Sir,

The paper made intresting reading. The authors need to be congrtulated for demonstrating Drosophillia melgamaner as an appriopiate model for studing ayurvedic formulation. The observation of increased longevity with RS of 0.5% concentration but not with higher or lower concentration is interesting. This writer is intrigued by the epistemological connotation of such concentration-specific action of traditional ayurvedic formulation. In the absence of any kind of controlled dose finding trials, how could ayurvedic practiotioners have developed such formulations? The study notes that a concentration of 1% of RS adversely affects the longevity while 0.5% improves it. Assuming that such phenomenon is true in human beings also, what is the likely epistemiological means by which such a formulation is discovered? We can assume that the evolutionary selection mechanisms involved in development of 'remedies' of animal self-medication can well operate in the devekopment of many tradtional practices. But a scenario of micro precision in constitition of the ingredients is quite implausible. I wonder whether authors have reflected on this issue.