Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c10.2

c10.2

According to another opinion which already comes in the Bower MS, blood is also a doṣa and so there are four doṣas. The blood is also often considered as exciter of disease¹. This conception is important, because it reminds us of the Greek humoral pathology. On the other hand, vātikāra, vātikṛta² comes already in the Atharvaveda, vātagulmin in Viṣṇu 46.27; so that at least the vāta belongs to the Vedic medicine. If the rite described e.g. in Kausika sūtra 26.1 is considered as directed against vāta, pitta and kapha as informed by the commentator, the old tradition may be proved to be still earlier. The old Buddhistic medicine also knows the three doṣas. Cf. §§ 14-16.