Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c13.7

c13.7

**Kautilya: Medical and Ambulance Arrangements.** It is also interesting to note that Kauṭilya also refers to these subsidiary divisions of the army. "The work of scouts such as examination of camps, roads, rivers, digging of wells, landing places on rivers and preparing these for use; the transport of machines, weapons, armour, instruments and provision; carrying away from the battle-field men that are knocked down, along with their weapons and armour—these constitute the work of a special set of labourers (*śibira-mārga-setu-kūpa-tīrtha--śodhanakarma--yantrāyudhāvaraṇopakaraṇa--grāsavahanamāyodhanāchcha praharaṇāvaraṇa-pratividdhāpanayanam iti vishṭi-karmāṇi*)' [X. 4]. The other necessary aids to the army mentioned by Kauṭilya which Megasthenes has failed to observe are medical and ambulance arrangements thus described by him: “Surgeons carrying in their hands surgical instruments (*śastra*), apparatus (*yantra*), medicines (*agada*), healing oils (*sneha*), and bandages (*vastrāṇi*), and nurses with prepared foods and beverages, should always be in attendance and encourage the soldiers to fight” [X. 3.].