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370
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[DECEMBER, 1895.
.
III. -
VII.
BOOK-NOTICE. THE BOWER MANUSCRIPT.
1892, called the first portion A, of the MS. I A BRIEF account of the progress made in the originally consisted of 33 leaves, but two of these publication of this important work, under the
(Nos. 20 and 21) are missing, and two others (the editorship of Dr. Hoernle, may interest our
16th and 17th) are the merest fragments. It is a readers.
medical treatise, originally in sixteen chapters, of
which the two last are wanting. It differs from In Vol. XXI. of this Journal, pp. 29 and fol
Part I., in being a series of prescriptions for various lowing, Dr. Hoernle commenced an interesting diseases, while the former partakes more of the series of papers dealing with the contents of this
nature of a materia medica, and describes the ancient manuscript. It will be remembered that
nature and effects of various druge. From the he said:
introductory verses we learn that the work is "It consists of not less than five distinct
called the Ndvanttaka, and that the contents are portions.
as follows:" The first portion consists of 31 leaves. It Chapter I. - Formulas for powders. contains a medical work. # # * I shall
11.-
the various kinds designate it by the letter A.
of clarified butter.
medicated oils. "The second portion, to be called B, which
IV. - Miscellaneous formulas. immediately follows the first portion, consists of
V. - Formulas for enemas. five leaves, and forms a sort of collection of
VI. -
tonics. proverbial sayings. * * *
-
gruels. «The third portion, C, consisting of four leaves,
VIII. -
» aphrodisiacs. contains the story of how a charm against snake
IX. -
» collyriums. bite was given by Buddha to Ananda. +
X. -
, hair-washes.
, XI. - The modes of using chebulic my"The fourth portion, D, consists of six leaves.
robalan. It * * * * appears to contain a similar
.. XII. -
bitumen. collection of proverbial sayings to the second
,, XIII. -
,, plumbagoportion, B.
root. "The fifth portion, E, which also consists of „ XIV. - The treatment of children. five leaves, contains another medical treatise • . XV. -
barren women. » XVI. -
women who
have children The first part of Dr. Hoernle's edition appeared in 1893. It included the whole of the fifth portion It will be seen that out of a total of fifty-one called E above. This is an incomplete medical
leaves, thirty-six have been disposed of in these work, and consists, so far as we have it, of
three fasciculi, and we may congratulate the 131, verses, written on five leaves of the US. The
Editor on his coming within sight of the complemethod of editing this, as well as the other por.
tion of his task. tions of the MS. is, first to give a transcription of the text in Roman characters, with critical foot- This is not the time for criticizing the way in notes; next to give the translation, illustrated which this task is being accomplished, nor was it with copious annotations, and finally to give fac- our purpose, in undertaking this note, to do so. simile plates of the MS., accompanied, leaf by But we cannot conclude without expressing our leaf, with a line for line transcription in the admiration at the learning and perspicuity exhiDêvanagari character.
bited on every page, and at the style in which the
work is being brought out by the Government TŁe second part has appeared in two fasciculi :
of India. the first published in 1894, and the second in the present year. It contains what Dr. Hoernle, in
G. A. G.
