Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

I am sorry to say that I agree with you concerning the insular prejudices of the English physicians. It is really unfortunate, for much light is thus kept out. The medical world, especially, is constantly finding in the progressive studies of the present repetitions of the past. “ There is nothing new under the sun,” it is their oft-repeated dictum, and still those who could do so much will persist in burying in a tomb of scorn the remains of much knowledge that could today at least inspire and suggest. My “ Annual” is still in its infancy; you will see in it reflections of my thoughts as to the future. I hope to show you some day that prejudices such as those you mention will in their turn be buried and that such men as yourself are precious in this world.

Yours very faithfully,

(Sd) CHAS. E. SAJONS.

St. Louis, Mo. U. S- A February , 16 th, 1892

Dear Sir,

Your kind letter, accompanied by fascicule 1 of your translation of Charaka Samhita, has been received and I thank you for the kindness you have shown me. The work interests me very highly, and I have already, on las night, taken it to the meeting of one of our medical societies, and read extracts from it, which exeiteda lively

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curiosity and expressions of interest. As soon as practi¬ cable, for I am now in the midst of laborious engage¬ ments, I will send selections from it to a medical journal and also to a pharmaceutical monthly, which will no doubt be very thankfully accepted and published. I was very agreeably surprised to find this venerable relic of antiquity so different from what I had imagined it might be. I expected to find directions for invocations to the deity and all kinds of incantations and charms, but I was destined to see a very respectable display of materia medica and a systematic classification, of which I had no idea. True, there are some most uncouth remedies, but no worse than many of those gravely recommended in the medical literature of mediaeval Europe, and a number cf ethical precepts of the highest merit. You have cer¬ tainly placed me under obligation by bringing to my knowledge so quaint, yet so venerable, a relic of the old civilization of India.

Whenever my time permits to make the neccessary selections and to put an article in shape for the press, I will direct a copy to you and meanwhile thank you again and remain

Sincerely yours,

(Sd) Chas. O. Curtman

P. S. — Should you address me again, please use the address printed above and omit all titles, which are unusual n our United States.

From R. C. Dutt, C.S. — In my work on Ancient India I have noticed your patriotic labours which deserve every encouragement that our countrymen can bestow. If you

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live to finish the editions of Charaka and SusrUia with commentaries, which you have so admirably begun, you ieave a name behind you, and vvill deserve the special acknowledgments of the medical profession,

Arrah,

9 th March, 1892.

Dear Sir,

I have read Charaka Samhita with interest. It is mervellously like Hyppocrates’ maxims in spirit and form, Many of the recipes appear valuable, especially the gruels at p. p. 15 and 16, which resemble the French iisanes.

(Sd) T. H. B. Skrini

Maimensing, July 16, 1892

Dear Sir,

I have the honor to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of your book. I should think the translatior would be most useful. The contents are interesting even to a layman.

I am.

Yours truly,

(Sd) H. A. D. Phillips

Extract from the ( London ) Times.

“Great credit is due to Pandit Abinash Chandra Kaviratna, the editor of a monthly medical journal ir Bengal. He has edited the text of Susruta with a com¬ mentary in Sanskrit, and published at the same time a

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Bengali and a Hindi translation of this classical work. He has likewise edited Charaka, who is supposed to be older than Susruta, with a Sanskrit commentary, and he tias now undertaken an English translation of this medical manual, of which three numbers have appeared. He tells us that the medical literature of ancient and mediseval India would fill a fairly large library .’’—May 19, 1891.

Extract from the Medical Record , New York. U. S. A “Pundit Abinash Chandra Kaviratna deserves the thanks of all English-speaking scholars for his labors n translating this work, and we hope that the results of his venture will be such as to encourage him to follow it up with a translation of Susruta Samhita, the second great Sanskrit medibal treatise, and one which may be regarded as companion to Charaka, of which he has already published a Bengali translation.” — October 31 st, 1891.

Extract frotn the Indian Medical Gazette, Calcutta.