Medicine & Surgery
Medicinal plant pharmacopoeia
1st millennium BCE-CEAyurvedic tradition (Charaka, Sushruta, Dhanvantari)Charaka & Sushruta Samhita; NighantusPan-Indian / unspecified
1,000 BCE
Extensive catalogues of medicinal plants and preparations (e.g. turmeric, neem, ashwagandha).
- Dated
- 1,000 BCE–1000
- As scholars put it
- 1st millennium BCE-CE
- Originator
- Ayurvedic tradition (Charaka, Sushruta, Dhanvantari)
- Source text
- Charaka & Sushruta Samhita; Nighantus
- Region
- Pan-Indian / unspecified
- Discipline
- Medicine & Surgery
- Evidence
- Documented
- Confidence
- High
- Verification
- Reference-cited
Meanwhile in the West
Many plants later studied and, controversially, patented in the West.
Fair to say
Traditional use is documented; clinical efficacy varies by compound and is a separate scientific question.
Path to modern innovation
A major source for ethnopharmacology and drug discovery.
1,000 BCE
1994
1995Transmission
Traditional knowledge; some later appropriated (see biopiracy entries).
References
- 1Charaka/Sushruta Samhita
- 2TKDL
Further reading
Corrections and additional sources: edit IND-039 on GitHub.