Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c6.s2.t4.43

v1.c6.s2.t4.43

prescription, in which miraculous medicinal benefits of garlic were described including the origin of garlic, the name and nature of the item, Garlic Festival, as well as the prescription of garlic and other medicines and their effects. The next section of the manuscript seemed like a small tantra, which composed of illogical sections including emphasis on digestive ability, methods for obtaining a good memory, instructions for pharmaceutics, all kinds of prescriptions, methods for curing eye disease, usage of sticking plasters on face, eyewash and methods for controlling alopecia and maintaining the black colour of hair as well as methods for curing cough and other diseases. The second volume of *The Bower Manuscript* is *Nàvanàtaka* (also translated as *Jingzhi*) which was relatively complete with 32 leaves, 1,119 odes in total. It was a practical medical formulary which was compiled based on various kinds of effective prescriptions for immortals recorded in medical books and its introductory title is *Nàvanātaka*. Belonging to another medical tradition in ancient India namely hand-me-down apart from “Agnive ÷ a” and “Bheóa”, *Nàvanãtaka* covers all aspects of internal medicine. There were previously 16 volumes in *Nàvanãtaka* but now only 14 exist which illustrate the use of medical butter, medical oil, enema, tonic, medical gruel, aphrodisiac, collyria, hair lotion, neochebulinic acid, trogopterus dung and Whiteflower Leadword Root as well as prescriptions for pediatrics, pregnant women, praying for children and longevity. However, pestilence, hydrargyrum and opium were not mentioned. A basic framework for life, Veda in India, has emerged in *The Bower Manuscript*. For example, it described the Sanye Theory, the role of digestion in health, terms for diseases as well as the diversity of drug preparation. The third volume is the remaining one of an ancient medical book or dispensatory. There are missing contents both in the beginning and