Eight Branches (Ashthanga) of Ayurveda

The eight branches of Ayurveda are:
Internal medicine - Kayachikitsa
Surgery - Shalya Tantra
Ears, eyes, nose and throat - Shalakya tantra
Pediatrics - Kaumarabhritya Tantra
Toxicology - Agada Tantra
Purification of the genetic organs - Bajikarana (or Vajikarana) Tantra
Health and Longevity - Rasayana Tantra
Spiritual Healing/Psychiatry - Bhuta Vidya

Medications

Ayurvedic practitioners believe that the tulsi (holy basil) plant has medicinal qualities
Ayurveda operates on the precept that various materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value. The medicinal properties of these materials have been documented by the practitioners and have been used for centuries to cure illness and/or help maintain good health. Ayurvedic medicaments are made from herbs or mixtures of herbs, either alone or in combination with minerals, metals and other ingredients of animal origin. The metals, animals and minerals are purified by individual processes before being used for medicinal purposes.