Author:
Publication: The Week
Date: June 24, 2001
Jivaka, physician of King Bimbisara,
a contemporary of the Buddha, had to undergo a practical examination in
the final year of his studies at Taxila. The teacher asked him to take
a spade and seek round about a yojana on every side of the university and
bring the plant he saw which had no medicinal properties. After long investigations,
Jivaka came back saying he did not find any plant which had no medicinal
properties. The teacher was satisfied and gave him the licence to practise
as a physician.
Botanical teaching was preparatory
to medical studies in ancient days. Kautilya's Arthasastra refers to Vrukshayurveda,
a treatise on botany, written in the pre-Buddhist period. The author of
the book, Parasara, compiled the treatise at the request of the sages assembled
at a conference to give an account of the herbs and plants beneficial to
mankind.
Veterinary sciences, though not
treated in the text books of ayurveda, focused elephants and horses on
which the king possessed a monopoly. Palakapya's Hasti Ayurveda is said
to be the earliest book on veterinary sciences. A work on horse medicine
is also said to be translated into Persian in the 14th century, another
one in the 17th century and from that into English in the next century.
King Asoka's inscriptions also mention animal hospitals in his empire.
