous cell cannot survive in aerobic conditions. If this part of his research be concentrated on, there could be fruitful results in the treatment of cancer. To maintain adequate levels of oxygen in the body, simple yogic breathing practices are helpful. And to maintain the adequate atmospheric oxygen, trees and plants which cleanse the atmospheric air are useful. Clinical surveys on volunteers who have been practicing regular breathing exercises can prove the fact that proper and concentrated respiration could prevent many diseases. Thus, supplementing breathing exercises along with the regular treatment for cancer patients could be helpful in alleviating cancer and other diseases.

Role of Rasayana in Geriatric Care - A Review

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yagyik Mishra ◽  
Negalur Vijay ◽  
Thakor Krunal ◽  
Bhat Nagaraj ◽  
Shubhasri B.
Keyword(s):  
Older People ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Geriatric Care ◽  
The Body ◽  
Psychological Improvement

The growth of any country or society depends on the number of youth dwelling in that country but according to recent statistical data we soon will have older people more than children and more people at extreme old age than ever before. The number of people aged 65 or older is projected to grow from an estimated 524 million in 2010 to nearly 1.5 billion in 2050. Geriatrics (Jarachikitsa) is the branch of medicine dealing exclusively with the problems of aging and the diseases of elderly. The term Rasayana (rejuvination) refers to nourishment or nutrition. Rasayana therapy act essentially on nutrition dynamics and rejuvenate the body on both physical and mental levels. The problems of health due to modernization can be solved by increasing resistance against diseases and psychological improvement by implementing Rasayana therapy. Aging (Jara) is one among the Swabhavika Vyadhis. Jara Chikitsa is one among the Astanga of Ayurveda which is specifically dedicated for geriatric care. As per estimation, India currently has around 75 million persons over 65 years. By proper administration of Rasayana therapy as preventive tool one can delay Jara Janita Vyadhis to occur. This paper highlights the role of Rasayana in geriatric care.

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