Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c8.78

c8.78

From the point of view of contents also there is correspondence between Vedic and later medicine; thus there is similarity in the names of diseases⁹, of course with the important exception of fever (Jvara = Vedic *takman*), in the names of healing plants which play a great role in the Veda along with incantations¹⁰, in the physiological conceptions which, particularly those occurring in the Upanisads,¹¹ are very similar to the later conceptions. Further transitional stages are formed by the Buddhist medicine, e. g. the serpent-spell in the Bower MS exactly reminding of the AV, as well as by the Grhya and Dharma sūtras which actually show literal agreement with the medical works in the description of the Samskāras, hygiene, embryology, anatomy and the doctrine of rebirth and by both the epics and some Purāṇas.