Among the many distinguished names in Hindu medicine, that of Susruta stands out in particular. There can be no doubt that Susruta flourished prior to the fourth century A.D. Susruta’s fame rests for the most part on the famous compilation known in Sanskrit as the Susruta- Samhita, or, “The Collection of Susruta.” Though this work is mainly devoted to surgery, it also includes medicine, pathology, anatomy, midwifery, biology, ophthalmology, hygiene, and not a little psychology and understanding of what would today be called the “bedside manner.” Susruta attempted to arrange systematically experiences of older surgeons, and to collect scattered facts about medicine into a workable series of lectures or manuscripts.

The accuracy of Susruta’s descriptions and classification of diseases is really remarkable. Much of his great compendium has a modern feeling about it. Of course, the original autographic manuscript of the Susruta-samhita has not survived. Extant only are copies of copies and revisions of revisions, so that the original work for Susruta has been much obscured by centuries of emendation, supplementation, and various kinds of alteration. However, from beneath the layers of all the incrustations of later men’s ideas the original luster of Susruta still shines forth.

Susruta begins his Samhita with an allegorical description of the beginning of medical teaching, but he quickly gets into some very practical suggestions about how a medial student should be selected, how he should be initiated, and the oath he should take (which is strikingly like the Oath of Hippocrates). He also sets forth quite plainly the qualifications of a physician about to enter practice- rules of personal and of professional conduct singularly parallel to those of today. Susruta also urged upon his students continual practice, and outlined many ways for them to perfect their skills before using instruments on patients.