[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Science, technology and education](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science) › [The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.dutt-1877) › c3.25 # The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c3.25 The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c3.25 - **Language:** English ### [c3.25](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.dutt-1877.c3.25) The last great work on Hindu Medicine is that called the Bhávaprakása, compiled by Bháva Misra. It is a comprehensive treatise, compiled from the works of preceding authors, with much additional information on the properties of drugs, accounts of new drugs, and of some new diseases, as for example the syphilis introduced into India by the Portugeese and described in this work under the name of Phiringi-roga. By the time this work was composed, opium had been largely employed in practice, the use of mercury had extended to almost all diseases, various preparations of gold, silver, tin, copper, orpiment, arsenic, etc., had come into fashion, superseding to a considerable extent the vegetable drugs of the older writers; in short Hindu pathology and therapeutics had reached their acme. Dr. Wise says that the Bhávaprakása was composed about three hundred years ago. It cannot, at any rate, be a much older work. China root, called Chob-chini in the vernacular, is described in it. According to Fluckiger and Hanbury the use of this drug as a remedy for syphilis was made known to the Portugeese at Goa by Chinese traders, about (A. D. 1535). Hence the Bhávaprakása must have been compiled after this period. - [Previous: c3.24](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.dutt-1877.c3.24) - [Next: c3.26](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.dutt-1877.c3.26) - [Up: c3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.dutt-1877.c3) ## Linked texts (1) - [Bhāvaprakāśa](https://indike.org/pramana/in.med.sangraha.bhavaprakasa) — Bhāvamiśra 1550, Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.dutt-1877.c3.25](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.science.dutt-1877.c3.25) · Pramāṇa