Ophthalmic surgery: A chapter in the history of sino-Indian medical contacts

Although Chinese culture surgery has usually been seen as a major part of m edical practice, during the Sui (AD 581-618) and the Tang dynasties (AD 618 -907), it showed a marked flowering in the field of ophthalmology. Chinese historical records, popular literature and medical works and compilations i ndicate that it was closely related to Indian medicine. the origins of this transmission can be traced to early Chinese Buddhist canonical literature. Chinese and Indian ophthalmological works of the time are studied here, es pecially ophthalmic diseases like pterygium, entropion or trichiasis and ca taract, which often call for surgical intervention as a way of giving curat ive or palliative treatment. The texts reflect upon the origin, route and n ature of this transmission, and vividly depict the gradual introduction of various aspects of surgery into Chinese medicine. Indian medicine was thus a prominent contributor to the development of Chinese medicine and, especia lly, surgery from the seventh century AD onwards.