Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c11.35

c11.35

The medical profession comprised the following classes of specialists: (1) the ordinary physicians (*Bhishajaḥ* or *Chikitsakāḥ*), (2) those who treated cases of poison (*Jāṅgalividaḥ*), (3) those who specialised in midwifery (*garbhavyādhi-saṁsthā* and *Sūtikā-Chikitsakāḥ*), (4) the surgeons who accompanied the army with the surgical instruments and appliances, oils and bandages (*Chikitsakāḥ śastrayantrāgada-snehavastra-hastāḥ*) together with Nurses who carried the necessary food and beverage for the sick and the wounded (*striyaśchānnapānarakshiṇyaḥ*) and (5) the veterinary surgeons who treated the diseases of cattle, horses, and elephants, of whom we have already given an account [X. 3].