Ind. J. Phys. Anthrop & Hum. Genet. Vol. 37, No. 1 & 2, (2018) : 97-128 ANTHROPO-THERAPY: A SYSTEM OF MULTIPLE THERAPIES AND MEDICINES IN INDIA AND OTHER COUNTRIES UDAI PRATAP SINGH Abstract This paper focuses upon the perspectives of Anthropo-therapy which is a system of multiple medicines and therapies practiced across the world. It involves elements of folk, ethnic, complementary and alternative as well as western medicines for providing total healing to the patient. It has been found in several parts of our country that the mode of treatment emerges as integrative system which is able to unify the basic elements of all ethnic, local and western medicines as a therapy for healing a person holistically. At the end, the paper unfolds that the practice of anthropotherapy might be viewed in India and world, which cure people with the help of western health care facilities. It may also be observed as a practice in some hospitals of other Asian countries and United States too where ethnic and traditional medicines are in practice by incorporating western pharmaceuticals INTRODUCTION Indian subcontinent has had a well-entrenched practice of medical plurality (Bharadwaj, 2010).Its root can be traced back to the medieval period before which the medical knowledge was mainly confined to theoretical wisdom of Veda. The knowledge was transmitted from one generation to the next orally among Brahmins only. Due to this medicinal knowledge possibly had registered a stunted growth. Atharvaveda, was perhaps the first text to emphasize the practical element of medical training. In the post Vedic period the practical element of medical knowledge had come to be codified in the name of Ayurveda. The birth of Ayurveda had also marked the ‘transition in therapeutics from association with religion and magic to a more rational and scientific method of treatment. The classic texts such as Charaka Samhita, Susrutra Samhita, Astanga Samgraha bear the evidences of richness of ayurvedic medicine and had a definite edge over Hippocratic tradition of medicine of the ancient Greece (Kumar, 2001). However, it developed into a complete medicinal system with therapeutic and surgical elements during the zenith of Buddhism because Life in Ayurveda is conceived as the union of body, senses, mind and soul. The living man is a Dr. Uday Pratap Singh, Professor and Head, Department of Anthropology, Lucknow University, Lucknow. Received: 06th January 2018 Revised: 19th March 2018 Accepted: 29th April 2018