94f Dr. R. Mitra — Ancient Hindu Veterinary Art, [JuLTy 



Dr. Mitra next noticed a work entitled Vdjisdstra or " Horse 

 science." The codex is very corrupt and full of laeunse, and it was 

 the OLly one that had been seen by him. It had been obtained from a 

 correspondent at Kathmandu, who copied it hastily, not being able to 

 purchase the original. The author of it calls himself Dipankara "^ whose 

 mind was unswervingly devoted to the feet of the great Buddha Dipan- 

 kara." His father's name was Manakara, " who was like Buddha 

 himself y the son of S'uddhodana." His grandfather was Trinidhanakara, 

 who was a great physician and resident of Katara ( ? or Tatara). As 

 the codex is very corrupt, Dr. Mitra had not been able to make much 

 use of it. 



The next work on the table was called Asva-vaidyalca or " treatment 

 for horses." It had been sent to Dr. Mitra by a correspondent in Nepal, 

 but it had been copied with more care, and was in a better state 

 of preservation. Its author's name was Jayadatta, son of Vijayadatta. 

 It is a comparatively modern work, and professes to be only an epi- 

 tome ; but it extends to 68 chapters. It treats at some length on 

 all the topics which come under its purview, and the information con- 

 tained in it would be very useful and interesting to a large number of 

 readers. If a second codex could be got, Dr. Mitra would have strongly 

 recommended it for publication in the Bibliotheca Indica. It opens 

 with the anatomy of the horse, giving names for all the parts of the 

 body, and points out what are reckoned as defects of those parts. 

 In connexion with this subject there are two chapters which treat of 

 the various whirls of hair on the head, face, neck, chest, and the legs 

 which are supposed not only to presage the fate of the animal, but also 

 the good or evil luck which the animal is sure to bring to its owner. 

 This curious folklore prevails all over India, both among the Hindus and 

 the Muhammadans, and there are several Persian works in which it is 

 treated at length. Dr. Mitra was not aware of the existence of any such 

 folklore in Europe ; but closely allied to it was the belief about the colour 

 of the feet of horses. Most people were doubtless aware of the saying : 



" One white foot — buy a horse j 

 Two white feet — try a horse ; 

 Three white feet — look well about him ; 

 Four white feet — do without him." 



In India the folk-lore on the subject is just the reverse. Knowing 

 people will have nothing to do with a horse that has only one or two 

 feet white, but they prize highly a horse stockinged on four feet and 

 having a blaze on the forehead. It is called Panchakalydna or " five- 

 fold auspicious. " Ideas of good and evil luck are also associated with 

 the neighing, weeping and refusal of food by horses, and the work under 



