The Sushruta Samhita — trans. Bhishagratna

Milk is congenial to the organism of a chiid, i e., it is its proper food Hence in the absence of sufficient breast-milk, the child should be given the milk of a cow or of a she-goat in adequate quantities. 39.

In the sixth month of its birth the child should be fed on light and wholesome boiled rice. A child should always be kept in an inner apartment of the house, and religious rites should be performed on its behalf for the propitiation of evil deities, and it should be carefully guarded against the influences of evil stars. 40.

Symptoms when a malignant star, etc., strikes :— The child looks frightened and agitated, cries, becomes unconscious at times, wounds himself or its nurse with its teeth and finger-nails, gnashes its teeth, crooks, yawns, or moves its eye-brows with upturned eyes, vomits frothy matter, bites its lips, becomes cross, passes loose stool mixed with shreds of mucus, cries in an agonised voice, becomes dull in complexion, becomes weak, does not sleep in the night, does not suck the breast as before, or emits a fishy, bug-like or mole-like smell from its body — these are the general symptoms exhibited by a child under the influence of a malignant star or planet which will be specifically described later on in the Uttara-Tantra 41.

Education and IVIarriage : -The education of a child should be commenced at a suitable age and with subjects proper to the particular social Varna or order it belongs to. On attaining the twenty-fifth year he should marry a girl of twelve. A conformity to these rules, is sure to crown him with health, satisfaction, progeny and a capacity for fully discharging the religious rites and paying off his parental debts. 42..

Chap. X.J SARiRA StHANAM. 2^$

IVIetrical Texts :— An offspring of a girl below the age of sixteen by a man below twentpjr-five is usually found to die in the womb. Such a child, in the event of its being born alive, dies a premature death or else becomes weak in organs (I ndriyas). Hence agirl of extremely tender age should not be fecundated at all. An extremely old woman, or one suffering from a chronic affection (of the generative organ), or afflicted with any other disease, should not be likewise impregnated. A man with similar disabilities should be held likewise unfit. 40-44.

An extremely old woman, or one suffering from a chronic affection (of the generative organ), or afflicted with any other disease, should not be likewise impregnated. A man with similar disabilities should be held likewise unfit. 40-44.

A foetus, on the point of being miscarried on account of the above-mentioned causes, produces pain in the uterus, bladder, waist (Kati), and the inguinal regions (Vamkshana) and bleeding. In such a case, the patient should be treated with cold baths, sprays of cold water and medicated plaster (Pradeha) &c., at the time, and milk * boiled with drugs constituting the Jivaniya group, should be given to her for drink. In case of unusual movements of the foetus in the womb, the enciente should be given a drink of milk boiled with the drugs of Utpalddi Gana^^QX soothing and making It steady in its place. 45.

A foetus being displaced from its normal position produces the following symptoms, viz , pain or spasms in the back and the sides (Pars'va), burning sensation, excessive discharge of blood and retention of urine and fceces A foetus changing place or shifting from one place to another, swells up the abdomen (Koshtha). Cooling and soothing measures should be adopted in such cases. 46.

* Jivaniya drugs two Tolas, milk sixteen Tolas and water sixty-four Tolas, to be boiled and reduced to sixteen Tolas, ?'.(?., to wtight of the milk,

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p. 234

Medical Treatment :— in a case of pain

46.

* Jivaniya drugs two Tolas, milk sixteen Tolas and water sixty-four Tolas, to be boiled and reduced to sixteen Tolas, ?'.(?., to wtight of the milk,

p. 30

p. 234

Medical Treatment :— in a case of pain under the circumstances, the enciente should be made to drink a potion consisting of milk boiled with Mahdsdha, Kshudrasahdf Madhuka flower, S'vadanstrd and Kantakdri, mixed with sugar and honey. In the case of retention of urine, the patient should be made to drink a potion of milk boiled with drugs known as the Ddrvddi Gana (mixed with sugar and honey). In the case of A'naha (retention of stool attended with distention of the abdomen), a potion consisting of milk boiled with asafetida, Sauvarchala salt, garlic and Vacha (mixed with honey and sugar) should be given. In cases of excessive bleeding, linctus made of the powdered chamber of a Koshthdgarika insect * , Samangd^ Dhdtaki flowers, Navamdlikd, Gairika, resin and Rasdnfana, or of as many of them as would be available, mixed with honey, should be licked. In the alternative, the bark and sprouts of the drugs known as the Nyagrodhddi Gana mixed with boiled milk should be administered, or a Kalka of the drugs of the Utpaladi group mixed with boiled milk should be used, or a Kalka of S'aluka, S'ringataka and Kas'eru mixed with boiled milk should be given. As a further alternative, the enciente may be made to eat cakes made of powdered Sali rice with the decoction of Udumbara fruit and Audaka-kanda, mixed with honey and sugar. A piece of linen or a plug soaked in the expressed juice of the drugs of the Nyagrodhadi group should be inserted into the passage of the vagina. 47.

In a case of pain unattended with bleeding, the enciente should be made to drink a potion composed of milk-boiled with J/<^<//////^^(Yashtimadhu), Devaddm and

* There is a kind of insect which makes its chamber with earth generally under the ceiling or on the walls. This earth should be used.

p. 235

Payasyd ; or with As'mantaka^ Satdvari and Payasyd ; or with the drugs of the group of V iddrigandhddi Gana ; or with Vrihati, Kantakdri, Utpala, S'atdvari, Sdrivdy Payasyd and Madhuka (Yashtimadhu). These remedies speedily applied tend to alleviate the pain and make the foetus steady in the womb. 48.