Surgery in ancient India (Study)
by P. P. Prathapan | 2011 | 50,270 words
This essay studies Surgery in ancient India based on Sanskrit sources.—The Sushruta Samhita details the practice of surgery known to ancient Indian traditional medicine, which showcases an advanced development in this field as well as theoretical and practical knowledge of hygiene rivaling contemporary routine practices. The present thesis further ...
9. Anatomy as enumerated by Sushruta
Sushruta in his Cikitsasthana [Chikitsa Sthana] explains the method of performing surgery in about 200 parts or organs of the body, just like the performance of surgery by the modern medical practitioners in the present time. He elaborately explains in Sarirasthana [Sharira Sthana] the important organs and the sub divisions of the body implying that it is necessary to know extensively about the organs before performing surgery on them. 173
This description of the body is known as 'anatomy' in the 39 present times. Susruta remains a guide to modern medical system from 2000 years ago by enunciating the description of human organs. termed as anatomy which is being written and talked about by the modern medical practitioners in a big way. Similarly a medical practitioner should understand the foetal development, since medical practice starts from there and continues up to the treatment of the developed organs by keeping this in mind, Sushruta, in his Sarirasthana has mentioned about weekly and monthly development of the foetus by stages. 40 The modern medical practitioners call only this as 'Gynecology.' Hence it is only befitting to say that Sushruta is the guide for the explanation of the foetal development, namely, Gynecology, which is highly advanced in the modern medical science.