• DR KSHIRABDHI TANAYA RAUTARAY
• DR SHIVA PRASAD MOHANTY

The health and well being of humankind are intimately tied to the quality of air, water and soil being influenced by the regional and local geography where a population resides. Human health and human civilization depend on flourishing natural systems and the wise stewardship of those natural systems. Geologic materials not only influence human health but also that of plants and animals and in a broader context of all the non living components as well. Despite of its critical role in human health and well being full significance of geography and other ecological factors in ecological health was not recognized until. Medical geography, an emerging branch of medical science deals with medical phenomena in relation to place and seeks to identify the particular assemblage of health and related phenomena. This awareness that disease may have a connection with the geographical environment may be traced back to an ancient period in human history. However ancient scholars and practitioners of medicine like Acharya Charaka and Sushruta &other were cognizant of this relationship. The importance to health of customs of diet, dress and types of settlement &housing and of physical environment factors such as climate, vegetation, altitude and topography have been also widely recognized since the time of Hippocrates. Medical geography which is gaining significance in contemporary medicine has its origin from Hippocrates. Geographical variation has been studied as geographic pathology, medical ecology, medical topography, geographical epidemiology, geomedicine and other rubrics. Study of geography has been emphasized in Ayurvedic classics under the umbrella term of ‘Desha Pareekshya’ in reference to Roga & Rogi Pareekshya, Dravya or Ousadha Pareekshya, AharaVidhi Viseshayatana, JanapadaDhawmsa. Various Researches have been conducted on geographical impact of disease which seeks to determine how human health &well being, traditional diet &customs, spatial pattern of disease are influenced by geological factors. Geographical investigation of the spatial variation of disease provides important insights into what contributes to disease outcome and options for disease prevention Hence an attempt has been made by the author to explore the concept of ‘Bhumi Pareekshya’i.e. evaluation of geographical factors for understanding their impact on various diseases which may contribute for early recognition and prevention of prevalence of some endemic diseases

Bhumi Desha, Atura Desha, Atura Pareekshya, Ousadha Pareekshya, Medical Geography, Medical Ecology, Endemic diseases.

"AN OVERVIEW ON MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY IN ANCIENT WISDOM: A REVIEW OF AYURVEDIC CLASSICS", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 2, page no.c505-c512, February-2022, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2202284.pdf

"AN OVERVIEW ON MEDICAL GEOGRAPHY IN ANCIENT WISDOM: A REVIEW OF AYURVEDIC CLASSICS", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.9, Issue 2, page no. ppc505-c512, February-2022, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2202284.pdf