Page:A Short History of Aryan Medical Science.djvu/227

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Chap. XI.]
MEDICINE AND SURGERY.
199

Hakeems were an intelligent set of people. They unreservedly made use of some of the best and most effective Indian drugs, and incorporated them in their works. Among the important works written by the Hakeems may be mentioned Al Fazl Advich, by Noorudeen Mahomed Abdulla Shirazee, personal physician to the Emperor Shah Jahan (a.c. 1630). This work gives the names and properties of drugs sold in the Indian Bazaars ; Madan-us-shifa-i Sikandar, by Beva bin Khas Khan (a.c. 1512), and Tuhfat-ul-Muminin, by Mahomed Momin, are compilations of the various Arabic and Sanskrit authorities on the science of medicine. Mahomed Akbar Arzani, court physician to Aurungzebe (a.c. 1658) in his Karabadine Kaderi, transcribes bodily many useful prescriptions from Sanskrit medical treatises. This shows that even in its decline the Hindoo medicine was able to command respect from its Mahomedan rival.

Indian medical science showed signs of revival during the time the Peshwas were in power (a.c. 1715-1818). The Peshwas came of high Brahman lineage, and they did all in their power to encourage indigenous learning and scholarship. All the learned men of the country were attracted