Bhavamishra was a noted scholar on Ayurveda from Bihar. Bhava Mishra is famous for his work Bhavaprakasha, which is one of the three most important works on Ayurveda. He lived sometime in the 16th century CE. His father Latkan Mishra was a noted scholar.
This text is a treatise on anatomy, physiology, medicine,
surgery and therapeutics. This work gives a succinct account of all the
medicinal plants, animals and mineral substances used medically by Ayurvedic
physicians.
Bhava Prakasha is divided into three volumes – Purva Khanda,
Madhya Khanda and Uttara Khanda. The first includes all para-clinical subjects
including anatomy, herbarium, alchemy, etc. The second volume is devoted to the
diagnosis and treatment of different diseases, and the third is devoted to the
description of rasayana and vajikarana, i.e. vitalizers and virilification respectively.
The popular part of this book is ‘Nighantu’ in which Bhavamishra has included
almost all the drugs, indigenous as well as imported. He has also described the
alternatives for the herbs already extinct in his era. They are known as pratinidhi
Dravya or substitutes. Bhavamishra’s contribution to medicine is considered
significant.