Premium
Anatomy in ancient India: a focus on the Susruta Samhita
Author(s) -
Loukas Marios,
Lanteri Alexis,
Ferrauiola Julie,
Tubbs R. Shane,
Maharaja Goppi,
Shoja Mohammadali Mohajel,
Yadav Abhishek,
Rao Vishnu Chellapilla
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2010.01294.x
Subject(s) - focus (optics) , foundation (evidence) , medicine , anatomy , history , archaeology , physics , optics
This review focuses on how the study of anatomy in India has evolved through the centuries. Anatomical knowledge in ancient India was derived principally from animal sacrifice, chance observations of improperly buried human bodies, and examinations of patients made by doctors during treatment. The Vedic philosophies form the basis of the Ayurvedic tradition, which is considered to be one of the oldest known systems of medicine. Two sets of texts form the foundation of Ayurvedic medicine, the Susruta Samhita and the Charaka Samhita. The Susruta Samhita provided important surgical and anatomical information of the understanding of anatomy by Indians in the 6th century BCE. Here we review the anatomical knowledge known to this society.