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

VIII] PROFESSIONAL AND USEFUL EDUCATION 187
course at Taxila was fairly long; for his physician
Jīvaka was permitted to go home very reluctantly
by his teacher, though he had spent seven years at that
University. Charaka observes that no one can obtain
a real all round efficiency in Āyurveda; this would
also suggest a very long course. We may well
presume that the student had to spend at least eight
years, before he could get mastery in the subject.
The completion of the course was followed by an
examination. This is implied by the observation of
Charaka¹ and Suśruta² that it is the king's fault,
if incompetent doctors practise the medical profession.
Śukra also prohibits a person to practise as a doctor
without possessing the king's license.³ None of our
authorities however discloses the conditions under
which the royal permission was granted under efficient
administration. Very probably it must have been
given to students who were certified to have finished
their course either by superintendents of state hospitals,
principals of colleges or famous private practitioners.
High ideals placed before the Medicoes : The
convocation address before the medical graduates
exhorted them to follow a very high ideal of profes-
sional conduct.⁴ They must relieve distress in all
quarters. They must strive for the welfare of all
humanity. They must not desert a patient, even when
their own life was in danger. They must continue
study and research throughout their life.
Achievements in the Medical Science : The
above advice seems to have been followed in a very
large number of cases. India continued to be famous

1. Sūtrasthāna, 29.8
2. Sūtrasthāna, III. 52; X. 3
3. I. 804
4. See Appendix III