Sushruta Samhita: The Oldest Medical and Surgical Encyclopedia

Sushruta, who lived around the 7th or 6th century BCE, is known as the “Father of Indian Medicine.” His contributions include the invention and development of surgical procedures which are immortalized in the Sushruta Samhita.

Palm leaves of the Sushruta Samhita, the text is dated 12th-13th century while the art is dated 18th-19th century. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The work of Sushruta standardized and established earlier knowledge through careful descriptions of how a physician should practice, as well as specific procedures, including performing plastic surgery reconstructions and the removal of cataracts. It may also be noted that the Sushruta Samhita is one of the foundational texts of Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India.  

Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Sushruta's foresight is evident in his meticulous documentation. The Sushruta Samhita devotes chapters to surgical techniques, listing over 300 surgical procedures and 120 surgical instruments, in addition to 1,120 diseases, injuries, conditions and their treatments, and over 700 medicinal herbs and their applications. He also used wine and specific herbs as primitive anesthetic agents. He recognized the value of hands-on experience, and promoted cadaver dissections for educational purposes.

A statue of Sushruta at the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, Melbourne, Australia

The Sushruta Samhita remains a testament to the intellectual and practical advancement of ancient Indian medicine. Sushruta's work not only shaped his own era but continues to influence the fields of surgery and medicine today.

Works Cited:

Bhishagratna, Kunjalal (1907). An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita, based on Original Sanskrit Text. Calcutta.

Sushruta Samhita: The Ancient Treatise on Surgery". Live History India.

Kutumbian, P. (2005). Ancient Indian Medicine. Orient Longman.