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Review
. 2013 Sep-Oct;6(5):351-8.
doi: 10.1002/ase.1359. Epub 2013 Mar 13.

History of teaching anatomy in India: from ancient to modern times

Tony George Jacob  1
Affiliations
Review

History of teaching anatomy in India: from ancient to modern times

Tony George Jacob. Anat Sci Educ. 2013 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Safe clinical practice is based on a sound knowledge of the structure and function of the human body. Thus, knowledge of anatomy has been an essential tool in the practice of healthcare throughout the ages. The history of anatomy in India traces from the Paleolithic Age to the Indus Valley Civilization, the Vedic Times, the Islamic Dynasties, the modern Colonial Period, and finally to Independent India. The course of the study of anatomy, despite accompanying controversies and periods of latencies, has been fascinating. This review takes the reader through various periods of Indian medicine and the role of anatomy in the field of medical practice. It also provides a peek into the modern system of pedagogy in anatomical sciences in India.

Keywords: Ayurvedic medicine; Greek medicine; Indian culture; Indus Valley civilization; Siddha medicine; Unani medicine; allopathic medicine; gross anatomy dissection; history of anatomy; specialist anatomy; traditional medicine.

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