Neurosurgery in Ancient India: Susruta

 

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Abstract

Neurosurgical procedures, particularly trepanation, can be traced as far back as 10,000 bc. Archeological findings from Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America provide evidence that trepanation was widely used by man for mystical purposes, surgical treatment, and reasons still unknown to us. Hippocrates (460–370 bc), in his book On Injuries of the Head, has long been thought to be the first to provide instructions, indications, and warnings on the subject of trepanation and neurosurgical pathologies. Building on the writings of Hippocrates, Galen (129–200 AD) has been credited for his contributions to neurosurgery through his additions in neuroanatomy. The purpose of this article is to present the work of Susruta, an Indian surgeon who lived around 800 bc, and his treatise on surgery, the Susruta Samhita. Closer examination of the work by Susruta reveals his vast knowledge of physiology, pharmacology, anatomy, and all topics related to medicine. We will focus on descriptions of Susruta of neurosurgical anatomy, pathology, and procedures, hoping to provide enough evidence that neurosurgery was documented and taught years before significant advances were made in the West.

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