Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The Second meeting of the Ayurvedic Institute was held on the ioth of September last, at 5-30 P. M., in the premises of the Albert Hall, College Square, Calcutta. The invitation cards were signed byBabu Norendra Nath Sen, Editor, Indian Mirror. The audience was a respectable one, numbering from two to three hundred. Amongst those present were Rajah Peary Mohan Mookerjee, the Hon’ble Justice Saroda Churn Mitter, Babu Norendro Nath Sen, Editor, I. M., Moulvi Buzlall Karim, Deputy Magistrate, Sealdah, Mr P. N. Mukerjee, Municipal Magistrate, Mr. R. N. Mukerjee, of Messrs. Martin & Co., Babu Satindra Nath Roy Choudhuri, Zemindar, Satkhira, Dr. Hem Chandra Sen, M. D., Rai Chandra Narain Sing1' Bahadur, Collector of Calcutta, Rai Khettra Nath Chatterjee Bahadur, Babu Kali Prasanna Dey, proprietor, National Magazine , Pandit Tejash Chandra Vidyananda and others of note. There was a strong muster of Kavirajes, amongst whom were some possessing a large practice. We may particularly mention Kaviraj Hari Nath Visharad, Kaviraj Rajendra Narain Sen Gupta, Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna, Kaviraj Romesh Chandra Sen Gupta, B. A., Kaviraj Dina Nath Shastri, Kaviraj Mahananda Sen Gupta, Kaviraj Bhubuneswar Sen Gupta, Kaviraj Aghore Nath Sarrna Shastri, Kaviraj Mani Mohan Sen Kaviraj Prakriti Mohan Sen, Kaviraj Kader Nath Kavyatirtha, and Kayiraj Hari Narayan Kaviranjan. Letters were received from Babu Ganesh Chandra- Chandra, Kumar Manmatha Nath Roy

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Ghowdhury, Babu Kali Nath Mitra, Rai Chuni Lai Bose Bahadur, announcing their inability to attend owing to prior engagements. The chair was taken by Kaviraj Mani Mohan Sen Gupta.

The proceedings were opened by the chairman calling upon the well-known Pandit Tejash Chandra Vidyananda, Editor «f the (late) Brahman, to read his discourse on the authenticity of Ayurveda as a portion of the revealed scriptures of the Hindus. The discourse contained many thoughtful observations. The lecturer proved the Obligation of the world to the Rishis of ancient India. He endea¬ voured to establish that except the blind forces of nature, nothing moves in the world that is not Brahmanic in origin. The lecture!: was repeatedly cheered and sat down amidst acclamations of applause. The next speaker was Kaviraj Hari Nath Visharad. His topic was food and drink according to Charaka and others. The discourse proved eminently interesting and showed the wisdom of the ancients in many directions. It will be no exaggeration to state that there would be fewer diseases and premature deaths if people strictly followed the dietary instructions of the Rishis. Kaviraj Visharad showed himself to be a thorough master of his subject. The third speaker was Pandit Satya Charan Shastri whose subject was the drugs of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopcea. He deplored that the Hindus did nothing to cultivate the plants mentioned in their medical scriptures but were content to cull them from forests and mountains where they grow spontaneously. In course of time many plants have become unidentifiable. This meant the defective preparation of medicines and consequent dimi¬ nution^ success in treatment. The establishment of Ayurvedic gardens would achieve a great desideratum. The meeting was then addressed by Kaviraj Kedar Nath Kavyatirtha. His voice, his gestures, his language, and the thoughtfulness of his observations, electrified the audience. His discourse was an intellectual treat. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna then addressed the meeting in brief, after which it was dissolved. There can be no doubt that the meeting was a successful one. The promoters will do much good by printing and publishing the several discourses.

HINDU MEDICINE IN AMERICA.

The attention of medical men and laymen alike is earnestly solicited to the letter received by Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna of 200 Cornwallis Street, Calcutta, from an eminent physi¬ cian in San-Francisco, California. A few medical men of that part of the world, convinced of the efficacy of the Hindu method of treating disease, have established an Institute for promoting the study and practice of Ayurveda. The Science of Life as expound¬ ed by the Rishis of India has at last found expositors in America. It argues no small moral' courage in a European or an American medical practitioner to openly declare himself a believer in the Hindu medical scriptures. It is our firm belief that the date is not far distant when the Hindu system of medicine will regain its footing in at least its native land. Truth will never hide its light under a bushel.

INSTITUTE OF AYURVEDA, 1422 Post Street,

San Francisco, Cal., U. S. A., October 28th , 1902.

Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna,

200 Cornwallis Street,

Calcutta , India.

My dear Kaviraj,

The sacred memory of the ancient sages of India, — Agniveca, Charaka, Susruta, and others, — lives in their works. While some of those works were translated, centuries ago, into Arabic and again into Latin, and a knowledge of Ayurveda passed to the Greeks

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and Arabs, and thence to Europe and America, the light of those teachings has been practically lost to the Western world for cen¬ turies, the full knowledge of that science having been buried in the hitherto unexplored recesses of the original language and liter¬ ature— Sanskrit Medical Scriptures.