Vll 



endeavoured to include under some head or other most of the 

 combinations which were pointed out to me by experienced native 

 physicians, as generally used in practice. 



In detailing the uses of particular combinations of medicines, 

 Sanskrit writers are, sometimes, in the habit of indulging in 

 exaggerated statements. Thus for example a medicine, which is 

 really used in a special disease, say jaundice, i9 described in the 

 chapter devoted to the treatment of this disease, but a host of 

 other diseases may also be recited as cured by it. Native 

 physicians who regard these writings as sacred, explain these 

 irrelevant statements by saying that they are secondary uses, 

 C have, for the most part, omitted them in my translations of the 

 texts, hence their English renderings will sometimes appear 

 deficient or incomplete. 



The names of the works given below the Sanskrit texts merely 

 shew that those texts are to be found in them, and not that they 

 were originally composed by the authors or compilers of those 

 books. The combinations or formulae generally used, are to be 

 found in most compilations, and it is not alwajs prasticable to 

 trace them to their original sources. In quoting these authorities 

 I have, as a natural consequence of the principle upon which the 

 prescriptions were selected, had to give preference to works that 

 are used as text books by native physicians. 



The number of Sanskrit medical works, and especially of small 

 oompilations on the treatment of -diseases, is too numerous and 

 indefinite to admit of detailed enumeration here. The enquirer 

 after them is sure to fiad, in different parts of the country or seats 

 of learning, many little manuals, essays and digests of which 

 he did not hear before. It would seem that in the absence 

 of printing, teachers of medicine used to prepare small compilations 

 containing such prescriptions as they were in the habit of 

 using for the guidance of their pupils, who copied them for 

 personal use. These manuals are often dubbed with fancy 

 names, and have more or less circulation according to their 

 merit or the extent of influence of their authors. There are 

 however a few works which owing to their comprehensive 

 character, ancient date, or real merit, are well-known throughout 

 India. I will here notice them briefly. 



