SURGICAL ETHICS IN AYURVEDA

V.K. RAJU, MD, F.R.C.S., F.A.C.S.

CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF OPHTHALMOLOGY

WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY

3140 COLLINS FERRY ROAD MORGANTOWN, WV 26505

SURGICAL ETHICS IN AYURVEDA

Ayurveda (Sanskrit) literally means the science of life.

Susruta, the father of ancient Indian surgery was undoubtedly a

great surgeon. His writings show that surgery had advanced to

great heights in those days.

The ethical principles enunciated and practiced then were of

high-test order. The ethical principles in Ayurveda have been

placed in the following order. General ethics, professional and

academic ethics, preoperative ethics, operative ethics,

postoperative ethics, experimental surgery ethics, quacks, ethics

toward the dying, and ethics in emergency surgery.

Brief accounts of ethics in Ayurveda are as follows:

1. The would be medical graduate.

2. The high ideals of medical profession.

3. The four great ethical principles.

4. Joint Consultations.

5. Special Qualities of a Surgeon.

6. There is no end to the learning of Ayurveda.

7. The value of related sciences.

8. Both academic qualifications and practical experience are

equally important and essential.

(The following are translated from Sanskrit)

“A wise student aspiring to be a doctor should try to increase

his proficiency in all aspects to the best of his ability by all

possible means so that he may be considered a life-giver to people”

“He, who treats his patients only on humanitarian grounds

without desiring any money or personal benefit in return,

supersedes all other physicians.”

“Those who trade their medical skill for personal livelihood

can be considered as collecting a pile of dust, leaving aside the

heap of real gold.”

“Friendship with all, sympathy towards the sick, feeling of

profound satisfaction upon recovery and overlooking even those

who feel ill towards him are sufficient to fulfill the ethical

requirements of a doctor.”

“Doubts can be cleared by a group of physicians.”

“Boldness, swiftness, sharpness of instruments, no sweating

or trembling of hands and confidence are the praiseworthy

qualities of a surgeon at the time of operation.”

“He who knows theory only but is not so good in practical

work, gets bewildered on being confronted with a patient, in the

same way as a coward feels on the battlefield.”

“On the other hand, he, who is good in practical work

because of his boldness, but lacks theoretical knowledge, is not

respected in the cultured society; actually he deserves punishment

by the government.”

“

“Only that intelligent person who knows both theory and

practical work is capable of obtaining success in the same way as

only two wheeled vehicle is useful in the battlefield.”

“There is no end to the learning of Āyurveda. Hence you

should cautiously and constantly devote yourself to it. In addition,

you should increase your professional skill by learning from others

without being jealous. The intelligent would regard the whole

world as their teacher, whereas the unintelligent would think the

same as their enemy.”

“ A person who studies one branch of science only cannot

arrive at proper conclusions, therefore a physician should try to

learn as many related sciences as possible.”

“Thus experts in the use of caustic or hot cauterization should

only handle the cases which fall in their domain.”

“In such surgical cases, experienced surgeons only, well

versed in the techniques of operation, aspiration and the art of

healing, are authorized to perform operations.”