The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c8.3

c8.3

There is quite an amount of temptation to stick on here. Yet, the difficult problem of the absolute chronology of the Vedic texts cannot be avoided here. The position of the scientific ideas of ancient India in relation to those of the anterior and neighbouring civilisations can be studied only if it is possible to bring these texts, if not to the dates, at least to the periods of general chronology. To decide, for example, if a certain Indian notion is anterior, contemporary or posterior to a corresponding Greek notion, it is evident that it is not sufficient to state with precision the stratum of Vedic literature from which it is found, but it is equally essential to know at least the approximate epoch to which it appertains.