Philologists at the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage have deciphered a 7th-century Sanskrit fragment discovered in the Khotan region of the Silk Road. The text, a regional variant of the Charaka Samhita, details specific herbal protocols and dietary regimens designed to treat epidemic viral fevers, utilizing ingredients like Andrographis paniculata.
The discovery highlights the trans-continental transmission of Ayurvedic medical science and provides new data on how ancient civilizations managed public health crises through organized medical systems. The study utilized multispectral imaging to recover faded characters from the birch-bark manuscript.