Father of Surgery:: Susruta

Some of you may have doubt that how was people were treated medically in India? Were there any person called doctor?or the people left as it is if they undergo any disease.. Some of you may think that India is a superstitious country so people were left as they are.Do you think like that?
I agree that superstitions are there, but not lack of resources.We do have medicine, more technologically advanced medicine, which wont leads any side effects as of now.

If you observe the textbooks of the medicine students, what they read about the history of eye related medicine(called ophthalmology) "Georg Bartisch ( GERMANY,16th century) is the father of ophthalmology.He invented Glaucoma in 1750, eye blindness in 1767 and the inability to differentiate colors in 1801.The first course on eye surgery was started in Gottingen university, in 1803. The equipment named ophthalmoscope was invented in 1851. "

सर्वेन्द्रियाणां नयनं प्रधानम् (Eye is the most important part of all senses of a human being.Then, how an eye is treated in India?
Our nation has advanced methods in Surgery of eye.Now i am presenting a great scientist, who did a great contribution to surgery,father of medicine. His name is सुश्रुत(susruta).
Sushruta is the most celebrated physician and surgeon in India. Though he practiced during the 5th century B.C., many of his contributions to medicine and surgery preceded similar discoveries in the Western world. Sushruta devotes a complete volume of his experiences to ophthalmologic diseases. In the Uttar Tantrum, Sushruta enumerates a sophisticated classification of eye diseases complete with signs, symptoms, prognosis, and medical/surgical interventions. In particular, Sushruta describes what may have been the first extracapsular cataract surgery using a sharply pointed instrument with a handle fashioned into a trough. His ability to manage many common eye conditions of the time with limited diagnostic aids is a testament to his virtuosity.

Centuries ago to the development of ophthalmology in western countries, susruta mentioned about शल्य चिकित्सा (surgery) of eye and diseases of eye very well. His book on his research of medicine, named सुश्रुत संहिता (suruta samhita) contains 19 chapters only on eye diseases,in which he demonstrated about structure of eye, the parts of eye , diseases of eye. He also mentioned about a new method called शलाक्य (salaakya) used on eye operations.

He wrote a book name susruta samhita

The interesting thing is that he mentioned his teacher name as निमि विदेह (nimi videha) and he also mentioned his name as आदि भिषक् (first doctor)

NIMI VIDEHA , the first doctor of ophthalmology in India, there are descriptions related to him are presented in Bovar's manuscript if 3rd century and some Boudha books, Ayurveda books by चरक( charaka)
वाग्भट(vaagbhata)
माधव (madhava) also have information related to him.He is the person belonging to the time of DHANVANTARI, BHARADWAJA, KASYAPA etc. He written many books such as
विदेह तन्त्र ( videha tantra),
निमि तन्त्र (nimi tantra)
कंकायन तन्त्र (kamkaayana tantra)
कारल तन्त्र (kaarala tantra)
चक्षु तन्त्र (chakshu tantra)
These books are not available right now, but the concepts are there in many ayurveda books.

->Further Reading:
http://www.cosmeticsurgeonindia.com/india.htm
http://www.hinduyouth.com/dynamic/modules.php?name=freeindiaContent&pa=showpage&pid=403
http://www.shushruta.com/
http://ophthapg.blogspot.com/2008/07/sushrutathe-father-of-surgery.html