The Sushruta Samhita — trans. Bhishagratna

CHAPTER XXV.

Now we shall discourse on the medical treatment of a variety of diseases (Misraka-Chikitsita). i.

It has been stated before that blood-letting is the remedy in diseases of the Paili (ear-lobes). Now hear me describe in detail the treatment of those affections which are confined to the lobes of the ears. They are five in number and are called the Paripota, Utpakta^ Unmantha. Duhkha-Vardhana and the Parilehi. 2-3.

Causes and Symptoms : -if the lobe of an ear be suddenly pulled and kept in that position for a long time, a numbed and painful swelling of a blackish red colour is produced on the lobe, owing to its soft and delicate nature. This is found to spontaneously burst or crack, and is called the Paripota, which should be ascribed to the action of the deranged Va(yu (of the system). 4-

A painful swelling attended with a burning sensation and suppuration, appearing in the lobe of the ear, owing to the friction and movements of a heavy ornament worn in the lobe, is originated from the vitiated condition of the blood and the Pitta. Its colour is either brown or red and is called the Utpsita. 5.

Pulling the ear-lobes down by f >rce tends to enrage the V^yu (of the localities) which in union with (the deranged) Kapha gives rise to a painful swelling in those regions, attended with itching and tinged with the specific colours* and symptoms of the Doshas involved. The disease is called the Unmantha, and is

* Madhava in his compilation reads *'^djH^<<*lH" ^^^^^ ^^^ swelling is attended with a numbness and no pain) in place of "f^^iy^^^^j," Vdgbhata also supports this. — Ed,

504 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. Chap. XXV.

originated through the concerted action of the deranged Vaiyu and the Kapha. 6.

A swelling in an ear-lobe attended with pain, burning and itching sensations owing to its being (pulled down and) lengthened, when found to suppurate (in the end) is called the Duhkha-vardhana ; it* restricts itself only to the skin (of the affected part . 7.

Small exuding pustules resembling mustard-seeds (in size) and attended with pain, burning and itching sensations, appear in the lobes of the ears owing to the action of the vitiated blood, or the deranged Kstpha, or to the presence of parasites (in those localities). The disease soon spreads itself (and assumes an erysipelatious character). It is called the Parilehi from the fact of its eating away the affected lobe with the entire helix. 8.

The disease soon spreads itself (and assumes an erysipelatious character). It is called the Parilehi from the fact of its eating away the affected lobe with the entire helix. 8.

General Treatment :— These dreadful diseases (which invade the lobes of the ears) are highly dangerous and tend to destroy and eat away the affected appendages, if not properly attended to at the outset and specially when the patient is addicted to unwholesome food and drink and to an injudicious conduct of life. Hence a physician should speedily remedy these complaints with applications of medicated Sneha, Sveda, etc., ointments, washes, plasters, poultices and blood-Ietting.t This is the general treatment of those diseases. 9.

* Madhava adds "an unsuccessful perforation (in the ear-lobe)" to be an additional cause of this disease. He also reads **f^-^"^ i.e., **due to the concerted action of the three Doshas" in place of "cef^n^j^". Madhava has Vagbhata's support in this.— Ed.

t In cases of the predominance of the VsCyu, anointment, Anuvdsana and poultices should be resorted to. In cases of Pitta-predominance, • purgatives should be applied. Emetics should be applied in cases of Kapha-predominance and lastly blood-letting, purgativ^^ and washes,

Chap. XXV.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 50 5

Specific Treatment :— Now we shall describe the medical remedies which should be specially used in anointing (the afifected parts in these diseases). Drugs, such as Khara-Manjari, Yashti-madhu, Saindhava, Deva-ddru, As'va-gandhd and the seeds ol Mulaka and of Avalguja should be pasted together and cooked with a compound of milk, oil, clarified butter, lard, marrow and wax. This preparation should be applied lukewarm to the affected lobe in a case of the Paripotaka type. lo-ir.

Manjishthd, Sesamum, Yashti-madhu, Sdrivd, Utpala^ Padma-kdshtha, Rodhra, Kadamba and the tender leaves of the Vald^ Jambu and Amra (mango) should be cooked together with (an adequate quantity of) oil and Dhanyamla (Kdnjika). This oil proves curative in a case of Utpaita. 12.

Similarly (a medicated) oil cooked with Tdla patri, As'va-gandhd, Arka, Vdkuchi-SQQils, Saindhava^ Sarald^ Ldngaliy lard of a Karkata (crab) and of a Godhd. (a kind of lizard), proves beneficial in cases of Unmantha. The affected lobes should be washed (Sechana) with a decoction of the leaves of the As'mantaka, Jambu and Amra (in such cases). 13.

(a
kind of lizard), proves beneficial in cases of Unmantha.
The affected lobes should be washed (Sechana) with
a decoction of the leaves of the As'mantaka, Jambu and
Amra (in such cases). 13.

In a case of Parilehi, the afifected lobe (Pdli) should be dusted with powdered Prapaundarika, Yashtimadhu ^ Manjishthd and the two kinds of Haridrd after lubricating it with the oil cooked with the Kalkas of Ldkshd and Vidanga. It should be as well fomented with heated cow-dung and plastered with the lukewarm pastes of Vidanga alone, or in combination with Trivrit, etc, should be resorted to in cases of the affection being due to the concerted action of the vitiated blood and the Pitta.

* Sarala here means Dhupa-kashtha, according to Dallana.

p. 64

5o6 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XXV.

S'ydmd and Arka pasted together (with cow's urine\ or with the pastes of Karanja-SQQd, Ingudi seed, Kutaja and Aragvadha (pasted with cow's urine). Mustard oil cooked* with the admixture of all the foregoing drugs and with Markka, NimbaAQdiWQs and wax, proves efficacious as unguents (in such cases). 14-15.

In cases where the ear-lobes are affected and have become either thin, or hard, an ointment should be applied to them in order respectively to increase their growth, or to soften them. 16.

The marrow of a jackal and of an animal frequenting and living in swampy grounds (Anupa, such as a buffalo, etc.), together with lard; oil and fresh clarified butter, should be cooked with a quantity of milk weighing ten times their combined weight and with the drugs of the Madhura (Kakolyadi) group, Asva-gandhd and Apdmdrga and Ldkshd-Rasa (decoction or infusion of Lakshi). The oil thus prepared should be filtered and preserved carefully in an earthen pitcher. The affected ear-lobes should be constantly fomented and well-lubricated with it. The use of this medicated oil helps the growth of the ear-lobes and makes them healthy, soft, smooth, painless, evenly developed and capable of bearing the weight of ear-pendants. 17,

Treatment of Palita :— The expressed

juice of the Bhringa-rdja and (the decoction of) Triphald, powders of indigo leaves, ArjunahdLvk^ Bhringa-rdja, Pinditaka^ black-iron, flowers of the Vija and of Sahachara, Haritaki, Vibhitaka and Amalaka mh^^di together and pasted with a quantity of mud found adherent to lotus-bulbs weighing as much as the combined

* Dallana says that this oil should be cooked with cow's urine weighing four times as much as the oil.

Chap. XXV.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 507