The Sushruta Samhita — trans. Bhishagratna
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It is said that the use of each succesive Drona measure of this oil adds a century to one's days on earth. 16.
Oils may similarly be prepared with each of Ativishd^ Guduchi, Aditya-parni^ Saireyaka, Virataru, S'atdvari^ Tri-kantaka, Madhuka and Prasdrani, and may be prescribed by an experienced and erudite physician. 17.
Nilotpala and S^atdvari should be cooked in milk. The milk thus prepared should be again cooked with sesamum oil successively a hundred times and a paste of all the drugs used as a paste in the Vala^ Taila should be added to it at the time of cooking. The therapeutic virtues of all these oils are the same as those of the Vald-Taila and the same regimen of diet and conduct should be observed in all such cases. 18.
Thus ends the fifteenth Chapter of the Chikitsita Sthanam in the Sus'ruta Samhita which deals with the medical treatment of Mudhagarbha.
CHAPTER XVI.
Now we shall discourse on the medical treatment of Abscesses and Tumours (Vldradhl). i.
Of the six types of Vidradhis, the one of the Sannipdtika type should be regarded as incurable In all other types curative measures* should be speedily resorted to in their unsuppurated stage, as in the treatment of a case of Sopha (inflammatory swelling or boil). 2.
Treatment of Vataja-Vidradhi :— in
a case of Vdtaja Vidradhi, a compact or thick plaster (Alepa) composed of pasted Murang'i-r oots,f mixed with clarified butter, oil and lard (Vasa), should be applied lukewarm. The flesh of the animals which frequent swamps and marshes as well as of aquatic animals boiled with the drugs of the Kdkolyddi group, Kdnjika, salt, barley powder and Sneha (clarified butter, &c.), should be applied as a poultice (Upandha>, and the affected part should be constantly fomented with (warm) Ves'avdra, Kris'ara, milk and Payasa. Blood-letting should also be resorted to. 3.
If, in spite of the use of the preceding remedies, 'suppuration should begin to set in, suppurating measures should be resorted to and the abscess (finally) lanced t Both Dallana and Chakrapani Datta read "Vataghna" in place of **Murangi" of the text. Dallana explains the term "Vataghna" as the •'Bhadra-darvadi group" and S'iva-dasa, the commentator of Chakrapani, explains it as the "Das'a-mula". Both of them, however, say that he different reading is "Surangi" meaning "S'obhdnjana." **Murangi" also means "S'obhdnjana."— Ep.
* Commencing with Apatarpana up to purgative measures (Chikitsd, chapter.— I ).
Chap. XVI.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 413
Both of them, however, say that he different reading is "Surangi" meaning "S'obhdnjana." **Murangi" also means "S'obhdnjana."— Ep.
Chap. XVI.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 413
With a knife. Cleansing measures should then be applied to the (incidental) ulcer. After incision, the ulcer should be washed with a decoction of the Pancha-mula ; and an oil cooked with the drugs of the Bhadra-ddrvddi group and Yashti-madhu, and, mixed with an abundant quantity of salt, should be used in filling (healing up) the cavity of the wound. The cleansing of the ulcer should be effected with the powdered Vairechanika (purgative) drugs mixed with Traivrita* and the healing should be effected with Traivrita cooked with the drugs of the Prithak-parnyddi group. 4-6.
Treatment Of Pittaja Vidradhi:— In a
case of Pittaja Vidradhi a plaster (Pradeha) composed of sugar, fried paddy, Yashti-Madhu and Sdrivd pasted with milk should be applied, As an alternative, a plaster composed of Payasyd, Us'ira and (red) sandal wood pasted with milk should be used. Cold infusions of Pdkya (Yava-kshdra), sugarcane-juice and milk, and jivaniya-Ghrita mixed with sugar should be used in affusing the abscess. The patient should be advised to lick a lambative composed of powdered Haritaki and Jrivrit saturated with honey ; and leeches should be applied (to an unsuppurated) abscess for letting out the blood. An intelligent surgeon should (lance a suppurated abscess and) wash the incidental ulcer with a decoction of Kshira-Vriksha or of aquatic bulbs. Poultices of sesamum and Yashti-Madhu mixed with honey and clarified butter should then be applied to it and bandaged with a piece of thin linen. Clarified butter cooked with Prapaundarika^ Mmtjishtha, Yashti-Madhu, Us'ira, Padmaka^ Haridrd and milk,
* "Traivrita" is a technical term and means clarified butter mixed with the three other lardacious substances, viz., oil, lard and marrow. Vide Chikitsita Sthdnam. Chapter— V.
414 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XVI.
should be used to heal up the cavity of a Pittaja ulcer, by (inducing granulation). As an alternative, clarified butter cooked with Kshira-S'ukld, Prithakparni, Samangd, Rodhra^ Chandana and the tender leaves and bark of the drugs of the Nyagrodhddi group should be employed for the same end. 7-10.
Karanjadya Ghrita :— A Karsha measure
As an alternative, clarified butter cooked with Kshira-S'ukld, Prithakparni, Samangd, Rodhra^ Chandana and the tender leaves and bark of the drugs of the Nyagrodhddi group should be employed for the same end. 7-10.
Karanjadya Ghrita :— A Karsha measure
of each of the following drugs, viz., the tender leaves and fruits of thQ]Naktamdla, the leaves of the Sumana (Jdti flower), Patola and of Arishta, Haridrd, Daru-Haridrd, wax, Yashti-Madhu, Tikta-Rohini, Priyangu? Kus'aroots, Nichula-hdiXk, Manjishthd^ sandal wood, Us'ira^ Utpala, Sdrivd and Trivrit should be cooked with a Prastha measure of clarified butter. This medicated Ghrita is called the Karanjaidya Ghrita, and it will cure malignant ulcers (Dushta-Vrana) and act as a purifier in sinus and recent ulcers, etc., burns and scalds, deep sores and even deep-seated sinuses. 1 1.
Treatment Of Kaphaja Vidradhi :— In
a case of Kaphaja Vidradhi, the seat of affection should be fomented with a heated brick, sand, iron, cow-dung, husks, ashes and cow's urine.f The Doshas involved in such a case should be curbed down by a constant use of medicinal decoctions, emetics, plasters (Alepa) and poultices (Upanaha). The vitiated blood of the locality should be cuffed out with an Aldvu-yantra (gourd). The abscess when suppurated should be (lanced
* Chakrapani Datta in his compilation does not include Priyangu, Kus'a-roots add Nichula-bark in the list but he reads both the kinds of sariva, i. e., Anantamula and S'yamd-lata.
t In Chakradatta, the reading is '%(^fq^;" i.e., pasted in cow's urine» instead of ♦•^pg^i^;" I S'ivaddsa, the commentator, however, holds that this reading is not authoritative, though he says that some commentators have accepted it.
I
Chap. XVI.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 41S
and) washed with a decoction of hragvadha. The sore of such an ulcer should be filled up (healed) with a medicinal compound consisting of the paste of Haridrd Trivrit, S'aktu, sesamum and honey and bandaged in the manner described before. After that, a medicated oil properly cooked with a paste of Kulatthikd, Danii^ Irivrit: S'ydmd, Arka, Tilvaka, cow's urine and rocksalt should be applied in such a case. 12-13.
Treatment of Agantuja and Raktaja
Vidradhi :— In a case of abscess of traumatic (Agantuja) origin, or due to the vitiated condition of the blood (Raktaja), all the measures and remedies laid down in connection with those of the Pittaja type should be employed by a skilled surgeon. 14
Treatment of internal Vidradhi :— A