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Art of Surgery
| Origin of Ayurvedic
Surgery
Decline of Ayurvedic
Surgery
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Surgery in Ancient India was better known as Shalya karma. Even in those days, it was a highly skilled branch of Ayurvedic medicine that evolved. Some very astonishing and interesting facts are associated with shalya.
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- Lord Ganesha, the lord of wisdom, received his seat of wisdom i.e. the head from an elephant. This is a perfect example of organ transplantation.
- In Upanishad- plastic surgery is known as madhu vidhya and the skill to restore a cut head back to its origin is called pravargya vidhya. Ashwini kumar replaced the head of Dhadhichi rishi by that of horse, obtained madhu vidhya from him and then restored the head of Dhadhichi
rishi.
- Queen Vishpala lost her leg during wartime but she was treated by providing an artificial leg made of iron.
- In Valmiki Ramayana, it has been said that lord Indra lost his testis, which were surgically restored.
- Interesting reference of brain surgery on a patient who had complaints of headache, is also there by Jeevak. He is also said to have surgically treated a case of intestinal gland in a young boy.
- Cowasje, a bullock cart driver was with the English army in the war of 1792. He was captured by forces of Tipu Sultan and had his nose and hand cut off. Along with him few others who faced the same fate later had their nose reconstructed by an artist / surgeon from Pune. There are also references of reparation of mutilated earlobes.
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These references indicate and stress that surgery was not alien to Indians. In fact it was practiced much before the westerners knew about the art of surgery.
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Stages of Surgery
