History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c21.s2.1

v1.c21.s2.1

Status of surgery of any period can be best evaluated by variety and quality of the surgeon’s armamentarium. Suśruta has mentioned 101 blunt and 20 sharp instruments which could be the precursors of modern surgical instruments. Virtually, number of them have similar names such as *singhmukha yantra* (lion forcep), *mudrika sastra* (finger knife), etc. Varieties of needles (straight, curved or round body, blunt and cutting), suture materials, splints and fracture bed for immobilization of fractures at various sites, fourteen different types of bandages and parasurgical measures, i.e. cautery, etc. for checking the bleeding are further examples.