Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. A comparatively limited number of copies was printed in the first edition as it was feared that owing to its technical nature the work would appeal only to a ~select circle of readers. The exceedingly favourable reception accorded to it not only by the scientists and orientalists but also by the public in general both in Europe and in India has necessitated the bringing-out of a second edition. Some material additions have been made to the historical portion of the Introduction, throw ing further light on the independent origin of the Hindu system of medicine and its priority to that of the Greeks.