Hindu Medicine c7.172

c7.172

The sideline of veterinary medicine, the “ Veda on the Long Life of Elephants,” offers a faithful example of the more primitive manner of handling such subject-matter, preferably through monographs; these take up first the mythical origin of diseases and drugs, interpret their meaningful etymology, proceed to their aetiology and symptoms, and close with treatments and recipes. Thus the entire subject is covered after the traditional pattern of the four problems and questions which inspired the Buddha to assume in his teaching the attitude of the medical man.