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A Short History of Ayurvedic Veterinary Literature
however, that it was customary to leave most of the cattle out in the Gostha
(open pasture) at night, only taking home to the Sala (cow shed) cows in milk.
' There are royal stables for horses and elephants
The size of each
stable should be determined by the number of horses to be kept therein. The
length of each room of the stable should be twice that of the horse. It should
have four doors, one on each side, and an open space in the middle for the horse
to roll. The breadth of the stall must be four times the width of the horse
and the floor should be paved with smooth wooden planks. There must be
a trough for food and an aperture for the removal of excreta should be provided.
Rooms facing north and east are to be preferred. Horses, mares and colts
must have separate compartments ' (Arthaśastra). S'álihotra recommends
stone drinking troughs. The state allowance for an animal's bedding was
1½ seer of meadow grass and twice as much hay and straw.
' The elephant stable should be twice as high as the length of the elephant
and should face north or east. There should be separate apartments for
female elephants with a spacious corridor
The stable should be provided
with T-shaped tether posts, which must be as long as the length of the elephant
and between which there should be placed an apperture for the removal of
excreta. Their sleeping place should be similar to their standing with one
difference, that in one-half of it should be a raised platform for the elephant
to lean upon' (Arthaśastra). There was an allowance of ¾ of a prastha of oil
for lighting each animal's appartment.
The Hastiayurveda advises great precaution in allowing visitors into the
hastisalas for fear that they might administer poison to the animals. It
was also customary to place seats and pegs in the stable corridors for monkeys,
peacocks, spotted deer, mongooses, partridges, parrots and mainas because
' cats, peacocks, mongooses and spotted deer destroy snakes ; parrots, mainas
and fork-tailed shrikes shriek if they smell poison ; ospreys get excited in
the vicinity of poison ; pheasants feel distressed ; cuckoos die and partridges
redden their eyes.' Horses were believed to keep good health in the company
of monkeys.
(vi) Animal Husbandry—
Under most of the enlightened Hindu Governments daily inspections of
livestock were held. Chandergupta, when Emperor, is actually supposed to
have conducted these himself. Strict rules of sanitation and hygiene were
enforced and the veterinarian was expected not only to care for sick animals
but to take all necessary preventive measures against disease outbreaks and
to attend to the ' harmonious development' of all parts of his charges' bodies.
They had also to advise the Superintendents of Departments regarding the
attention, food and medicine proper for the animals during the different
seasons ; and had, themselves, according to the Sukraniti, to undertake the
unpleasant task of tasting the horses' food in case it was poisoned. It was,
apparently, no less usual to attempt to poison enemy livestock in the middle
ages than it was when Suśrutha wrote ' the common practice of the enemy is to
poison the wells on the roadside... .and the fuel and food and forage for the
cattle ; hence it is incumbent on a physician, marching with the troops, to
inspect, examine and purify them before use.' In addition to the higher
officials, large menial staffs were attached to the various stables, including