The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c13.16

c13.16

The pathogeny of troubles due to the wind differs in the Sanskrit texts and in the *Timaeus*, because of the fact that, in the latter, Plato brings in the lung as the distributor of the air in the body whereas the Sanskrit texts do not even mention it on that occasion. Plato has also a theory of breathing which says that something like a trap of fire and of air was introduced by God in the body, where it would go out alternatively.¹ This theory does not appear to be found in India. But the idea that the wind retained in the body provokes therein pains and convulsions, is a part of classical Indian teaching. The text of Suśruta, studied above, links specially tetanus to the wind under its various forms, stressing the predominance of contractions on such and such a group of muscles, extensor or flexor. The concordance with the *Timaeus* in this respect is complete.