sacred books called the Vedas, which, although perfect as a whole, are
actually divided into four parts, each in itself constituting a separate
Veda under a special title. These are the Rig-Veda, the Yajur-Veda
(white and black), the Sama-Veda, and the Atharva-Veda, or Ayur-Veda.
Although the last is admitted to be as a whole not so ancient as the
other three, still there are portions of it that are probably as old as
any of the others. Even in the oldest epic poems of the Hindoos mention
is made of four Vedas as already in existence and as of great antiquity.
Sir William Jones estimates the date of its compilation as certainly not
after B.C. 1580.

These Vedas are considered by the Hindoos to contain the groundwork of
all their philosophy, as well as of their arts and sciences, and they
contain treatises on music, medicine, the art of war, and architecture.

Sir William Jones, in referring to the Ayur-Veda, says that, to his
astonishment, he found in it an entire Upanishad on the internal parts
of the human body, enumerating the nerves, veins, and arteries.

The Ayur-Veda was considered by the Brahmins to be the work of
Brahma--by him it was communicated to Dacsha, the Prajapati, and by him,
the two Aswins, or sons of Surya--the sun--were instructed in it, and
thus became the medical attendants of the gods. A legend that cannot but
recall to our mind the Greek myth of the two sons of Æsculapius and
their descent from Apollo.

In the case of immortal gods the practice was confined to surgery, in
treating the wounds received in the conflicts which were constantly
described as occurring amongst the gods themselves, or between the gods
and the demons. Of course they performed many miraculous cures, as would