The Sushruta Samhita — trans. Bhishagratna

This is called the Navayasa Churna, which proves curative in abdominal obesity, improves the impaired digestion and acts as a prophylactic against haemorrhoids, swelling, jaundice, Kushtha, indigestion, cough, asthma and Prameha, etc. 10.

LohariShta :— A decoction of the drugs of the S'ald-sdrddi group should be made by boiling it down to a quarter part (of the original quantity of water). Then it should be duly filtered j when cooled, a quantity [i.e., fifty Pala weight) of Makshika-honeyt should be added to it. A quantity of purified treaclej reduced to the consistency of Phanita as well as fine powders of the. drugs of the Pippalyddi group should be mixed with it. A strong and well cleansed (earthen) pitcher satu-

* Charaka and Chakrapani Datta insert this medicine among the curatives of " Pa'ndu-roga ". S'ivadasa (the commentator) advises to take " Manduia-iron" instead of " black-iron ". In the practical field also we derive great and good efTects in cases of spleen and liver diseases and specially in cases of infantile liver and heart diseases. — Ed.

t Dallana says that fifty Pala weight of each of the two substances — Madhva'sava and Pha'nita, and twenty-five Pala weight of each of the following substances., viz., the powders of the drugs of the Pippalyadi group and steel-foils, should be taken in preparing it. But Gayadasa explains that such a quanlity of old and matured honey should be mixed with the decoction as will sweeten it ; the same quantity of old and matured Phanita treacle should be taken ; the powders of Pippalyadi group should be added to it till it gets a slight astringent (Katuka) taste.

Some commentators, however, hold that the honey, the powders of the drugs of the Pippalyadi group and of the steel-foils should be each a quarter part of the decoction in weight.

Dallana explains the term "Madhu" as the A'sava prepared of honey. Gayadasa, however, explains it simply as honey.

t The Phanita should be refined by dissolving it in the decoction of the drugs of the S'ala-saradi group and then filtere . — Dajlan^,

384 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XII.

Gayadasa, however, explains it simply as honey.

t The Phanita should be refined by dissolving it in the decoction of the drugs of the S'ala-saradi group and then filtere . — Dajlan^,

384 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XII.

rated with clarified butter should be purified (in the usual way) and its interior plastered with coating of honey and powdered Pippali made into a thin paste. The medicinal compound prepared as above should be kept in the pitcher. After that, thin foils of steel made red-hot in a fire of Khadira wood should be immersed into the compound prepared before. Then the pitcher with the steel-foils immersed into its contents should be kept buried in a heap of barley for three or four months or until the steel-foils are entirely eaten away by the medicine and the characteristic flavour is produced. It should be used in proper doses every morning and a suitable diet should be given to the patient after its use. It reduces fat, improves the impaired digestion and proves efficacious in cases of swellings, internal tumours, Kushtha,Meha, jaundice, dropsy of the spleen (Plihodara), chronic fever, and excessive urination (dribbling of urine). This preparation is called Loha^rishta* and it is a highly efficacious remedy. 11.

* The recipe of Loharishta, according to Vagbhata, is as follows : — The drugs of the Asanadi group (which corresponds with Sus'ruta's S'ala-saradi group), each weighing twenty Palas, should be boiled in eight Dronas of water down to a quarter part of its weight. Two hundred Pala weight of treacle and half an Adhaka (four seers) of honey and the powders of the drugs of the Vatsakadi group (which corresponds with the Pippalya'di group of Sus'ruta), each weighing one Pala, should be mixed with the abovei decoction when cooled. A (new earthen) pitcher should be plastered inside with (an adequate quantity of) Pippali-powder and honey, the outer side being plastered with shellac. The above preparation should now be poured into this pitcher which should be kept in a heap of barley. A fire should be kindled with Khadira charcoal. Thin iron-foils should be alternately heated in this fire and immersed in the above preparation until the iron- foils are powdered. Vagbhata gives the name of Ayaskriti to this preparation.

We, however, follow Vagbhata in the preparation of this Arishta with pood results.. — Ed,

Chap. XII.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 385

Vagbhata gives the name of Ayaskriti to this preparation.

We, however, follow Vagbhata in the preparation of this Arishta with pood results.. — Ed,

Chap. XII.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 385

Traits of cure : -The cure of Prameha-patients should be understood from the non-slimy and unturbid condition of the urine and from its clear transparent aspect and bitter or pungent taste. 12.

Thus ends the twelfth Chapter of the Chikitsita Sthanam in the Sus'ruta
Sambita which deals with the medical treatment of Prameha-Pidaka.

p. 49

CHAPTER XIII.

Now we shall discourse on the medical treatment of Diabetes (IVIadhu-IVIeha). I.

IVIetrical Text :— The intelligent physician should adopt the following course of treatment in the case of a Madhu-Meha-patient abandoned as incurable by other physicians. 2.

^i lajatu , its origi n and properties :~

A kind of gelatinous substance is secreted from the sides of the mountains when they have become heated by the rays of the sun in the months of Jyaishtha and Ashadha. This substance is what is known as the Silajatu and it cures all distempers of the body.

The presence of the six kinds of metal, such as tin, lead, copper, silver, gold and black-iron, in their essential form in the substance (Silajatu), may be detected by their respective smell and hence it is known to the people by the name of Shad-Yoni (lit. — having six different origins). The taste of this shellac-coloured substance has the same taste (Rasa) and potency (Virya) as the metal to whose essence it owes its origin. It should be understood that as tin, lead and iron, etc., are progressively more and more efficacious, so the different varieties of Sildjatu, originated from the essence of tin, lead, iron, etc., are progressively more efficacious in their application.

All kinds of Silajatu have a bitter and pungent taste with an astringent after-taste (Anu-rasa), are laxative, pungent in their digestionary reaction, heatmaking in their potency and possessed of absorbing and purifying (Chhedana) properties. Of these what looks

Chap. XIII.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 387