प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

186 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch-
tration of emetics, purges and enemas was given to all.
Suśruta emphasises on the importance of dissection for
perfecting the student's knowledge, and points out that
mere book learning cannot give a clear idea of the-
actual internal constitution of the human body.
Corpses used to be decomposed in water and students-
were then required to dissect them and visualise the
nature of skin, muscles, arteries, bones, internal organs,
etc.¹ Anatomical knowledge that was thus imparted.
was fairly high when compared with the contemporary
standards elsewhere. Unfortunately in the course of
time the dissection of human body went out of vogue,
causing a setback to the progress of the medical
science.
Arrangements for Practical Training—Students
received practical training in surgery and medicine,
usually through private practice of their teachers. In
some cases hospitals were attached to colleges. In great
cities like Pāṭalīputra there existed big charitable hos-
pitals, which must have afforded good opportunities for
training medical students. Indian hospitals were
well organised, for Hindu doctors were invited by the
Abbaside Khalifas to supervise their own hospitals in
the 8th century A D. It is to be regretted that Fa
Hsien should not have given us detailed information
of the hospitals, which he had seen at Pāṭlīputra. If
he had done this, we would have probably known a
good deal about the hospital management and medical
education during the 5th century A.D. '
Duration of the Course and Examination :—
The exact duration of the medical course is not known.
Charaka and Suśruta do not enlighten us on the
point. In the days of the Buddha, the medical
1 Suśruta, Śarīrasthāna, 5.49.