Medical History

[Richard Salomon]

I think that A.D.H. Bivar wrote something about plagues in India and Europe, 
but probably with respect to earlier period. I can't remember exactly where, 
but it must have been in an article in Bulletin of the School of Oriental 
and African Studies, maybe in the 1970's. The article was not mainly about 
this subject, but it was mentioned in passing. If desired, I might be able 
to dredge up the reference.

Rich Salomon


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mary Storm" <mnstorm at MAC.COM>
To: <INDOLOGY at liverpool.ac.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 11:28 AM
Subject: Re: Medical History


> Thank you so much.
>
>  I have not seen Kohn's encyclopedia, but will try to track it down.  Yes, 
> even narrative descriptions, let alone anything resembling  statistics all 
> seem to be European. The Tibetan information is  valuable. There must be 
> Chinese sources as well?
>
> Ibn Battuta writes about a disease in South India, that MUST have been 
> the Black Death, the dates and descriptions of symptoms are right, but  I 
> have been hitting a blank wall with the Plague of Justinian in India.
>
> Gratefully,
> Mary
>
>
> Mary Storm, Ph.D.
> Academic Director
> North India Arts and Culture
> and
> Himalayan Buddhist Art and Architecture
> SIT Study Abroad
> School for International Training
> www.sit.edu
>
> Mobile +91 98106 98003
> F-301 Lado Sarai
> 2nd Fl
> New Delhi 110030  India
>
> On 28-Oct-08, at 11:49 PM, Dominik Wujastyk wrote:
>
>> I'm sure you already know Kohn's Encyclopedia of Plague and  Pestilence. 
>> It contains very rich information, but also demonstrates  that before the 
>> eighteenth century any quantitative information  about epidemic disease 
>> in India is almost non-existent.  There is a  little information about 
>> cholera in 16cent Goa, from da Orta and  Portuguese sources.  Prof. 
>> Kapstein's reference is important, and  almost unique.  The Tibetans 
>> developed a genre of medical history  writing, which never happened in 
>> peninsular India.
>>
>> The Carakasamhita contains a passage about plague, located in  Kampilya, 
>> but we learn nothing of the symptoms, and the text,  probably written in 
>> about 2nd cent AD, is too early for your  reference.
>>
>> It is possible that the plague of Justinian never reached peninsular 
>> India.  However, I am not aware of anyone having scoured the  literature 
>> for clues.
>>
>> Best,
>> -- 
>> Dr Dominik Wujastyk
>> University College London
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, 25 Oct 2008, Mary Storm wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Colleagues,
>>>
>>> Could someone recommend an Asian/South Asian/Indian medical history 
>>> that would cover the period from approximately the fifth century  AD  to 
>>> 15th century AD? Specifically, I am trying to find indian  references to 
>>> the 6th c. pandemic known in the Byzantine world as  the Plague of 
>>> Justinian.
>>>
>>> Your help is much appreciated!
>>>
>>> With Thanks,
>>> Mary
>>>
>>>
>>> Mary Storm, Ph.D.
>>> Academic Director
>>> North India Arts and Culture
>>> and
>>> Himalayan Buddhist Art and Architecture
>>> SIT Study Abroad
>>> School for International Training
>>> www.sit.edu
>>>
>>> Mobile +91 98106 98003
>>> F-301 Lado Sarai
>>> 2nd Fl
>>> New Delhi 110030  India
>