MADURAI, INDIA, July 25, 2005: The Central Research Institute for Siddha plans to digitalize nearly 10,000 formulae of Siddha compositions for various ailments and host them on the traditional knowledge digital library being evolved by the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy. This was an effort to prevent the grant of wrong patents for non-original inventions in our traditional knowledge system at the international level, according to G. Veluchamy, Director, Central Research Institute for Siddha. The center had brought out a database on medicinal plants in seven volumes with bibliographical references and now efforts were on to translate the work into Tamil. Concern is mounting over the growing trend in Western nations to patent drugs and compositions that have been traditionally used in India by Siddha and Ayurveda practitioners.
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