Page:A Short History of Aryan Medical Science.djvu/200

180 the anatomy of the goat, sheep, horse, and other animals used in their sacrifices. Early warfare was conducted with such weapons as bow and arrow, sword, mace, etc. Thus in every war the services of bold and skilful surgeons were always in requisition for extracting arrows, amputating limbs, arresting haemorrhage, and dressing wounds. Sushruta gives very minute directions to be observed in the performance of surgical operations, and describes the method of opening abscesses, treating inflammations, boils, tumours, ulcers and fistulas, and of applying blisters, cautery, etc. The constant wars and internecine strifes afforded ample opportunities to the surgeons to distinguish themselves in their profession and acquire considerable dexterity in their work. A glance at the Vedic or the Epic period will bear testimony to this fact. The chirurgeons of yore are recorded to have performed incredible feats in surgical operations, just as modern surgery is able to do many things which ordinary folks will hardly believe to be possible. In its onward progress, modern surgery may yet be able to succeed in doing what the ancients claim to have performed. Sushruta classifies surgical operations into, extracting solid bodies ; ,