are led to believe that "Atreya Samhita" and "Harita Samhita" are identical. This does not seem to be correct. For the well-known author of "Bhavaprakasha" quotes several verses from Atreya which are not found in Harita.
Charaka, an early medical writer, gives the origin of the healing art upon the earth as follows : —
Once upon a time some distinguished sages happened to meet on the Himalaya mountains, among them being Agasti, Ashvalayana, Asita, Badarayana, Balikhya, Bharadvaja, Chyavana, Devala, Dhaumya, Galava, Garga, Gautama, Gobhila, Harita, Hiranyaksha, Jamadagni, Kamya, Kankayana, Kapinjala, Kashyapa, Katyayana, Kaundinya, Kushika, Langakshi, Maitreya, Markandeya, Narada, Parashara, Parikshaka, Pulastya, Sankhya, Sankritya, Shakuneya, Shandilya, Sharaloma, Shaunaka, Vaijepaya, Vaikhanasa, Vamadeva, Vasishtha, Vishvamitra, and many others. All of them were well versed in philosophy and practised religious austerities. The subject of their conversation was the "ills that flesh is heir to." They began to complain : "Our body, which is the means of attaining the four aims
