Beside the knowledge of Tridosha, Ayurvedic medicine and herbs, the ancient Ayurveda scholars have laid down beautiful rules of conduct of a physician towards his patient. If a physician is even insultingly and peevishly addressed by a patient he should remain calm, mild and courageous. He should avoid improper and frivolous language particularly with the females. He should not sit down on the same bed with them.
1. How a physician should take- up a case and examine his patient is thus described -the physician should first ask the attendent questions regarding the disease, things the patient has eaten and what he has done to produce or influence the disease. He is then to observe the signs of longevity in the patient. These are long arms and fingers, large eyes, forehead, trunk, teeth, mouth, hands, feet. Persons will also live to an old age who have long respiration and a large space between the mammillae, the fore legs short and fleshy and the neck short.
2.The physician should next pay his attention to the nature of the disease, that is he should make a proper and correct diagnosis. In making an accurate diagnosis of the sick person he should observe u his general appearance, the condition of his body, his temperament and strength, the state of the raind and the food he has been used to.” He should particularly observe the symptoms of the disease, the state of the pulse of the tongue as to moisture and dryness, the condition of the bowels, urine and sleep, the general feeling, the state of the nose, head, hands, feet and abdomen, the state of the patient’s appetite, the part of the body attacked, the state of the various vessels, the abdomen particularly whether the food is digested. He should also examine the blood, the heart and the lungs.
3. Proper medicines and instruments should be always in hand and the physician should be well acquainted with them, He should collect drugs from a good soil and neighborhood. The qualities of the drugs depend on their colour, smell and the kind of juice. The physician should administer good medicines and give directions regarding diet and regimen.
4. He should make selection of good messengers and attendants who contribute a good deal in curing a disease. Such persons should be respectable, courteous, calm, and patient and have knowledge of the Shastras. They should be exact in their description of the cause and progress of the disease and careful that the patient takes the medicine and follows the direction of the physician.