The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c3.16

c3.16

The origin of the Susruta A'yurveda is thus described in the introduction to that work. Dhanvantari, the surgeon of heaven, descended upon earth in the person of Diva dása, king of Benares, for the purpose of teaching surgery along with the other branches of medical knowledge by which the gods preserve themselves from decline, disease and death. Susruta and other pupils besought him for instruction in surgical knowledge. Dhanvantari asked them what they wished to learn. The pupils replied "you will be pleased to make surgical knowledge the basis of your instruction, and to address your lectures to Susruta, who will take notes." Dhanvantari replied, "be it so. For surgery is the first and most important part of the A'yurveda, inasmuch as the healing of wounds was the first necessity for the medical art among the gods on account of their battles with the demons. Besides surgical treatment effects rapid cures, has recourse to instruments, mechanical appliances, caustics and the actual cautery and is intimately connected with the other branches of medical science." Accordingly we find that Susruta devotes the greater portion of his work to such subjects as anatomy, surgical instruments and operations, inflammation and surgical diseases, care of the king and his troops in the battle-field, obstetrical operations, poisons, etc.