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1Induced by these and other reasons, I have determined to bring out an English translation of “Charaka-Samhita.” An effort had been made, in 1870, by our distinguished countryman, Dr. Mahendra Lai Sircar, a name that has now travelled into every part of the civilised world where science and scientific experi¬ ments are honored, for bringing out, with the assistance of a competent native physician, an English translation of this great work in monthly instalments. It is highly to be regretted that after only the first two chapters had been brought out, the essay came to an end. The reason, I am told, of this abrupt termination, was ill health and pressure of duties consequent on the extensive practice of that accomplished physician. I have consulted with some eminent physicians practising Western systems of cure. All of them think that an English translation of this ancient medical treatise of India, besides its importance from a philological and historical point of view, would achieve a desideratum. In his letter to me, Professor Max Muller observes that the book is of great importance both to Sanskrit scholars and to medical men who take an interest in the historical development of medicine. It is my firm belief that an English translation of Charaka, if executed properly, and if it succeeds in attracting the attention of scientific men in Europe and America, is sure to produce many important changes in modern systems of treating disease. Charaka is a highly philosophical work. Its deliverances on many subjects, unsurpassed for their brevity and weight, are like those of Bacon, extremely suggestive. Locked in a difficult tongue, those hints have for ages lain unutilised. Whether employed in teaching students or practising their system. [ vii ]
2Hindu physicians have moved too much in a groove. The vigorous intellect of the West, by taking up those hints, may produce results of the utmost importance to science and the sacred cause of alleviating human misery. Some years ago, the late lamented Baboo Joykissen Mookerjee of Uttarpara, the Nestor of the landed aristocracy of Bengal, suggested the publication of the ancient medical writings of India with faithful English translations. Modern criticism and scholarship have clearly established that the people of ancient India constituted the oldest, the most civilised, and the most philosophic section of the Aryan race, and that they gave to the rest of the world its literature and science, in fact, its materials of thought and culture of every kind. That the greatest medical work of such a people should still remain a sealed book to the largest portion of mankind, is a slur on civili¬ sation. As regards the Hindu in especial, such an essay strongly appeals to his sentiments of patriotism.
3About ei'ght years ago I brought out an edition of this great work, consisting of both text and a Bengali translation. The text was in the Bengali character. The edition consisted of a thousand copies, and was rapidly exhausted. Yielding to the solicitations of the profession, I then commenced an edition of the second great Sanskrit work on medicine, called " Susruta-Samhita.”- That edition is a triglot one, consisting as it does of text and commen¬ tary, a Bengali translation, and a translation in Hindi, all issued in separate and successive fascicules. About half of this work has been already accomplished. (Besides the above, I have commenced a second edition of “ Charaka-Samhita ” (text and commentary) in the Devanagara character, only four fascicules of which have by this been out. It is scarcely necessary to add here that my own knowledge of English is not sufficient to enable me to translate the work myself. I have, however, determined to execute the task with competent literary and professional assistance. Fortunately, the work of Charaka does not contain many medical technicalities. There is no expression in it that may not be rendered into intelli¬ gible English with a little care. The translation is intended to be made as faithful as practicable, for without that characteristic, such versions cannot subserve many important ends. In explaining the names of the drugs, both vegetable and mineral, valuable assistance may often be had from the careful and laborious work [ viii ] of Babu Undaya Chand Dutta, entitled “ The Materia Medica of the Hindus.”
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
1Induced by these and other reasons, I have determined to bring out an English translation of “Charaka-Samhita.” An effort had been made, in 1870, by our distinguished countryman, Dr. Mahendra Lai Sircar, a name that has now travelled into every part of the civilised world where science and scientific experi¬ ments are honored, for bringing out, with the assistance of a competent native physician, an English translation of this great work in monthly instalments. It is highly to be regretted that after only the first two chapters had been brought out, the essay came to an end. The reason, I am told, of this abrupt termination, was ill health and pressure of duties consequent on the extensive practice of that accomplished physician. I have consulted with some eminent physicians practising Western systems of cure. All of them think that an English translation of this ancient medical treatise of India, besides its importance from a philological and historical point of view, would achieve a desideratum. In his letter to me, Professor Max Muller observes that the book is of great importance both to Sanskrit scholars and to medical men who take an interest in the historical development of medicine. It is my firm belief that an English translation of Charaka, if executed properly, and if it succeeds in attracting the attention of scientific men in Europe and America, is sure to produce many important changes in modern systems of treating disease. Charaka is a highly philosophical work. Its deliverances on many subjects, unsurpassed for their brevity and weight, are like those of Bacon, extremely suggestive. Locked in a difficult tongue, those hints have for ages lain unutilised. Whether employed in teaching students or practising their system. [ vii ]
2Hindu physicians have moved too much in a groove. The vigorous intellect of the West, by taking up those hints, may produce results of the utmost importance to science and the sacred cause of alleviating human misery. Some years ago, the late lamented Baboo Joykissen Mookerjee of Uttarpara, the Nestor of the landed aristocracy of Bengal, suggested the publication of the ancient medical writings of India with faithful English translations. Modern criticism and scholarship have clearly established that the people of ancient India constituted the oldest, the most civilised, and the most philosophic section of the Aryan race, and that they gave to the rest of the world its literature and science, in fact, its materials of thought and culture of every kind. That the greatest medical work of such a people should still remain a sealed book to the largest portion of mankind, is a slur on civili¬ sation. As regards the Hindu in especial, such an essay strongly appeals to his sentiments of patriotism.
3About ei'ght years ago I brought out an edition of this great work, consisting of both text and a Bengali translation. The text was in the Bengali character. The edition consisted of a thousand copies, and was rapidly exhausted. Yielding to the solicitations of the profession, I then commenced an edition of the second great Sanskrit work on medicine, called " Susruta-Samhita.”- That edition is a triglot one, consisting as it does of text and commen¬ tary, a Bengali translation, and a translation in Hindi, all issued in separate and successive fascicules. About half of this work has been already accomplished. (Besides the above, I have commenced a second edition of “ Charaka-Samhita ” (text and commentary) in the Devanagara character, only four fascicules of which have by this been out. It is scarcely necessary to add here that my own knowledge of English is not sufficient to enable me to translate the work myself. I have, however, determined to execute the task with competent literary and professional assistance. Fortunately, the work of Charaka does not contain many medical technicalities. There is no expression in it that may not be rendered into intelli¬ gible English with a little care. The translation is intended to be made as faithful as practicable, for without that characteristic, such versions cannot subserve many important ends. In explaining the names of the drugs, both vegetable and mineral, valuable assistance may often be had from the careful and laborious work [ viii ] of Babu Undaya Chand Dutta, entitled “ The Materia Medica of the Hindus.”
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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