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Susruta is probably a later work than Charaka, and a similar story is told that Indra imparted the know- ledge to Dhanvantari, the medical practitioner of the gods,-and Dhanvantari imparted it to eight Rishis among whony Susruta was chosen to record the instruc- tions correctly. , : CHAP. X.] MEDICINE. . 389 The divisions of Susruta’s work are very similar to those of Charaka. Charaka, however, treats mainly of medicines, while Susruta treats mainty of surgery in his six divisions, which are enumerated below. : (1) Sdira Sthdna treats of medicines, of the elements. of the body and various forms of disease, of the selec~ — tion of surgical instruments and medicines, and of the practice to be followed after surgical operations. Then follows the description of the humours and the surgical diseases, the removal of extraneous substances, and the. treatment of wounds and ulcers. Various other matters are touched upon. _ (2) Nidéna Sthdna treats of the symptoms and die. noses of diseases. “ The causes of rheumatism, piles, stone, fistula in ano, leprosy, diabetes, and ascites are _spoken of. The symptoms of unnatural presentations in midwifery, internal abscesses, erysipelas, scrofula, hydrocele, and diseases of the organs of dea and of the mouth are considered. 4.04 (3) Sdrdva Sthina or anotomy treats of the structure of the body. The soul and the elementary parts of the body, puberty, conception, and growth of the body .are considered. Bleeding and the treatment of pregnancy and of infants are also considered. - 2 (4) ‘Chikitsd S: théna describes the symptoms and treat. ment of diseases, wounds, ulcers, inflammations, fractures, rheumatism, piles, stone, fistula in ano, leprosy, diabetes, and dropsy. The manner of: extracting the child from 390 PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK v. the uterus in unusual positions and other matters are described. The use of clysters, of errhines and of the smoke of medicinal substances is also described. (5) Kalpa Sthana speaks of antidotes. The means of preparing and preserving food and drink, and of distin- guishing poisoned food are explained, and the different mineral vegetable and anima! poisons and their antidotes are explained. | (6) Uttara Sthdna or supplemental section treats of various local diseases like those of the eye, ear, nose and head. The treatment of various other diseases like fever, dysentery, consumption, tumours, diseases of the heart, jaundice, discharges of blood, fainting, intoxication, cough, hiccough, asthma, hoarseness of voice, worms, stertorous vomiting, cholera, dyspepsia, dysuria, mad- ness, demoniacal poe epilepsy and apoplexy are described. . The above brief enumeration of the contents of Cha- raka and Susruta will indicate the progress of the Hindu medical science and the nature of the diseases which engaged the attention of Hindu physicians in ancient days. Many of the ancient theories are of course now shewn to be fanciful, and many of the views then held are now shewn to be mistaken. But. nevertheless the exhaustive treatment of diseases in medical works composed thirteen centuries ago shews the progress of the science in Ancient India. And the medicines and preparations prescribed in these works are equally CHAP, X.] ' MEDICINE, 301 numerous and varied. It is not our. intention to give anything like a complete account of the Hindu sys- tem of medicine and treatment of diseases ; we will only here mention a few of the medicinal preparations and surgical: instruments which were known to the ancient Hindus. . . The Hindus were early familiar with Raséyana, i. ¢., chemistry, and with the preparation of various chemical compounds. Nor is this surprising as the materials for preparing many chemical products have abounded in India. Rocksalt was found in Western India; borax> _ was obtained from Thibet ; saltpetre and sulphate of soda | were easily made; alum was made in Cutch; and sal ; ammonia was familiar to the Hindus; with lime, charcoat and sulphur they were eracamenied from times imme-- morial. . : The alkalies and acids were early known to the Hindus, and were borrowed from them by the Arabians ; and Dr. Royle describes* the Hindu way of preparing muriatic acid. ‘The medicinal use of metals was also largely known, We have notices of antimony and of — arsenic, of medicines prepared with quicksilver, arsenic, and nine other metals. The Hindus were acquainted with the oxides of copper, iron, lead, tin, zinc, and lead ; with the sulphurets of iron, copper, antimony, mercury, and arsenic; with the sulphates of copper, zinc, and iron; with the diacetate of copper and the carbonates of REI NOSIS PDT EEE TON MSN NEN SE ERE SIS PEN * Dr. Royle'’s Zssay, p. 43. | -t Lbid., Pr 44s 392° PAURANIK PERIOD. {BOOK Vv. lead and iron. “ Though the ancient Greeks and Romans used many metallic substances as external applications, it is generally supposed that the Arabs | were the first to prescribe them internally. * * But in the works of Charak and Susruta, to which, as has been proved the earliest. of the Arabs had access, we find numerous metallic substances directed to be given internally, ed . From positive directions reipectine the formation of several substances it is clear that the ancient Hindus ‘were familiar with several chemical processes, as fsolution, evaporation, calcination, sublimation, and . distillation. Turning now to the subject of drugs and plants, we ‘find that Susruta arranges them under the following heads tuberous’ and bulbous roots; roots; bark of. roots ; bark of large trees; trees possessing a peculiar smell ; leaves; flowers ; fruits ; seeds ; acrid and astrin- gent vegetables ; milky plants; gums and resins. Susruta probably contains the earliest notice respecting botanical geography, mentioning the sites and climates where the plants grow. He also prescribes the weights and measures to be used, and gives directions for expressing juice from fresh vegetables, making powder of well-dried plants, and preparing infusions and decoc- tions of vatious kinds. The vegetable resources of India are practically unlimited, and it is needless to * Dr. Royle’s Essay, Pr 45+ 4 CHAP, XJ MEDICINE, 393 add that Hindu physicians were acquainted with a vast variety of vegetable medicines. Most of them are assuaging and depuratory medicines, suited to the cli- mate of the country and the unexcitable constitution of the nation. For sudden and severe cases there were drastic and mild purgatives, emetics, diaphoretics, and baths ; while acrid poisons were used with arsenic and, mercurial preparations, as well as stimulants, sedatives, and narcotics, Dr, H.H.Wilson makes a valuable remark that the compounds prescribed become more and more extravagant in proportion as the work prescribing it is - more modern. A similar remark could be made of poetry and sculpture too,—and of all the later manifes- — tations of the Hindu-mind ! ” . Turning now to the subject of surgery, it will, no doubt, excite surprise (says Royle) “ to find among the opera- tions of those ancient surgeons those of lithotomy and. the extraction of the foetus ex utero; and that no less than 127 surgical instruments are described in their . works,” Surgery was divided into Chedana, scission ; Bhedana, excison; Lekhana, scarification and inocula- . tion ; Vyddhana, puncturing; Eshyam probing ; Azarya, extraction of solid bodies ; Visvavana, extraction of fluids; and Sevana, sewing. These various operations were per- formed by a large variety of surgical instruments which Dr. Wilson classifies under the following heads :—~ - Yantras, implements; Sastras, instruments; Xshdra, alkaline solutions: or caustics; Agwz, actual cautery ; 304 PAURANIK PERIOD. [BOOK Vv. Salaka, pins; Sringa horns; Alabu, gourds used for cupping ; and Ja/auka or leeches. “ Besides these, we have thread, leaves, bandages, pledgets, heated metallic plates for erubescents, and a variety of astringent or emollient applications.” We are told that the instruments should be of metal, always bright, handsome, polished; and sharp, sufficiently so “to divide a hair longitudinally.” And the young practitioner is recommended to acquire proficiency in the use of such instruments by making incisions, not only on vegetable substances, but also on the fresh hides of animals and on the vessels of dead animals, - We will conclude the chapter with the suggestive remarks of Dr. Wilson, from whom we have so often quoted. The surgical operations “ were evidently bold and must have been hazardous : their being attempted at all is, however, most extraordinary, unless their oblitera- tion from the knowledge, not to say the practice, of later times, be considered as a still more remarkable cir- cumstance. It would be an inquiry of some interest to trace the period and causes of the disappearance of sur- gery from amongst the Hindus.” The causes are the same which have led to the dis- appearance, or at least the decline of all sciences, all arts, and all literature in India during the past thousand years. Social and religious degeneracy paved the way to ruin, and political disaster completed it. The causes have acted and reacted on each other, and the loss of political CHAP. X.] MEDICINE. 395 independence induced a grosser national ignorance, an unhealthier superstition, and a more hurtful system of social rules. : : It will be of some interest to Hindu readers to know, when foreign scientific skill and knowledge are required in every district in India for sanitary and medical work, that twenty-two centuries ago Alexander the Great kept Hindu physicians in his camp for the treat- ment of diseases which Greek physicians could not heal, and.