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The Science Museum has a permanent display on the 5th floor relating to the practice of traditional medicines. One section deals with aspects of Ayurevedic Medicine. You can read more about Ayurevedic diagnosis on the Science Museum's Ingenious site - the link is below.

The display shows a range of Ayurvedic medicines including Amalaki, Yashti-madhu tablets (Licorice), Neem tablets (Melia azadirachta) and Ashvagandha. There are also shampoos and toothpastes incorporating the herbs. There are samples of twigs from the nim or margosa tree that were used as toothbrushes in India, 1880-1920.

There are a series of objects for more direct bodily interventions: a steel lancet from India, a vomit bowl (2005) manufactured in England, but used in Asia, an ivory carved enema syringe from 16th century Sri Lanka. There's a stainless steel nasal dropper, used for inserting medicinal oils into the nose during nasya, and Ayurvedic therapy, supplied by ayurvedaonline.com from the US - indicating the worldwide spread of the ayurevedic approach.

There are a number of Hindu meditation plaques (called 'yantras') from 19th century India - indicating the cultural roots of Ayurveda, although its now practiced by people of all religions and none.