Veterinary Clinical Medicine-I (General and Systemic)

DEVELOPMENTS IN MAURYAN AGE AND THEIR INTERNATIONAL RELEVANCE 

Historical Developments in Mauryan Age

• Animal husbandry made great progress in the Mauryan age (322–232 BC). The Mauryan age preceded the period of Buddha and Mahavir, who preached non-violence towards animals.
• The earliest Buddhist text “Suttanipata” describes cattle as a giver of food, beauty, and happiness (annada, vannada, and sukhada) and therefore deserves to be protected.
• According to Kautilya’s Arthashastra, cow was a worshiped animal. It was one of the first duties of the King to worship the cow with her calf and bull. The killing of cow was a deadly sin.
• Buffalo also became a recognized dairy animal by this period.
• In the Arthashastra, goat has been described as an important milch animal like cows and buffaloes. Sheep were raised for wool.
• According to Arthashastra, in a breeding herd, 4 bulls should be provided for every 10 cows/buffaloes. Feeding of animals on pasture was the main practice. It was the duty of the King to identify and provide enough land for pastures near each village. The Gopa (village accountant) was supposed to keep the details of the pasturelands. \
• In Arthashastra, there is separate mention of  capital punishment for stealing or hurting a cow. When a person caused a bull to fight with another bull, he was fined. If any person injured a bull, he was heavily fined. Similiar punishents were also describe in Code of Hamurabhi (Egypt)         

• Veterinary services were essential services during the Mauryan period. In this period, asses were used to carry loads. Horses were used to yoke different kinds of chariots like festival chariots, battle chariots, and traveling chariots. In the stables, different kinds of horses were kept separately. Horses were regularly trained for warfare. There were horses of many breeds.
• Arthashastra has graded them as best, middle, and ordinary quality. Thoroughbred horses were recommended parched rice, drippings, minced meat, red rice-powder, and grasses. Mules have also been mentioned in Arthashastra, indicating their presence in the Mauryan period. Elephants were very important animals in the Mauryan period. They were used in warfare, as they were very useful for storming fortresses; breaking upon massive doors and to move even in dense forests and marshy lands. There were about 6000 elephants with Nandas and 9000 with Chandragupta Maurya. Elephants for war and riding were housed inside the fort. Whoever killed an elephant was sentenced to death. Tusks of an elephant were considered precious.  

ASOKA PERIOD

The Golden Era for Veterinary Medicine in the Ancient Word

• The present-day Veterinary Council of India adopted its insignia, the sculpture of a bull and a part of the text of the stone edict from the period of Emperor Ashoka (around 300 BC), which projected the veterinary profession as its “best heritage”.
• Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta, who turned to Buddhism after Kalinga war gave veterinary science a new turn in India. It is described that the first veterinary hospital existed in Ashoka’s regime.The ‘Baniyan Hospital’ of Suratis is believed to be one of them, which consisted of a large piece of land enclosed by high walls. Provision for keeping indoor patients was made inside to accommodate animals.

Animal Surgery

• From primitive therapeutics, the early man turned to primitive surgery. “Susruta Samhita” is the earliest known work dealing with surgery. According to evidence with Indian scholars, Dhanvantari’s direct disciple Susruta belonged to 600 BC.
• He made great improvement in the general techniques of surgery and performed many new and major operations. Susruta Samhita testifies to the great scientific knowledge of the ancient Indian surgeons.
• It was translated into Arabic before the end of 800 AD and was called ‘Kitab-Show-Shoon-a-Hindi’ or ‘Kitab-i-Susrud’; Cellars translated into Latin and Hassler into German. The students were taught surgical techniques first on dummies and later on dead bodies. Before Susruta’s time, knowledge and practice of surgery in India was more or less of the same standard as in contemporary civilizations like Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece. 
• Almost all aspects of surgery were dealt in ancient medical veterinary treatises. Some of these aspects were preliminary surgical methods, dressing and bandaging of wounds, symptoms to predict prognosis of the surgical cases, etc. Special methods include application of cautery, removal of foreign bodies and obstructions, surgical grafting, and treatment of fractures, dislocations, and fistula. Methods of suturing and plastering and duties of physicians, surgeons, and nurses have been dealt in detail. General principles of surgery described include preparatory measures and principal measures (including surgery and post-operative measures). However, there appears to be no mention of anaesthetic techniques. Surgical treatment of animal disease was very much developed during Vedic period. Skilful surgeons treated animals with precision and great perfection. Various techniques of surgical operations along with instruments have been dealt in detail in Shalihotra’s and Palakapya’s works. Treatment of sinus fistula, burns and scalds, snakebite, fractures, ailments of ligaments/tendons, dystocia, removal of dead foetus, extraction of teeth and fractures were routinely done during Vedic period (Singh, 2002b).  

The Animal Haealth Care & Treatise on Animal Health

• Animals received good medical care in ancient India. Physicians treating human beings were also trained in the care of animals. Indian medical treatises like Charaka Samhita, Susruta Samhita, and Harita Samhita contain chapters or references about care of diseased as well as healthy animals. There were, however, physicians who specialized only in the care of animals or in one class of animals only; the greatest of them was Shalihotra, first known veterinarian of the world and the father of Indian veterinary sciences. The treatment of animal diseases in ancient India was well developed and carried out with great care and precision by well-trained personnel. 
• The treatment of animal diseases using Ayurvedic medicine has been mentioned in Agni Purana, Atri-Samhita, Matsya Purana and many other texts. The treatment of a variety of ailments: infection of horns, ears, tooth, throat, heart, and navel, rheumatism, haemorrhagic enteritis, dysentery, digestive ailments, cold, parasitic/verminous diseases, stomach worms, rabies, abscess, anaemia, wounds, medicines to increase milk production, epistasis, retention of urine, urinary colic, constipation, lacrimation, arthritis, rhinitis, sprain, haematuria, and skin infection has been given in detail (Somvanshi, 1993).