Avanapparambu Maheswaran Namboothirippad – a life which preserved the knowledge of Ayurveda Vishachikitsa and Hastyayurveda

Abstract

Avanapparambu Maheswaran Namboothirippad (AMN), a legendary physician of Vishachikitsa (toxicology) and Hastyayurveda (treatment of elephants through Ayurveda), has worked tirelessly to preserve these disciplines during their time of decline. Information on his life was collected through interviews with his family members and various secondary sources, including journals, books, and gray literature. His life epitomizes the transformation and upliftment that happened to Vishachikitsa in Kerala during his lifetime, along with the contributions of Ayurveda to the Indian public health care system through him. The lineage of Vishachikitsa will always pay tribute to the efforts of AMN in sustaining this knowledge in full glory during the time of its declining importance.