Thread by @monidipadey

Susruta Samhita: Ancient Indian Surgical Knowledge.

“Caraka Samhita, Susruta Samhita, Astanga Hrdaya are three major classics that compile ancient Indian medical sciences.

(Contd. in thread)
1/6

#WorldDoctorsDay @LostTemple7

2/6
The three classics in turn enumerate 8 different branches of medical knowledge:
- surgery,
- ear, eye, nose & throat,
- mental & super natural diseases,
- therapeutics,
- paediatrics,
- toxicology,
- rejuvenation
- & vilification

3/6
The Susruta-samhita, in its extant form, in 184 chapters contains descriptions of 1,120 illnesses, 700 medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral sources and 57 preparations based on animal sources.

4/6
The text discusses surgical techniques of making incisions, probing, extraction of foreign bodies, alkali and thermal cauterization, tooth extraction, excisions, and trocars for draining abscess, draining hydrocele and ascitic fluid, removal of the prostate gland, (contd.)

5/6
urethral stricture dilatation, vesicolithotomy, hernia surgery, caesarian section, management of haemorrhoids, fistulae, laparotomy and management of intestinal obstruction, perforated intestines & accidental perforation of the abdomen with protrusion of omentum and (contd.)

6/6
the principles of fracture management, viz., traction, manipulation, apposition and stabilization including some measures of rehabilitation and fitting of prosthetic.”

(Text and images by National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Delhi)