The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c8.s1.29

c8.s1.29

As regards therapeutics, Vedic souvenirs do exist in classical medicine, but they are extremely limited. A number of the names of plants already attested in the Vedic saṃhitās reappear in classical texts. But they are mostly employed for dogmatic reasons or because their efficacy has been empirically recognised and not because they formed part of the magical arsenal of the Veda. One may, however, pick out in the medical saṃhitās prayers of the same type as those of the Vedic magicians. The Suśruta-saṃhitā notably contains a prayer destined to reinforce the effectiveness of emetics. First of all, the text declares that "among the emetic substances, fruits and others, the fruits of madana (Randia dumetorum Lam) are the best”.¹ It indicates, thereafter, with precision the preparation of potions, prepared from these fruits, whose emetic properties are, moreover, perfectly real.² But their use must be along ritual lines.