Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c6.s1.t7.1

c6.s1.t7.1

In his commentary, Gangādhar makes a strenuous attempt to harmonize the actual total, 368 or 370, of the several items of his list with the required total 360. It involves a very forced manipulation of the list, which will now be explained. His procedure is as follows. It divides itself into five steps. The first step refers to the extremities. Excluding Nos. 1 and 2 as well as Nos. 5 *a* and 5 *b*, the remaining numbers down to No. 16, give us 128 bones, that is to say, thirty-two bones for each of the upper and lower extremities. Next, adding Nos. 1 and 2, that is, sixty-four bones, the total is raised to 192. The third step refers to the posterior part of the trunk. Transferring No. 18 (*tālu*, palate) to a subsequent step, and counting No. 20 *a* (the vulval and penis-bones) as a single item (for woman and man respectively), we obtain, from No. 17 to No. 21, a total of forty-two, which added to the previous total 192, raises it to 234. The fourth step refers to the head and neck. Transferring Nos. 23 (*jatru*) and 27 *a*, *b*, *c* (ribs, &c.) to the next step, but adding the previously omitted No. 18 (palate), and counting from No. 22 to No. 29, we obtain a total of thirty-five, which added to the previous total 234, makes up 269. The fifth step refers to the anterior portion of the trunk. Here come in the previously omitted Nos. 23 (*jatru*) and 27 *a*, *b*, *c* (ribs, &c.), to which is added No. 30 (breast-bones). These give a total of ninety-one, which, added to the previous total 269, finally results in the required total 360.