The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c11.3

c11.3

The comparison of the data of ancient Iran with that of the Veda has enabled us to recognise the antiquity of the speculations which were prevalent on both the sides and which were, later, to find a place at the base of the theories of classical Indian physiology. In fact cosmological speculations go back to the period of Indo-Iranian pre-history as they are found in the ancient texts of both India and Iran. They relate to the rôle of elements such as fire and water and to that of wind considered as one of the chief forces of nature. But the details of medical knowledge had, still, not been fixed in this period. The nosological nomenclatures of the Veda and of the Avesta are independent and do not share a common heritage.