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Maharshi Atreya is acknowledged as the first great

Indian Physician and Teacher.

He lived in the ancient University Taxilla about 20 miles west

of modern Rawalpindi.

He learnt Ayurveda from Rishi Bharadwaja.

Bharadwaja Ashrama still exists in Prayag (in the modern state

of Uttar Pradesh).

Atreya revolutionized the medical system of Ayurveda into the

system we have today.

He held formal teachings with his students and established

Code of Medical Ethics in India (150 years before Hippocratic

oath).

Agnivesa Samhita (800BC – 400AD):

Agnivesa , one of the six disciples of Atreya, who recorded

the teachings of his preceptor Atreya.

Charaka re-edited Agnivesa Samhita as Charaka Samhita

in the second century (200AD).

Galen was his contemporary in the West (130 – 210 AD).

Charaka Samhita describes Anatomy and Physiology.

There are eight chapters dealing with Pathology

(Nidanasthanam).

Charaka Samhita deals with the symptoms, signs, diagnosis

and treatment of diseases of the heart, chest, abdomen,

genital organs and extremities. 

Charaka mentions two cases of disease: 

1. Internal - Loss of faith in Devine which leads to  suffering in

spiritual, mental and physical disease.

2. External - varies with time of the day, seasons, diet and

life-style.

His profound medical knowledge was evident from his

instructions on building hospitals with maintenance of hygienic

atmosphere for patients.

Dhanvantri resigned his Royal status as "Prince of Kasi"

(Varanasi) and retired into the forest where he dictated

his Ayurveda to Susruta of Benaras. He described

human anatomy in details in his treatise "Susruta Samhita".

Susruta was the first surgeon to perform rhinoplasty and ear lobe 

construction. Surgeons of that time had plenty of opportunity

to construct the nose. Besides those who lost their

nose in the battle, cutting the nose by the irritant "Rajas" was

the common practice. Official punishment for

adultery was to cut the nose of the culprits.

The early Indians set fractures, performed amputations, excised

tumors, repaired hernia and did couching for cataract.

They used over 121 different steel instruments to drain fluids, to

remove kidney stones, to sew up wounds and to perform plastic

surgery.

Some of the instruments used in those days were very much like

those of today such as scissors, saws, needles, forceps etc.

In Susruta Samhita transmission of malaria was incriminated to

a biting insect, probably mosquito.

This shows that they were not only well versed in Medicine and

surgery but also in the prevention of disease.

They were also conversant with operative midwifery.

Original Susruta Samhita was further revised by Nagarjuna

(4th century BC),the great Buddist Teacher.

The great Greek teacher Hippocrates (460-377BC) preceded

Nagarjuna near about the time of Socrates (469-399 BC)

Susruta Samhita was re-edited by Chakrapani in the 11^th

Century.

Ancient history of Pathology in India- Nidanasthanam

Of the six divisions of Susruta Samhita, second division

consists sixteen chapters devoted to Pathology, mainly of

surgical diseases.

Nidana developed greatly in the 7th century and was

established  by Madhava Kara of Bengal. His Nidana as

well as Charaka and Susruta Samhita were translated in

Arabic by the order of Haran al-Rashid (786-806 AD) the Khalif

of Bagdad .

According to Wilson, it is likely that it might have been

translated from the translation of the book in Persian language.

Postmortem: In Arthasastra of Kautilya (other name of

Chanakya, the greatest politician of the time), there is a

mention of postmortem.

Ashumrita parikshagara  (examination of men who recently

died). These reports of inquest were also necessary in

higher courts of law (Kontaka Sodhana) during the reign of the

Great Emperor Chandragupta.  The dead bodies in cases of

homicide, suicide or those who died of accidents, were kept

in an examination room, which was set apart for the purpose

and the cause of death had to be reported after post-mortem

examination to higher authorities.  To prevent decomposition

dead bodies were preserved by immersion in oil.