The Sushruta Samhita — trans. Bhishagratna

Chap. IV ] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 293

should be generally adopted by a patient suffering from Vata-roga 20.

The Tilvaka-Ghrita :— A paste (Kalka) of the following drugs, viz, Trivrit, Danti, Suvarna-kshiri, Saptald, S amkhini^ Triphald and Vidariga, each weighing an Aksha vtwo tolas\ and Tilvaka- roots and Kmnpillaka^ each weighing a Vilva (eight tolas), a decoction of Triphala and curd, each weighing two Patras '■'' ^^thirty-two seers) and clarified butter, weighing sixteen seers, should be duly cooked together. Medical authorities recommend this Tilvaka Ghiila as an oily purgative in cases of Vata-roga. As'oka-Ghrita and Ramyaka-Ghrita aie prepared in the same manner, (viz., by substituting As'oka and Ramyaka respectively for Tilvaka). 21.

The Anu-Taila:— The log of a long-standing wooden oil-mill should be cut into small chips and then thrashed and boiled in water in a large cauldron. The globules of oil that will be found floating on the surface of the boiling water should be .'^kimmed off either with the hand or with a saucer. The oil thus collected should then be cooked with the Kalka of Vayu-subduing drugs as in the preparation of a medicated oil. This oil is known as the Anu-Taila- The use of this oil has been advised by medical authorities in cases of Vdtaroga. This oil is so named from the fact of its being pressed out of small chips of oily wood (as described above). 22.

The Sahasra-paka-Taila :-The wood

of drugs belonging to the group of Maha-pancha-mula should be collected in large quantities and burnt on a

* Palra means 64 Palas, i e., 8 Seers, but in cases of liquids the weight should be doubled,

294 THE SUSHRUTA SAMIIITA. [Chap IV.

[Chap IV.

plot of land, so as to make the soil black. The fire should be kept buniing one whole night ; on the following morning on the extinction of the fire the ashes should be removed and the ground, when cool, should be soaked with one hundred Ghatas (six thousand and four hundred seers) of oil cooked with the drugs of the V id di'i-gandh a di gj'oup d^nd with, the same quantity of milk and kept in that condition for one night more. On the next morning the earth should be dug up, down to the stratum found to have been soaked with the oil and the soil should then be dissolved in warm water in large cauldrons for the purpose. The oil that will be found floating on the surface of the water should be skimmed off with both hands and kept in a safe basin. Then the decoction of the Vayu-subduing drugs (the Bhadra-darvadi group), meat-juice, milk, fermented ricegruel (each taken in a quantity measuring a quarter part of that oil) should be taken one thousand times and each time should be boiled with the oil. Vayusubduing and aromatic drugs and spices, in the northern (^trans-Himalaya) and southern (Deccan) countries, should be thrown into it and boiled with the oil. The boiling should be completed within the period during which it could be properly done. Then after the completion of tne cooking, conch-shells should be blown, Dundubhis should be sounded, umbrellas should be held open, ehowries should be blown into it and a thousand Brahmins should be treated with repasts. The oil so sacredly prepared should be stored carefully in golden, silver or earthen pitchers. This oil is called the Sahasrapatka-Taila and is of irresistible potency and fit even for the use of kings. Satapa(ka-Taila is also prepared in the above manner (with the aforesaid ingredients) by cooking it one hundred times only. 23.

chap. IV.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 295

Satapa(ka-Taila is also prepared in the above manner (with the aforesaid ingredients) by cooking it one hundred times only. 23.

chap. IV.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 295

The Patra-Lavana :— The green leaves of the Eranda plants and those of the trees known as Mushkaka, Naktamdla, Atarushaka, Piiiika, Aragvadha and Chitraka should be thrashed with (salt of equal quantity) in an Udukhala (a hand thrashing mill) and placed in an earthen pitcher, saturated with oil or clarified butter. Having covered the mouth of the pitcher with a lid, it should be plastered and burnt in fire of cow-dung. The medicine thus prepared t^with the help of internal heat) is called the Patra-Lavana. Medical experts advise the application of this medicine in cases of Vata-roga. '^4.

The Kanda-Lavana ".—Similarly, Snuhitwigs, Brinjal (Vdrtdku), and 5' 4'"'''^- bark (taken in equal parts) and rock-salt (of equal weight as the entire drugs) should be thrashed and kept in a pitcher. Oil, clarified butter, lard and marrow should be added to it equal in weight with salt and then having covered the mouth of the pitcher with a lid, it should be plastered and burnt in a fire of cow-dung (as before). The use of this medicated salt which is called the Kanda- Lavana or Sneha-Lavana is recommended by experts in Vata-roga. 25.

The Kalyanaka-Lavana :— The following drugs with their roots, leaves and twigs, viz,, Gandira^ Paldsa, Kutaja, Vilva, Arka, Snuhi, Apdindrga, Pdtald, P dribhadra^ Nddeyt, Krishnagandhd Nipa, Nimba, Nirdahani, Atarushaka, Nakta-mdlaka, Putika, Vfihati, Kantikari, Bhalldtaka, Ingudi, Baijayanti, Kadali, Varshdbhu, Hrivera^ Kshuraka, Indravdruni, S vet amoks haka and Asoka should be gathered in a green condition and mixed with (as large a quantity of) rock-salt and having thrashed them in an Udukhala should be burnt in a hermetically sealed pitcher as tg6 THE SUSHRUTA SAMIIITA. [Chap. iV.

above, after which it should be filtered (twenty times) and boiled in the manner of alkaline preparations At the close of the boiling, powders* of the drugs of the Hingvddi or Pippalyadi group should be mixed with it. This medicine is called the Kalsiynaka-Lavana and is specially efficacious in all cases of Vata-roga and is applicable both in food and drink in cases of Gulma, enlarged spleen, impaired digestion, indigestion, haemorrhoids, intestinal worms, aversion to food and cough. 26 .