The Sushruta Samhita — trans. Bhishagratna

Similarly a decoc-

• Honey should be added to all oi these decoctions prescribed in cases Pittaja-meha. — Dallana.

t Honey should also be added to these decoctions prescribed in cases of Valja Meha — Dallana.

376 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XI.

tion o{ Khadira, Kadara and Kramuka should be given in a case of Kshaudra-meha ; a decoction of Tinduka, Kapittha, S'irisha, Palds'a^ Pdthd^ Murvd^ and Dusparsd (Duraiabh^) mixed with honey * or the Kshara, (alkaline water) prepared from the ashes of the bones of an elephant, horse, hog, ass or camel, in a case of Hasti-meha. A gruel (Yav^gu prepared in the manner of Shadanga-kalpa) with a decoction of aquatic bulbs and sweetened with milk and the juice of sugarcane should be prescribed in a case attended with a burning sensation. 7.

Medicinal Arishtas, Asavas, Yava-

gUSy etc. : — Likewise Arishtas, Ayaskritis, lambatives and Asavas should be prepared (in the manner hereinbefore described) with Priyangu, A7tantd, Yuthikd, Padmd (Bhargi), Trdyantikd, Lohitikd, Amhashthd, bark of pomegranate, S' dla-parni, (D.R. — Tala-parni), Padma (lotus), Tu7iga, Kes'ura, Dhdtaki, Vakula, S'alntali, S' ri'Ves htaka and Mocharasa, should be administered to the patient. As an alternative, similar preparations made of S'ringdtaka, Gilodya^, Mrindla, Kas'eruka, Madhuka, A'mra^ fainbu^ Asana, Tinis'a, Arjuna, Katvanga^ Lodhra^ Bhalldtaka, Charmi-vriksha, Giri-karnikdy S'ita-s'iva, Nichula^ Dddima, Aja-karna, Hari-vriksha, Rdjddana,Gopaghontd diwd. Vikamkata should be prescribed. Different preparations of Yavagu, etc. should be given to the patient as diet. A gruel (Yavagu) cooked with the decoction of the preceding medcinal drugs or (only these) decoctions should be given to the patient as drinks. Potions of any of the aforesaid Asavas thickened with an admixture of powdered Pdthd, Chitraka and Haritaki and sweetened with a liberal quantity of honey

* Jejjata interprets it as grape-wine, but Gayadasa does not support this view.

p. 377

should be prescribed for a rich or royal patient of injudicious conduct and refusing to take medicines ; or he should be made to drink frequent potions of Mddhvika liquors (prepared from honey) * with meat roasted on gridiron over a charcoal fire. Food and drinks mixed with honey, Kapittha and pepper should be prescribed for him. 8.

Food and drinks mixed with honey, Kapittha and pepper should be prescribed for him. 8.

The powdered dung of a camel, a mule, or an ass should be administered to him in food ; he should take his meal with soups saturated with a compound of asafoetida and Saindhava salt or with mustard preparations (Raga). * His food and drink should be fragrant and well flavoured Iwith ingredient not incompatible with the nature of the disease. 9-10.

The practice of regular physical exercise, wrestling, active sports, riding on a horse or an elephant, long walks, pedestrial journeys, practising archery, casting of javelines, etc., should be resorted to in a case where the disease has made a decided advance. 11.

A poor and friendless patient should live on alms, lead a life of perfect continence like an ascetic, forego the use of shoes and umbrella and walk a hundred Yojanasf or more on foot without staying for more than one night at a single village. A rich man (suffering from Prameha) should live on S'ydmaka, Kapittha, Tinduka and As'mantaka and live among the deer. He should constantly follow the tracks of cows and take their dung and urine (for food and drink). A Brahman patient should live on the grain, spontaneously fallen from plants, constantly study the Vedas and draw

* Some read "liT#:" i e. potherb ( of mustard ) in place of t A Yojana is ecjual to eight miles.

p. 48

373 TttE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. CChap. XI, chariots occupied by Brahmanas. * A patient belonging to the lower orders of society i^Sudras, etc.) should be made to sink wells (under such circumstances) and the strength of a weak or emaciated patient should be preserved vwith nutritive diets, etc.). 12.

IVIemorable Verse :— A poor patient, carefully following these directions of his medical advisers without the least demur or delay, should be able to get rid of the disease (Prameha) in the course of a year or even in less than that time. 13.

Thus ends the eleventh Chapter of the Chikitsifa Sthanam in the
Sus'ruta Samhita which deals with the medical treatment of Prameha,

* Some explain the phrase "^HT^q^^Urf" to mean that he should retain in his memory (the teachings of) the Vedas.. —Dallana.

CHAPTER XIL

Now we shall discourse on the medical treatment of the abscesses or eruptions which mark the sequel of a case of Prameha (Pramcha-PiClakgf). i.

—Dallana.

CHAPTER XIL

Now we shall discourse on the medical treatment of the abscesses or eruptions which mark the sequel of a case of Prameha (Pramcha-PiClakgf). i.

The nine kinds of abscesses (Pidakas), such as Sardvika, etc., have been described before. Of such abscesses those, appearing in a strong person but small in size, affecting (only) the Tvak (skin) and the flesh, soft to the touch, slightly painful, easily suppurative and after a time bursting, are curable. 2.

Patients suffering from Prameha and afflicted with the above kinds of abscesses (Pidakas) should be treated (in the following manner). Measures, such as fastings (Apatarpana), etc., decoctions* (of Vata, etc.) and the urine of a she-goat, should be employed in the incubative stage of the disease. The urine, perspiration and the Sleshma (sputum, etc.), soon acquire a sweetish taste, if the aforesaid preliminary measures are not resorted to and if the patient goes on using sweet articles of food in utter disregard of the instructions, thus developing fully the specific indications of Prameha. In this stage the system of the patient should be cleansed (Sams'odhana) with both emetics and purgatives. If the disease is not checked (even at this stage) with the aforesaid measures (emetics and purgatives), the aggravated Doshas of the body go on increasing in intensity and tend to affect or vitiate the flesh and the blood and produce an inflamatory swelling of the body, or bring on other supervening distresses

* Astringent drugs of fig»tree(Vata-tree), etc.— D. R.

38o THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XII.

in their train, venesection as well as the aforesaid remedies and measures should be resorted to in such cases. 3 .

The swelling increases in size attended with excessive pain and burning sensation, if the aforesaid remedies be not employed at this stage of the disease. Surgical operations and other remedial measures, described in connection with abscesses or inflammatory swellings (Vrana) in general, should be resorted to in such cases. If these be not done (at this stage), the pus eats into the deeper tissues of the locality, creates large cavities in its inside, and is accumulated there and the abscess (Vrana) becomes incurable. * Hence a case of Prameha should be remedied at its very outset. 4-6.

DhsCnvantara-Ghrita :— Ten Pala weight of