Okuda Jun, Natsume Yohko
Meijo University. 3-1110 Tsuchihara, Tempaku, Nagoya, Aichi, 468-0026.
Yakushigaku Zasshi. 2010;45(1):15-29.
The study of the ancient history of Indian medicine has recently been revived due to the publication of polyglot translations. However, little is known of ancient Indian pharmacy. Archaeological evidence suggests the Indus people lived a settled life approximately in 2500 B.C. Their cities were enjoying the cleanest and most hygienic daily life with elaborate civic sanitation systems. The whole conception shows a remarkable concern for health. Then, the early Aryans invaded India about 1500 B.C. and the Vedic age started. The Rgveda texts contain the hymns for Soma and those for herbs. The term Ayurveda (i.e., science of life) is found in some old versions of both Ramāyana and Mahābhārata and in the Atharvaveda. Suśruta had the credit of making a breakthrough in the field of surgery. The Ayurveda, a work on internal medicine, gives the following transmission of sages: Brahmā-->Daksa-->Prajāpati-->Aśivinau-->Indra-->Caraka. On the other hand, the Suśruta-samhitā, which deals mainly with surgical medicine, explains it as follows; Indra-->Dhanvantari-->Suśruta Both Caraka and Suśruta were medical doctors as well as pharmacists, so they studied more than 1000 herbs thoroughly. The Ayurveda had been used by his devotees for medical purposes. It eventually spread over Asia with the advanced evolution of Buddhism.
由于多语言译本的出版，对印度医学古代史的研究最近得以复兴。然而，人们对古代印度药学却知之甚少。考古证据表明，印度河沿岸的人们大约在公元前2500年过着定居生活。他们的城市拥有精心设计的城市卫生系统，享受着最清洁、最卫生的日常生活。整体观念显示出对健康的显著关注。然后，大约在公元前1500年，早期雅利安人入侵印度，吠陀时代开始。《梨俱吠陀》文本包含了关于苏摩和草药的颂歌。“阿育吠陀”（即生命科学）一词在《罗摩衍那》和《摩诃婆罗多》的一些旧版本以及《阿闼婆吠陀》中都能找到。妙闻在外科领域取得了突破。内科著作《阿育吠陀》给出了如下贤人的传承：梵天→达刹→生主→双马童→因陀罗→阇罗迦。另一方面，主要论述外科医学的《妙闻集》则解释如下：因陀罗→檀凡陀利→妙闻。阇罗迦和妙闻既是医生也是药剂师，所以他们深入研究了1000多种草药。《阿育吠陀》被其信徒用于医疗目的。最终，随着佛教的高度发展，它传播到了亚洲。
