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Since disease, decay and death have always co-existed with life, the study of diseases and their treatment must also have been contemporaneous with the dawn of the human intellect. The primitive man must have used as therapeutical agents and remedial measures those things which he was able to procure most easily. There is no authentic record of medicines used by the primitive man. But the Rig Veda which is the oldest book in the library of man supplies curious information on the subject. From it, we learn that the Indo-Aryans used the Soma as a medicinal agent. It is not quite certain what the SomaDr. Aitchison has lately stated that Soma must be the Ephedra pachyclade, which in the Harirud valley is said to bear the name of hum, huma, and Yahma. This supposition is confirmed by Dr. Joseph Barumüller, a botanist long resident in Kerman, who identifies the Soma plant with some kind of Ephedra, probably Ephedra distachya, but who remarks that different varieties of Ephepra [sic] are to be found from Siberia to the Iberian peninsula, so that one must give up the hope of determining the original home of the Aryas by means of the habitat of the Soma plant, (Quarterly Review, No. 384, Octr. 1894, p. 455).

The Soma plant possessed intoxicating properties and the Vedic Aryans recognised it as a quickener of the intellect. 'Soma, like the sea, has poured forth songs, and hymns, and thoughts.' * *

'The beverage (i.e., Soma juice) is divine; it purifies, it inspires joy, it is a water of life;……it gives health and immortality.'

Soma is supposed to preside over medicinal herbs, and therefore the Rishi Medhatithi continues his hymn, as:—

"Soma has declared to me, 'all medicaments as well as Agni, the benefactor of the Universe, are in the waters;' the waters contain all healing herbs. plant was.