A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c23.s3.22

v1.c23.s3.22

The Nidānasthāna is distinct from the corresponding section of the Carakasaṃhitā in being much longer and describing a larger number of diseases. The disorders discussed are for a large part selected because they belong to the domain of surgery, but this criterion does not fully explain the contents. Diseases like kuṣṭha (Ni.5) and prameha (Ni.6), the only ones also dealt with in Caraka’s Nidānasthāna, form part of kāyacikitsā; the same applies to vātavyādhi (Ni.1). Remarkable is the presence of a chapter on mukharoga (Ni.16), one of the subjects of śālākya.250 The chapter on kṣudrarogas (Ni.13) was already a problem to the commentators, since the Nidānasthāna is, in general, about major diseases (mahāvyādhi).251