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The National Trust – Sri Lanka PUBLIC LECTURE BY Prof. Leelananda Prematilleke Prof. Arjuna Aluvihare 27/10/20111
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2 A Twelfth Century Monastic Hospital at Polonnaruva and Medical and Surgical Equipment found therein Leelananda Prematilleke Arjuna Aluvihare
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Prehistoric beginnings of medical practice Use of wild plants with herbal properties 27/10/20113
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Use of stone implements for “surgical” needs 27/10/20114
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Sumerian culture of the 2 nd millennium B.C. Mummification in Egypt 27/10/20115
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Beginnings of medical practice and philosophy The Greek period 27/10/20116
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The beginnings of the art of healing in China Chinese text ‘Chi Lu’ A text on methodologies in the treatment of diseases and injuries 27/10/20117
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India Vedic period : ‘Rg-veda’ Surgical methods of amputation and extraction 27/10/20118
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The last of the 4 vedas With mass of information on medical practice Medical properties of herbal plants 27/10/20119
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Period of the Buddha Well organized system of ayurveda 4 basic tenets – Disease – Cause of disease – Cure of disease – Method of curing disease 27/10/201110
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Tenets of ayurveda and the 4 Noble Truths – Suffering – Cause of suffering – Cessation of suffering – The way to end suffering [Frauwallner 1953: 184; Gombrich 1988: 58] 27/10/201111
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Buddha treating the sick The monastic medical practice 27/10/201112
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Asoka period (3 rd century B.C.) Foundation of institutions for the treatment of men and animals in India Girnar rock edicts of Asoka [Bhandarkar 1925: 275-77] 27/10/201113
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Spread of Buddhist culture Buddhists get the honour of establishing hospitals for the first time in history [Copleston bishop ] Indian Buddhist culture influencing neighboring countries, including Sri Lanka Absorption of medical practice 27/10/201114
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Sri Lanka Commencement of the urban civilization of Anuradhapura in the 4 th century B.C. King Pandukabhaya – Established Sivikasala and Sotthisala [Mahavamsa X: 192] Foundation of medical institutions and convalescent homes King Duttagamini – 18 institutions for medical treatment [Mahavamsa XXXIII: 37-58] 27/10/201115
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King Buddhadasa (4 th century A.D.) Skilled physician and surgeon [Mahavamsa XXXVII: 112ff, 145] Authorship of Sararthasangrahaya Establishment of village hospitals Medical seminaries, eg. at Nalanda [Sankalia 1934 : 70] 27/10/201116
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Polonnaruva period Parakramabahu I – Reputed medical practitioner and teacher of medical lore – “ He, the all-wise summoned the physicians appointed there (hospital), tested in every way their healing activities and if their medical treatment had been wrongly carried out, he met them with the right method, pointed it out to them, as the best of teachers and showed them the proper use of instruments by skilfully treating several people with his own hand“ [Mahavamsa LXXIII : 34-48] 27/10/201117
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Secular medical institutions not found Reason – built with less durable material? 27/10/201118
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Monastic hospitals Parallel to medieval Church infirmaries [Canaught 1959: 21] “It is to Gotama and his followers that we owe the hospital idea” [Editorial, British Medical Journal 2:1928] 27/10/201119
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Definition of plots in the monastic plans for the hospital (Rogalaya) [Jayasuriya, Prematilleke, Silva: in Manjusri Vasthuvidya Sastra] 27/10/201120
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The monastic hospital at Mihintale 27/10/201121
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ALAHANA PARIVENA HOSPITAL AT POLONNARUVA 27/10/201123
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Excavations at Polonnaruva In progress After 27/10/201126
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Hospital after conservation 27/10/201127
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Plan of Polonnaruva hospital 27/10/201129
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Attached toilet 27/10/201131
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Hospital designed to allow maximum ventilation Uncrowded open space Open verandah connecting the living cells 27/10/201132
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Hospital premises cordoned off by a wall Easy access to hospital Hygienic conditions and pleasant outlook 27/10/201133
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Medicinal trees such as Margosa (Kohomba) and Cassia Fistula (Ahala) planted in hospital premises Garden environment and relief of ‘hospital- phobia’ 27/10/201134
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Excavated artifacts include medical equipment and surgical instruments 27/10/201135
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Medicine trough Also found at Anuradhapura, Mihintale, Madirigiriya and Dighavapi Treating the patient immersed in herbal juices or oils 27/10/201136
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Medicine trough The Thupavamsa, refers to the immersion of patients up to the level of the nose in medicinal oils Treating snake-bite patients in wooden troughs is continued even today 27/10/201137
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Charaka Samhita, the compendium of Indian medicine, refers to the treatment of patients by this method Yogaratnakara also provides measurement details of such troughs 27/10/201138
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Grinding stones found at the site 27/10/201139
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Storage jars for oils 27/10/201140
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Bronze micro-balance 27/10/201141
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Spoon 27/10/201142
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Bronze Probes 27/10/201143
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Surgical instruments 27/10/201144
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Prof. Aluvihare’s presentation will follow THANK YOU 27/10/201145
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