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http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Jh2943e/8.4.html Siddha (2) is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India. In Tamil, siddha means "perfection" and a siddha was a saintly figure who practised medicine. Siddha has close similarities to ayurveda, the difference between these two systems being more linguistic - Tamil versus Sanskrit - than doctrinal. In siddha, as in ayurveda, all objects in the universe, including the human body, are composed of the five basic elements: earth, water, fire, air, and sky.
The introduction of allopathic medicine during the colonial period led to the Government's neglect of traditional medical systems. Now, however, ayurveda, unani, siddha, naturopathy, homeopathy, and yoga are well integrated into the national health care system (2). There are State hospitals and dispensaries for both traditional medicine and homeopathy; however, traditional medicine and homeopathy are not always well integrated with allopathic medicine, particularly in allopathic hospitals.