Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c6.s4.15

c6.s4.15

6. *Acquaintance with Suśruta.* Yājnavalkya’s acquaintance with the system of Suśruta is further shown by the curious circumstance that he counts 360 marrow-parts, that is, as many as there are bones. Clearly, he believed that every bone contained a ‘marrow-part’. This belief is closely related to Suśruta’s doctrine, which also ascribes what may be called a ‘marrow-part’ to every bone. Charaka has left no statement on the subject, but Suśruta, in the Introductory Section (*Sūtra Sthāna*) of his text-book (ch. xiv, verse 6, Jīv. ed., p. 48; Original Text in § 99, cl. 2), teaches that ‘from fat (*medas*) originates bone, and from the latter marrow (*majjā*)’. In the Anatomical Section (*Śārīra Sthāna*, ch. iv, cl. 9, Jīv., p. 319; Original Text in § 99, cl. 2), he further states that ‘fat (*medas*) occurs in the abdomen, and in both the small and large bones of all beings’; and, *ibid.*, cl. 10, he explains that ‘the fat which is found in the interior cavity of the large bones is called marrow (*majjan*), while that which is found in all other bones is called bloody (*sa-rakta*, or red) fat; further the grease (*sneha*) which attaches to clean flesh (of the abdomen) is known as suet (*vasā*), while in all other conditions fat (*medas*) is simply denoted grease (*sneha*)’. In the view of Suśruta, therefore, all bones contain the same fatty tissue (*medas*): only it is red in the small bones, and yellow in the large ones, the Mr. V. Smith’s *Early History of India*, pp. 26 ff.; Messrs. Hoernle and Stark’s *History of India*, p. 21.