286 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [Sept. 



systematic and more logical in its classifications than Charaka. It 

 is more precise and accurate in its anatomy. Sushruta does not 

 make any mention of beef as an article of diet, which Charaka does. 

 Hence, Sushruta could not have flourished at an age when beef was 

 still an article of food. Again, both Bagbhatta, and Misrabhava, 

 the author of Bhabaprakasha, by far the most ancient of the 

 modern class of medical writers, both these authors, we saj 7 ", agree 

 in giving priority and superiority to Atroya (or Bharadv.ija), the 

 preceptor of Agnivesha, the author of the work which now goes by 

 the name of Charaka. 



Hence, if we take Sushruta to have flourished about the time of 

 Rama, the illustrious contemporary of his father Vishva Mitra, we 

 must claim for Charaka a date anterior to that of Sushruta. 



But Charaka could not have flourished in the pre-Pauranic age, 

 inasmuch as Indra is called in the work, ^^*r*' ; C (the slayer of a 

 demon called Bala, mentioned only in some of the Puranas). 



Such being the antiquity of Charaka Sanhita, it must possess 

 very unusual interest, not only for the historian of medicine, but no 

 less for the philologist and the historian in general, and the philo- 

 sopher. As for its value in a medical point of view, this is not 

 the place to dilate upon it. This much, however, I must say, that 

 its pathology apart, I have found it to contain excellent and sound 

 remarks on therapeutics, dietetics, and hygiene. 



The history of any period should now be deemed incomplete, 

 unless we had an insight into the nature of the diseases which 

 prevailed in that period. In this point of view, we have no doubt, 

 the study of Charaka would throw much light on the history of 

 the time in which it was written. From it, we shall be able, in a 

 great measure, to decypher the mental characteristics, the various 

 occupations, the mode of living, and various other circumstances, 

 connected with life and its preservation which prevailed in that age. 



The receipt of the following communications was announced — 



1. Descriptions of New Land Shells from the Shun States and 

 Pegu. — By W. Theobald, Esq. 



2. On the Land Shells of Bourbon with descriptions of 

 species. — By G. Nevill, Esq., 0. M. II. S. 



3. Descriptions of new species of ' Mollusca from Ceylon. — By Messes. 

 (I. and 11. Nevill. 



