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Definition
"He who knows"
Indian Physician
Language: Sanskrit (had to be taught as it was a literary language; women were not allowed to learn Sanskrit)
Strong oral customs - knowledge was often passed orally
Caste System included:
Brahmans (Holy Priests)
Ksahtriyas (noble warriors)
Vaisyas (wealthy merchants)
Sudras (obedient servants) |
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Term
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Definition
Sacred books that are said to have arisen by divine inspiration
Collections of literature and knowledge
Passed down orally in Sanskrit
There were four vedas but it was said that it took twelve years to memorize one veda |
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Definition
System of medicine in Hindu culture "knowledge of life"
Part of the fourth veda, the Artharva Veda: a collection of magic and spells representing the lore of Arthavan priests
These would often be chanted by the Vaidya |
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Term
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Definition
Often quoted as representing the world's first reference to hospitals
Section that mentions hospitals is titled "Provision of Comforts for Men and Animals" and indicates separate remedies/hospitals for men and beasts
Indicates a level of concern for life |
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Term
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Definition
Surgeon
Shalya means arrow/sword/lance and hara means remover
An example of specialization in Indian healers
Under the Maurya Dynasty, care for the wounded in the army was given a high priority |
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Term
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Definition
The surgeon's section of the Ayurveda
The only way to be an acceptable surgeon was to learn it by heart
Apprentices were taught how to sound out the words before they were taught the meaning of what they were chanting
Maintains a variety of experimental surgery and recommends practicing on objects for various surgical techniques (see fig 7.7 pg 270) |
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Term
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Definition
The Vaidya understood physiology in a way that the blood vessels carried three basic doshas (principles) plus blood (rakta)
Vayu - wind
Pitta - bile
Kapha - phlegm
The blood (Rakta) becomes upset if one of the three doshas was upset. Remedied through venesection. |
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Term
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Definition
One of the three doshas
Titled as "wind"
Considered to be the most dangerous of the three doshas
Sushrata thought that the breath of life could escape out of the wounded marma in the form of Vayu |
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Term
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Definition
Vital points
Their experience in treating battle wounds taught them that wounds in certain points were critical or deadly
107 marmas were identified and were each individually labelled
Different points had different severity (death/paralysis/lameness) |
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Term
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Definition
Sacred formulas
Vaidya would chant these over there patients as part of their treatment
Strong belief that these chants worked
Majno mentions that many who were bitten by poisonous snakes escape without any symptoms of poisoning (though this is possibly from low poison injections from the snakes themselves) |
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Term
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Definition
Using ant heads to close wounds
Specific ants have fish hook shaped mandibles that can remain firmly stuck in flesh (even though the ant is dead)
Majno contacted various entymologists who helped confirmed the feasibility of this |
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