Most people who are out of touch with the indigenous express scepticism regarding the relevance of traditional forms of knowledge, which they tend to dismiss as obsolete, limited or incomplete. If this is indeed the case, then traditional knowledge should give way to modern understandings. It is, however, very important to establish this fact before we discard traditional knowledge.

It is not uncommon for members of the ‘formally educated’ class to propose ‘scientific’ evidence for traditional knowledge. They do so without being aware of the epistemological complexities involved in the proposal. In fact, so far there has been no real attempt to make a serious and comprehensive scientific study of the Indian medical heritage. It is also true that to develop an acceptable intercultural methodology for such a study would not be an easy task, as it would need a great deal of cross-cultural insight and understanding of the paradigms of two vastly different knowledge systems. The truth of the matter is that, at present, the scientific community has little understanding of the epistemology of indigenous medical knowledge and therefore is not in a position to make any reliable judgements about the validity of its propositions.

The term ‘traditional’ knowledge does imply a connection with the past. It is, however, necessary to reflect on the nature of such traditions and the reasons for their continuity and wide social acceptance.