Medical Specialties
Ayurveda
Citation Formats
General Reference
APA Style
BibTeX
One of the world's oldest continuously practiced medical systems, originating in the Indian subcontinent and still a major component of India's formal healthcare system today. It takes a holistic approach combining diet, herbal and mineral preparations, lifestyle regimens and surgery, organized around the concept of doshas. Its two most important foundational texts are the Charaka Samhita, on internal medicine and diagnosis, and the Sushruta Samhita, on surgery, one of the earliest systematic surgical treatises in the world.
Facts
Disputed
Origin PeriodThe Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita were compiled and redacted over many centuries by multiple authors rather than at a single date by a single author; historians place the Charaka Samhita's core content anywhere from the seventh century BCE to the early centuries CE, with a major redaction around 400 CE. 1 Some scholars place the Charaka Samhita's core content as early as the seventh century BCE, others argue its named author cannot have lived later than roughly 100 BCE to 200 CE, and the redactor Dridhabala filled in an estimated twenty percent of missing verses around 400 CE. Several historical figures used the name Sushruta, complicating attribution of the Sushruta Samhita as well. Sources
Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
The atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.