Susruta Samhita - Mandhata Global

INTRODUCTION. V
the Hindus),— is a direct contradiction to its bieng considered
as an Encyclopaedic work. The existence of the chapters on
midwifery and management of infants in the same, following
immediately the chapters on Anatomy, serves as a strong
additional evidence thereof. It is an anomaly no doubt,
that Midwifery has been offered a place in the section of
Anatomy, but the confusion does not
Reasons for in cor- . . ,, t j j -r i ^ ^
porating Midwifery g^^ ^^ ^'' confounded, if we are led to
into this Anatomi- believe that the science of generation
cal seccionof
a superior race (if we are at all
permitted to use the term) forms, indeed, an important depart-
ment of Practical Biology.
From whatever standpoint we look to the question, we
find there are grounds to lead any one to pronounce in
our favour and to come to the conclusion at which we
now venture to arrive. Besides these two important facts,
we now cite the following passage as
Internal evidence- , •
• •
. , j r r
a strong internal evidence in favour of
our view. Maharshi Punarvasu, after giving us a short table
of the principal structures of the human body, remarks that
even this reference is considered by many as superfluous,
Reasons for omit-
^'^ ^^^ g'"^""^' '^^' '" acquaintance
ting Descriptive with the molecular construction of an
as a reliable guide to treatment.
organism is quite suflScient to help us
The passage referred to is quoted below :
Now we ask the reader if this is not a sufificient evidence,
proving to the hilt, that Ayurveda is nothing but Biology
and that we run no risk of committing a grave omission if
the chapter on Anatomy is wholesale dispensed with from
Ayurveda. For the improvement of this awkward position
that in the section of Anatomy there should be no Anatomy
— the entire credit is due to Susruta, as he has very wisely
made the suggestion, that a knowledge of the anatomical
structures of the body is of great value, at least so far as it
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