Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Austin Flint, Esq.-, New York U. S. A. : — I have read with much pleasure the first fasciculus of your translation of Charaka Samhita and shall be very glad to receive' the rest of the work, it Cannot fail to be of great interest to the medical profession, . which will be under great obligation to you.

A. H. Edgren Esq., Gothenburgh , Sweden-. — I am deeply interested in anything Indian, p> hd I need not say that I shall consider it as a gain to obtain whatever 'nsight I may into the subject treated of in your valuable translation.

Professor A. V. Williams Jackson., Columbia College , New York ,

U. S. A.— I must congratalat^you, with true appreciation of your efforts.

I should very much like to make a little note, in one of our papers, of the praiseworthy work you are doing. Be assured, Sir, of my hearty thanks and apprec:ation and oi my deep interest in India and antique lore.

Mons A. Birth., Paris : — Your efforts to place within' reach of the 'readers of ancient literature a work of so interesting a nature both to the Oriental scholars and to the men of medicine, are very praiseworthy, and ;I shall be happy to bring the work to the notice of the French public, * Or, at least, of those who take an interest in these researches.

Mons. B. St. Hilaire , Paris I praise you on your undertaking and :wish you all success. The work is of interest to all learned men and to medical men and the commentaries written on it prove its value and utility.

I will put in a notice in the Journal des Savants as soon as I caii. land shall be happy to do you justice.

! Professor H> Jacobi,' Bonn University , Germany The work you have undertaken will interest Saiiskritists as well as medical men who care for Ihe History of their science. I shall not fail to draw the attention of some.^eminent physicians whom I know personally, to the ancient work of Charaka. ' - 1

■}, Hefrr-. Gl-arbe, Prinsenstram Keningsbutg, Germany : — The English !, "tr’ansktibn'of Charaka Samhita is perhaps, at least from an historical point " of view, the most important work of the medicinal literature of your country.

ABSTRACT OF CONTENTS.

The contents of this Part are extremely interesting, as will appear from a bare enumeration of the topics discussed.

The Third Lesson is concluded in this Part.

The topics explained in it are the cause of the setting in of conception, the cause of the growth of the foetus, as also of its birth (meaning delivery' from the womb), the opinions of Punarvasu, the objections of Bharadwaja, &c.

An answer is given of the question why does Jiva-soul, when born in the human womb, take the human form, and why the children of the blind and the deaf, of idiots and the rest, do not become blind and deaf, &c.

Certain observations occur on the importance of the know¬ ledge of Self. Knowledge of Self constitutes a power that is infinite.

Then comes Lesson IV. The topics explained are, (i) that from which Conception springs, (2) that to which the word foetus is applied, (3) those things whose modifications compose the foetus, (4) the manner in which the several limbs of the foetus grow, one after another, in the womb, (5) that which is the cause of the growth of the foetus, (6) that which is the cause of its non-growth, (7) that in consequence of which it meets with destruction while growing in the womb, and (8) those causes through which the foetus instead of being destroyed outright, becomes subject to malformations.

In course of the explanations of these topics, many observ¬ ations occur which are fraught with great interest. Many of the aphorisms are extremely terse. Their sense, however has been explained clearly in the foot-notes to which the reader’s attention is particularly invited.

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CHAXAkA.'SAM^TA £$*»

Atri’s son said, — It has been ;l^veh(ctt|Xvn before that the mind, touching Jiva (or Self), uniteS^'4't^0r the body. We shall pre¬