Susruta Samhita - Mandhata Global

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VI INTRODUCTION.
helps the Surgeons and the Surgeons only in their operations.*
But so far as Biology is concerned with medicine, Susruta
does not forget to lay particular stress on the knowledge of
the molecular construction of the body. The following
memorable passages actually preached by this renowned
Surgeon, some three hundred centuries ago, still stands as a
model from which modern Science, even in its present ad-
vancement, can draw inspirations.
He says :
1. ST 31,^ ^^qr ?^' t% fl^ff^ f%->^: I
^^rTMT ^'f^^NTgiT^^ri f^: II
2. fT«iTf%:¥3!a Tii^ ^=srT si^^ ^^ctt i
siteflifgT 'Jft ^PRiJr ?^^s^^f^?i: ii
iif?r^ f^ ^. 1^ ^re??^^ ??ftfi I
?f?TrefT¥^^?i ^^] TlTTf%qtf?T II
That is, the protean work of the protoplasm in which the
great Self resides cannot be detected by the body's eye ; to
know its work, mind's eye is necessary, along with the body's
eye. For acquiring efficiency in Surgery alone, the dissection
* Susruta recommends dissection on dead human bodies and suggests
that it is only required of those who will practise surgery and that students
of medicine can do without it. Herophilus practised dissection on
living bodies and with the object of practising medicine suceessfuUy,
but it soon fell into disrepute and did not at all influence the art of
Medicine, He was condemmed even by his own pupil Philinus of cos
who declared that all the Anatomy his vivisecting master had taught him
had not helped him in the least in the cure of his patients. Such
indeed was the fate of vivisection for which Europe now takes pride.
But Susruta's, Avagharshana is now considered by many as the only
perfect mode of dissection ever known. It is with the help of this
method of dissection that the layers of epidermis and dermis could be
discovered and blood-vessels with their minute branches could be counted
to be as many as thirty millions. Not only this, but also in the opinion of
several European savants, Susruta still stands as a model of surgery and
European surgery has borrowed many things from Susruta and has yet
many things to learn.