who moved from S. India to Bengal and helped to crystallize the Bengal Vaidya tradition.  There is a long history to the Ambaṣṭhas, going back to the Pāli Canon at least.  I'm not aware of a specific study of this group (and would be grateful for any reference), but they are routinely considered to be barber-surgeons, pretty much in the same mould as the European barber-surgeons. 

@ARTICLE{sirc-raks,
  author = {Dinesh Chandra Sircar},
  title = {6. {Rākshaskhāli (Sundarban)} Plate; {Śaka} 1118},
  journal = {Epigraphia Indica},
  year = {1987},
  volume = {30},
  pages = {42--3},
  annote = {(1953--54)},
}


--
Dr Dominik Wujastyk
Department of South Asia, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies,
University of Vienna,
Spitalgasse 2-4, Courtyard 2, Entrance 2.1
1090 Vienna
Austria
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