A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c17.35

v1.c17.35

The mention of Caraka as the reviser of an earlier medical treatise appears, as mentioned before, for the first time in Dṛḍhabala’s text of the Carakasaṃhitā. The other early references to a physician of this name, such as the one attached to Kaniṣka’s court, only indicate that the name was given to wandering practitioners of the medical art. Much of the evidence supports the view that groups of Carakas of various types were known, and that Caraka may be seen as designating a member of one of these communities, and not primarily as an individual bearing this name.