The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c14.48

c14.48

When a Greek text refers to the Orient, the first job of the Orientalist is to find out whether what is alleged is exact. If it is found to be false, it follows automatically that we are dealing with a text of fantasy and the reasons that prompted the author to write it, should be looked for only in the preoccupations of the author himself or those of his circle. Things become altogether different if the indications regarding the Orient found in the text are found to be correct. Then the reasons of the author should not be sought only in his ideas or in those of his nation as the real influence of foreign thought on him is evident. Now on examining the facts regarding the wisdom of Indians found in various works or in the dialogues claiming to present Indians, it is perceived that they are generally exact; therefore, it can be said that the vogue of the Orient among the Greeks has not been solely due, in so far as India is concerned, to a purely internal evolution of ideas but it is due to a real contribution made by true facts. We have already had the occasion to show the same elsewhere *a propos* of the texts of the first centuries of the Christian era.¹ We can today give a new example of the same, concerning the anecdote of Aristoxenes studied here.