ABSTRACT

Susruta was an Indian physician, surgeon and author who probably lived in the sixth century BC. Little is known of his life. He was likely the author of the Sushruta Samhita – a comprehensive textbook on medicine and surgery. The Sushruta Samhita is remarkable for its ambition and range. It describes a variety of communicable and non-communicable diseases (including diabetes, obesity, heart disease, hypertension and leprosy). Perhaps most extraordinary is the text’s section on plastic surgery: it mentions the use of flaps for a number of different purposes and also gives a basic outline on how to reconstruct the nose after an injury.