The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c3.17

c3.17

The general diseases such as fever, diarrhœa, chest diseases, etc., are treated of in the last book called "Uttara-tantra," but there are reasons for believing, that this portion did not originally form a part of the work, but was subsequently added by some writer with the object of giving completeness to it. This is evident from several reasons. The very name Uttara "supplemental" is enough to suggest the idea of its being an after thought, if not a subsequent work. Had it been an integral part of the original treatise, it would have been included in the original scheme. But at the end of the first chapter of the first book an analysis of the contents of the entire work is given wherein it is said that this work consists of five parts containing 120 chapters in all.* This is followed by a line to the effect that in the Uttara-tantra the remainder of the subject will be described. This last line, however, is evidently an interpolation, for if the original writer of the work had divided his book into six parts, he would not have said that it consisted of five parts. Besides the Uttara-tantra has a separate introduction in which the writer says it is compiled from the works of learned sages on the six divisions of Káyachikitsá or the treatment of general diseases, and from the work of Videhidhipa on Sálakya Sástra or diseases of the head, eyes, ears and nose.