Traditional veterinary medicine in India.

A tradition of veterinary therapy developed very early in India and this has survived to the present time. Based on the Ayurveda ('knowledge concerning longevity'), a medical art which had its roots in the literature of the Veda (1500-1000 BC), Indian veterinary medicine is known for its specialised literature, which provides information on ancient methods of preventing and treating diseases of animals before the advent of modern medicine. Some of these treatments, little known outside India, are still practised today.