legal aspects of ancient Indian medicine

[Dominik Wujastyk]

I had to give a lecture recently on "traditional indian medicine and the
state", and the only thing I was able to find along the lines you
mention was a brief passage in Kautalya's _Arthasastra_, in which
punishments are laid down for medical malpractice (4.1.56).  The main
offence seems to be a doctor doing something life-threatening to a
patient without informing anyone.

I too would be very interested in any more information along these
lines.

Also, does anyone have any evidence from Sanskrit or Tamil literature
about ancient plagues or epidemics?

Dominik Wujastyk


-- 

Dominik Wujastyk,
Wellcome Institute,
183 Euston Road,
London NW1 2BE.

FAX: +44 171 611 8545
email: d.wujastyk at ucl.ac.uk

For my PGP public key etc., see my WWW home page:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgadkw/wujastyk.html