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26 that of medicine. By this time the sciences had attained a rare eminence in India.

The long period of her golden age was that when the religion of Buddha prevailed. It was a religion of mercy, compassion, and justice, and enjoined humane treatment for animals as well as man. The Hindu records dwell at length on the prevention of disease, and show that medicine and surgery, hygiene and sanitation, must have been highly developed. The importance of pre-natal influence and the principles of care needed before and after childbirth were well understood. Hospital construction had reached a high standard and in all hospital procedures the rules of asepsis were strictly observed. As might therefore be expected, the annals of India give fuller details of nursing principles and practice than are to be found in any other ancient writings. Indeed, so clear, intelligent, and scientific are they that they might fit into any modern text-book. The nurses, to whom frequent reference is made, seem to have been usually young men, only in special cases elderly women. The position of women during this high curve of Indian civilization was socially a favoured one, though their liberty was restricted and their activities were limited to the home.

The ancient communes of India always had