Diagnostic methods of foreign body in Sushruta Samhita: A review

Abstract

In ancient India, when battle field injuries were common, locating the impacted weapons, splints, stones or other foreign body from the body of the patients was a challenge to, the then surgeons. Even in the absence of any modern diagnostic tools the ancient physicians could exactly diagnose it and save the patient by expelling the foreign body. Some of these methods have strong scientific background whereas some others are quite difficult to substantiate. But in a developing country like India where a large section of the population live in remote areas, inaccessible to proper diagnostic centers these methods have a wide range of application. Sushruta Samhita is a voluminous text of ancient surgical skill contributed a specialized chapter for the diagnosis and management of lost foreign body in the body tissue. Here an attempt was made to analyze its relevance in the present era with scientific validation.