Muskan Bhatia, Jan. 25 -- A medieval cataract surgery described in Chinese texts may have its roots in India, a Pune-based historian of science and medicine said during a recent talk in Delhi. Vijaya Jayant Deshpande, speaking at a lecture series on Health, Wellness and Nutrition at India International Centre in Delhi recently, traced the movement of Indian medical knowledge to China through Buddhist scholars and classical texts.
"What drew me was the fact that medicine is a continuous tradition in India," she said. "Common people often make tall claims without evidence. It's better to look at primary sources, so we know exactly what the tradition was, and we don't forget parts of it."Her academic journey began with the history of chemistr...