Archaic word for a medical doctor, used in historical contexts. The reading くすりし is also attested for 薬師.
In the old days, there were few doctors, and falling ill was a serious matter.
This ancient document uses the word 薬師.
Standard kanji spelling for this archaic word meaning 'doctor'.
Rare single-kanji spelling; may be confused with other readings.
Irregular kanji usage; normally read いし.
Derived from 薬 (kusuri, 'medicine') + 師 (shi, 'master, specialist'), literally 'medicine master'. The contracted reading くすし is an older form.