Medical Tourism and Health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India
History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in India, South Asia -2
By: Bhishma Kukreti (Medical Tourism Historian)
Homo erectus lived on the upper Pathohar in Upper Punjab, Pakistan and during Pleistocene epoch, historians found sites in Shivalic region (Kennedy)
Homo Sapiens lived in India before 75000 and 50000 years BCE (Chauhan et al ).
Mehrgarh civilization and Medical tourism
The Medical Tourism historians have to analyze medical tourism from the angles of those time people and not from today’s angle. Then the diseases, occupation, communication and administration style was totally different than the present.
There was Mehargarh civilization in Baluchistan from 7000-2000 BCE. Mehrgarh civilization is thought precursor of Indus Valley civilization.
The civilization was using mud utensils, houses, and copper utensils too. It was food growing civilization (barley) Pottery was common. Burial was individual and in mass too.
Dentists and dental Drilling in Stone Age
Historians and scientists found teeth drills . Amitabh Avashthi wrote for National geographic news (
http://Http://nationalgeographic.com//news/2006/4//0405_060405 (site found on 22nd my 2018) that archeologists found and “9000 year old drilled teeth are works of stone age dentists”. Amitabh further informed that Anthropologist Clark Spencer of Ohio University cleared that there were proofs of earlier people had knowledge of manipulation of dental hard tissues in living people. Scientists found 11 teeth in a grave yard that have been drilled and including one that had gone to complex drilling procedure for hollowing out a cavity deep inside the teeth.
Scientists suggested that it was sophisticated drilling and machines and was for medical pupose and not for any aesthetic purpose.
Scientists suggested that the drill would have been of flint similar but smaller than used for fire generation. Scientists suggested that the teeth drilling fashion existed for 1500 and suddenly disappeared 7000 years ago. Perhaps due to pain in drilling for manipulation the hard tissue was one reasons for discontinuation of the technology. Scientists of University of Poitiers made the discoveries.
Sign of Medical tourism (Dental Drilling)
The above discovery clearly suggests that the region was famous for dental clinics as the same fashioned drilled teeth were not found other places. The population was estimated 2500 around Mehargarh site at that time. There were expert (bead craftsmen) in making drill and bow and rope and dentists were sophisticated dentists in drilling the teeth cavity of living persons. . Since, scientists did not get such bow drill elsewhere, it is evident (strong indication) that Mehargarh of 7000 BCE was dentary hub for patients visiting Mehrgarh from other places. The people from nearby area might be visiting the dentists for teeth cure. Whether the teeth drillers were charging to patient or is not known. If at all dentists were charging to the patients it would be barter system nly. There are no indications that those teeth drillers were also expert for other dental problems. Since, Specialization in curing patients came in existence in the modern age , this author is of strong opinion that the teeth drillers of stone age in Baluchistan were also knowing other dental cure too and most probably herbal medicines.
The Mehrgarh civilization showed the first evidence of Medical tourism in India. Definitely, it was craft medical tourism industry from today’s point of view.
References
Kennedy, A. R, 2000, God Apes and Fossils Men Paleoanthropology of South Asia Ann Arb , University of Michigan Press
Copyright @ Bhishma Kukreti , 21/5/2018
History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in India will be continued in – 2
History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India , North India , South Asia;, History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India , South India; South Asia, History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India , East India, History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India , West India, South Asia; History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India , Central India, South Asia; ; History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in India , North East India , South Asia; History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in India , Bangladesh , South Asia; History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India, Pakistan , South Asia; History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India , Myanmar, South Asia; ; History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India , Afghanistan , South Asia ; ; History of Medical, health and Wellness Tourism in Stone age in India , Baluchistan, South Asia, to be continued