Sushruta was a surgeon and teacher of Ayurveda who flourished in the Indian city of Kashi by the 6th century BCE. The medical treatise Sushruta Samhita—compiled in Vedic Sanskrit—is attributed to him. The Sushruta Samhita contains multiple detailed references to diseases and medical procedures.

Life

Sushruta served as a surgeon in Kashi, where he practiced medicine and identified the treatment and origin of several diseases. The earliest literature of India is dated to before 1400 BCE and Brahmic family of scripts appeared by the 3rd century BCE. Greater diversity is visible in literary works during the 1st millennium BCE, which is when the medical treatise Sushruta Samhita makes its appearance. Sushruta's work was compiled by 6th century BCE. Sushruta is familiar with the religious text Atharva-veda and his work finds mention in the Brāhmaṇas literature, specifically Shatapatha Brahmana.

Contributions

Dwivedi & Dwivedi (2007)— on the work of the surgeon Sushruta—write:

The main vehicle of the transmission of knowledge during that period was by oral method. The language used was Sanskrit — the vedic language of that period (2000-500 BC). The most authentic compilation of his teachings and work is presently available in a treatise called Sushruta Samhita. This contains 184 chapters and description of 1120 illnesses, 700 medicinal plants, 64 preparations from mineral sources and 57 preparations based on animal sources.

Though the contributions of Sushruta are mainly in the field of Plastic and Cataract surgery, a number of his other contributions to medicine are listed below:

Angina pectoris, mention and treatment of	The concept of Hritshoola—literally heart pain—was known to Sushruta. Dwivedi & Dwivedi (2007) hold that: 'It embodies all the essential components of present day definition, i.e. site, nature, aggravating and relieving factors and referral. According to him angina is chest pain which is precordial, temporary, exertional, emotional, burning like and relieved by rest. He also linked this kind of pain to obesity (medoroga).'
Circulatory system, description of	The knowledge of circulation of vital fluids through the body was known to Sushruta. He also seems to possess knowledge of the arteries, described as 'channels' by Dwivedi & Dwivedi (2007).
Diabetes, mention and treatment of	Sushruta identified diabetes and classified it as Medhumeha. He further identified it with obesity and sedentary lifestyle, advising exercises to help cure it.
Hypertension, mention and treatment of	Sushruta also explains hypertension in a manner which matches the modern symptoms of the disease.
Leprosy, mention and treatment of	Writing in the Encyclopedia Britannica 2008, Kearns & Nash (2008) state that the first mention of leprosy is described in the Indian medical treatise Sushruta Samhita (6th century BCE). The The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Paleopathology (1998) holds that: "The Sushruta Samhita from India describes the condition quite well and even offers therapeutic suggestions as early as about 600 B.C."
Obesity, mention and treatment of	Obesity was known to Sushruta who also related it with diabetes and heart disorder. He recommended physical work in order to help cure it and its side effects.
Stones, mention and treatment of	The earliest operation for curing stones is also given in the Sushruta Samhita. The operation involved exposure and going up through the floor of the bladder.

Legacy

The earliest surviving excavated written material which contains the works of Sushruta is the Bower Manuscript—dated to the 4th century CE, almost a millennium after the original work.

The medical works of both Sushruta and Charak were translated into Arabic language during the Abbasid Caliphate (750 CE). These Arabic works made their way into Europe via intermediaries. In Italy the Branca family of Sicily and Gaspare Tagliacozzi (Bologna) became familiar with the techniques of Sushruta.

British physicians traveled to India to see Rhinoplasty being performed by native methods. Reports on Indian Rhinoplasty were published in the Gentleman's Magazine by 1794. Joseph Constantine Carpue spent 20 years in India studying local plastic surgery methods. Carpue was able to perform the first major surgery in the western world by 1815. Instruments described in the Sushruta Samhita were further modified in the Western World.

Notes

References

• Aufderheide, A. C.; Rodriguez-Martin, C. & Langsjoen, O. (1998). The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Paleopathology. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521552036.
• Dwivedi, Girish & Dwivedi, Shridhar (2007). History of Medicine: Sushruta – the Clinician – Teacher par Excellence National Informatics Centre (Government of India).
• Kearns, Susannah C.J. & Nash, June E. (2008). leprosy. Encyclopedia Britannica.
• Kutumbian, P. (2005). Ancient Indian Medicine. Orient Longman. ISBN 8125015213.
• Lock, Stephen etc. (2001). The Oxford Illustrated Companion to Medicine. USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192629506.