PREFACE. 



This work ia not a literal translation of any particular 

 treatise, but a compilation from standard Sanskrit Medical works, 

 arranged somewhat upon the plan of Waring's Manual of Thera- 

 peutics, and intended to give a concise exposition of the Materia 



Medioa of the Hindus. Dr. Wise, in his commentary on the 

 Hindu system of Medicine, has given a pretty full and accurate 

 account of the Anatomy, Surgery and Pathology of the Hindus. 

 With regard to his work I may here repeat, what I have 

 stated in the preface to my translation of the Nidana, "That 

 the natives if India cannot be too grateful to him for the trou- 

 ble he has taken in bringing to light the contents of their ancient 

 medical works, and establishing their right position in the history 

 of medicine." The scope and plan of his book did not, however, 

 admit of his treating of Sanskrit Materia Medioa in the manner 

 of modern works on the subject. I have, therefore, undertaken 

 to publish this work under the impression that it will prove 

 an acceptable contribution to the history of drugs, and will 

 form a basis for farther researches on indigenous medicines. 



In the first part of the work I have given an account of 

 the mineral medicines used by the Hindus, the mode in which 

 they are prepared for use, their chemical composition, and 

 the principal combinations in which they are employed in 

 different diseases. With regard to the Vegetable Materia 

 Medioa, I have endeavoured to give the correct scientific names 

 of the plants described, by procuring the drugs through practis- 

 ing Kavirajas.or native physicians, and having them identified 

 in the Royal Botanic Gardens. 



In describing the general properties of individual articles 

 I have not followed the Sanskrit texts literally. Sanskrit 

 writers, under this head, after recounting their sensible pro- 

 perties, enter into minute details regarding their cooling or 





