The Sushruta Samhita — trans. Bhishagratna

14.

Constant use of (cow's) urine or (any kind of) Asava, Arishta or wine, cooked with the milky exudation of Mahd-vrikshd, -j* is recommended. A decoction of purgative drugs, thickened with an admixture, in copious quantity, of powdered S'unthi and Deva-ddru, may be used with advantage in this desease.

AnSlha Varti:— APala weight of the emetic and purgative drugs and the same weight of the fine powders of the drugs of each of the Vachddi^ Pippalyddi and the Haridrddi group, and all the officinal kinds of salt should be mixed (with four or eight times that of) the urine (of a cow, buffalo, etc.). Then this (^mixture) compound should be boiled and cooked over a gentle fire with a Prastha measure of the milky juice of Mahd-vriksha t Dallana explains the sentence as follows : —

* In the absence of any mention about the quantity of water to be added, four limes as much of water should be added for the completion of the preparation according to the general maxim. — Ed.

Asavas, Arishtas and Suras should be prepared with urine (instead of the liquid i.e., water) and the milky exudation of Maha-vriksha (as ap after-throw), and should be constantly used.

398 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XIV.

by constantly stirring it with a ladle. Precaution should be taken so that the Kalkas may not be scorched or burnt. This medicinal compound, when properly prepared, should be removed from the fire and when cooled should then be made into pills (Gutika), each being an Aksha (two Tolds) in weight. These pills should be given once, twice or thrice daily according to the exigency of the case and the capacity of the patient for a period of three or four consecutive months. The medicine is known as the Anaiha-varti, and is specially beneficial in cases of Mahd-vyddhi, and is equally efficacious in destroying intestinal worms. These pills, if regularly used, prove beneficial in cases pf cough, asthma, Kushtha, parasites, catarrh, indigestion, aversion to food and Udavarta. 15.

Second Anstha- Varti : —The inner pulp of

These pills, if regularly used, prove beneficial in cases pf cough, asthma, Kushtha, parasites, catarrh, indigestion, aversion to food and Udavarta. 15.

Second Anstha- Varti : —The inner pulp of the seeds of Madana fruits with Kutaja, Jimutaka, Ikshvdku (bitter gourd), Dhdmdrgava, Trivrit^ Trikatu^ mustard seed and rock-salt, should be pasted together with either the milky juice of Mahd-vriksha or with the urine of a cow ; and the paste should be made into thumb-shaped plugs (Varti). In a case of Anaha of the patient already suffering from Udara, the outer end of his rectum should be lubricated with oil and salt and one or two of the plugs should be inserted therein. The application of this Anaiha-varti should as well be applied in cases of Uddvarta, due to a suppression or retention of stool, urine, and Vata (flatus) and in cases of tympanites (Adhmdna) and distention of the abdomen (Andha). 16.

Treatment of Plihodara :— In a case of

Plihodara, * applications of Sneha (oil, etc.) and Sveda

* Dropsical swelling of the abdomen owing to an enlargen^ent of the spleen^

p. 399

( fomentations ) should be made and the patient should be fed on boiled rice mixed with milk-curd. Then the vein (Sira) inside the elbow of his left hand, should be duly opened. The spleen should be rubbed with the hand for the proper out-flow of its deranged blood (for the relief of that enlarged organ). Then having properly cleansed his system, the physician should advise the patient to take the alkali of marine oyster-shells through the medium of milk. As an alternditive, Vava-ks/idra should be given to himwithSauvarc/iikd and Hingu, or with filtered alkali (made with the ashes) of Paldsa wood. As an alternative, the alkali of Pdrijdtaka, Ikshvdku and Apdmdrga^ mixed with oil, should be prescribed ; or the decoction of S'obhdnjana, mixed with Chitraka^Saindhava d^adPippali, or the alkali of Puti-karanja, filtered with Kdnjika and mixed with a copious quantity of Vid salt (black salt) and powdered Pippali should be administerd. 17.

Shat-palaka Ghrita :— One pala weight of

17.

Shat-palaka Ghrita :— One pala weight of each of the following drugs, vizy Pippali^ Pippali-roots^ Chitraka, S'unthi, Yava-kshdra and Saindhava should be cooked with one Prastha measure of clarified butter and the same quantity of milk*. The medicated Ghrita thus prepared is called the Shat-palaka-Ghrita. It is highly efficacious in cases of an enlargement of the spleen, impaired digestion, Gulma, dropsy, Udavarta, swelling (Svayathu), jaundice, cough, asthma, catarrh, Urdhva- Vata and Vishama-Jvara. In cases of Udara attended with impaired digestion, the Hingva'di Churna should be prescribed. These measures should be as well employed in a case of an enlargement of the liver (Yakrit), but the speciality is that the vein (inside the elbow) of

* The practice, in this case, is to add twelve Seers (three prastha measures) of water to the Prastha measure of milk at the time of cooking.

400 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XIV.

the right hand (instead of the left hand) should be opened in this case. i8.

Metrical Text :— After slightly bending down the wrist (of the left hand), the vein in connection with the thumb of the left hand should be cauterized with a (burning) Sara for the purpose of giving relief in a case of enlarged spleen. 19.

Treatment of Vaddha-gudodara, etc. : — In cases of the Vaddha-guda (Entertis) and the Parisraivi types of Udara, the patient should be first treated with emulsive measures and fomentations and then anointed with a sneha. Then an incision should be made on the left side of the abdomen below the umbilicus and four fingers to the left of the line of hair which stretches downward from the navel. The intestine to the length of four fingers should be gently drawn out ; any stone, any dry hardened substance (Scybalum ?), or any hair found stiffing to the intestine should be carefully examined and removed. Then the intestine should be moistened with honey and clarified butter. It should then be gently replaced in its original position and the mouth of the incision in the abdomen should be sewn up. 20.

Treatment of Parisrsivi-Udara :— In