Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The wisdom of the ancients will certainly compare favourably with what we look upon as modern. ' Certainly the ancient ones were far ahead in many things. I have lately had as a guest a near neighbour of yours, Dr. P. C. Mozumdar, and I enjoyed his visit very much.

I pointed out to him in some parts of “Charaka” points which bear strongly on the truths of modern Medicine.

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I shall anticipate with pleasure the coming of the other parts of the work.

Permit me to commend you for your vast under¬ taking.

Very truly yours,

(Sd.) Geo. H. Clark, m. a., m. d.

[From Dr. Griffith Evans, m. d.] Brynkynall, Bangor, North Wales,

Great Britain, 25 th June, 1893.

Dear Sir,

I am much obliged to you for part V. of the Charaka-Samhita * * * * * The book is exceed¬ ingly interesting and instructive for those who are fond of tracing the origin, growth, and development of Medical Science, and also illustrates some ancient social customs in India.

I am rather surprised to find the following recom¬ mendation in a Hindu book.

Page 141, second paragraph, “one should drink warm water, after having taken ghee and • broth of flesh after having taken oil, &c.,” See also page 149, para 4.

I understand the peacock is now a sacred bird. Ducks, geese, fowl and pork also are all unclean abominations to Hindus, who think, besides that it is a sin to eat beef or even to touch it. Your Rishis had no such scruples.

There are a few of the lower castes who now eat the flesh of goat, sheep and fish.

When was this book first written ? Again thanking you,

I remain, yours truly,

(Sd.) G. Evans, m. d.

[From Rai Bahadur Dr. A. Hitter, Chief Medical Officer, Cashmere.]

Cashmere,

7 th April, , 1893.

Sir, — I have received five numbers of your English translation of Charaka. I am greatly interested in the work. I have already carefully read your Bengali tran¬ slation of the same work. No medical man’s library should be without Charaka, for his education cannot be complete unless he has studied this great work of practi¬ cal and philosophical medicine. Charaka is full of elegant aphorisms. I should not be'surprised if this translation of Charaka brings about important changes in our ever-changing but always progressive system of treating diseases. The happy wedlock of the ancient philo¬ sophical medicine of the East and of the modern ra¬ tional medicine of the West may produce a new off spring. Every page of Charaka presents examples of drugs, wellknown in modern Materia Medica, and suggests their new applications. You are, therefore, doing a public service by translating this work in English, which, as far as I have seen, is done in a splendid manner.

I am, yours faithfully,

(Sd. ) A. Mitter,

Chief Medical Officer.

[From Mayor Brothers’ Druggists, St. Louis, United States, America.]

As the work advances, the facts become more and more interesting, and we are surprised to find that much we now consider new was well known to the physicians who administered to the ancient citizens of India.

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[From Babu Ra-jnarain Bose.]

My Dear Sir,

Baidyanath-, Deoghur,

November, 1892.

Fascicule 4 is very interesting. What I admire most in Charaka is his recognizing the intimate relation between health on the one hand and religion and morality on the other. This relation is a deep truth recognized by only the Hindu sages. Health very much depends on the practice of religion' and morality which again depend very much on good health. No religion recognizes this truth so much as Hinduism. I remarked to a friend the other day that Hinduism is a huge system of sanitation and that, hence, it is a very good healthofficer.

There are very good hygienic rules in Charaka.

Sincerely yours,

(Sd.) Rajnarain Bose.

[From D. Basu, m. d. Opfg. Civil Surgeon,

24, Pergunnahs.]

28, Bally Gunge, Circular Road,

29 th September, 1892.

Dear Sir,

I thank you very much for sending me the 3rd fasciculus of the English translation of Charaka. I am delighted with the clear exposition of the text and the valuable notes given at the bottom. I wish it every success and should be most glad to see it completed

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I should be obliged to get a copy of your Bengali translation of the Sushruta-Samhita.

I need hardly say that I should be very glad to serve you in any way it may be possible for me to do.

Your truily,

(Sd.) D. Basu, m. d.

[From Dr. Joseph P. Rannington, Ph. d., p. c. s.,

,op Philadelphia.]

Philadelphia,

The 27 th April , 1893.

My dear Sir,

I thank you very much for sending me the fascicule of “ Charaka’’, and I have been greatly inter¬ ested in the work. It has given me much pleasure to call the attention of those who, I thought, would be inter¬ ested in it, to the many curious and valuable facts that are here set forth. Truly, the wise man has said, “there is nothing new under the sun.” Wishing you much success, Yours very truly,