INTRODUCTION. liii 



learnt much of the healing art from the Hindoos, so the latter 

 were indebted for their knowledge concerning several foreign 

 drugs to the Greeks. 



The rise of Muhammadanism brought about a new era in the 

 history of civilization. The Arabs paid great attention to the 

 cultivation of science and art. Although they did not discover 

 or invent anything new, yet they preserved most of the known 

 sciences of the ancient world- Without them, it is doubtful if 

 the modern world would have been in possession of the philoso- 

 phical and scientific lore of the Greeks or the Hindoos. Hindoo 

 physicians adorned the court of the rulers of Bagdad. Medical 

 works of the Hindoos such as Charaka, Sushruta, Nidana, &c, 

 were translated into Arabic. The teachings of Hippocrates, 

 Democritus, and other Greek physicians were made known to 

 the world by the countrymen of Muhammad. When India came 

 to be under the Islamic power, Muhammmadan physicians known 

 as Yunani Hakims were patronized by the court. They were 

 versed in the medical lore of the Greeks. They brought with 

 them the teachings and doctrines of the Greek masters of the 

 healing art, and also made known the properties and uses of 

 several drugs of Central Asia. The Hindoo system of medicine, 

 on the rise of the Muhammadan power, came to a stand-still ; 

 but the Hindoos were not slow in making use of those drugs 

 which their Muhammadan conquerors had made known to them. 

 Of all the drugs perhaps the most important one imported into 

 India by the Muhammadans was opium. Before the Muham- 

 madan supremacy in India, there is hardly any mention of 

 opium to be met with in Hindoo works of Materia Medica. The 

 principal works of Hindoo Materia Medica composed during 

 the Muhammadan period of Indian history are :— 



(1) Raja Nighantu, by Narahari Pandita. Regarding this 

 work, Professor H. H. Wilson writes that " from the frequent 

 occurrence of the Dakhini terms in explanation of his Sanskrit 

 text it is inferred that he was an inhabitant of the south of 

 India." The date of composition of this work has been fixed by 

 the same authority at some time between the 12th and 13th cen- 

 turies. [Vide H. H. Wilson's Works, Vol. V., p. 237.) 



