Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Constitutional Inflammations may also arise from some of the varieties of Leprosy, Itches, and Pidakas, or from suppression of the urgings of nausea or vomiting, of sneezing, of eructations, of semen, of wind, urine, and stools. They may also arise from the various kinds of skin diseases and in a person who has been very much afflicted and emaciated by hunger or fast.7

Constitutional Inflammations may also be due to suddenly eating food that is very heavy or very sour or very saltish, or pounded or sodden food, or fruits, or potherbs, or unripe mangoes dressed with sugar and oil, curds, vegetables, wines and alcoholic spirits, all kinds of bad food, paddy that has put forth sprouts or is very new, paddy of the variety called £uka and also of the variety called £ami, and meat of animals living in marshy regions and also of aquatic animals. Such Inflammations may also arise from one’s eating (burnt) earth or clay or dry clods of earth or anything that is exceedingly saline. They are also due to injuries to the uterus, or very ■ premature abortions, or improper administration of diet and defective observance of prescribed rules of conduct

* *; Samsarjana’ means the use of proper or prescribed diet after the administration of oils and Swedana, emetics and purgatives,

CHA RA KA-SA MHITA .

p. 203

soon after delivery, or aggravation or excitement of wind,, bile, and phlegm, through causes already enumerated.*

These, however, are all general causes of Constitutional In¬ flammations.8

In this connection, the following are the particular causes. In consequence of one’s having taken food that is cold or unoily or light or poisonous, or of one’s having been exceedingly afflicted and emaciated by toil and hunger or fast, or of one’s having undergone an administration of correctives without attend¬ ing to prescribed rules, the wind being excited prevails over the skin, the flesh, and the blood, and brings about Inflammation. f

Such Inflammations appear quickly and disappear as quickly.

Inflammation generated by excitement of the wind presents a brown or a red color or the same color as that of the skin itself. It appears on the same part of the body and does not change its locality. It is attended with a throbbing pain. It presents a stiff and hard surface, and is dry. The skin is seen to burst. With respect to the hair growing on the spot, one feels as if these are being torn out or extracted by the roots. Sometimes the part seems to be wounded with some cutting weapon. Sometimes the pain seems to resemble that of violent strokes or cuts of a cane or a supple stick.

Sometimes the patient feels as if he were being constantly pricked with needles.

Sometimes the patient feels that ants are moving up and down within the inflamed part. Sometimes the sensation is like to what is produced by the application of a mustard plaster. The inflamed

* ‘Raga,’ the Commentator explains, is used for ‘ Ragashadava,’ which is a pre¬ paration of unripe mangoes with sugar and oil. It is used chiefly as a sauce.

Burnt earth, clay, and dry clods of earth, in consequence of being a little saltish, are very much liked by particular men and women. Hindu women, when quick with child, and when the usual nausea sets in, every day eat large quantities of burnt and dry earth. As to clay, I have never seen or heard any one eating it. — T.

‘Nava9uka &c.,’ seems to be the correct reading, and not ‘ Yavacuka &c/' — T.

t Instead of ‘ framopavasati &c.,’ some texts read ‘ dhumopavasati &c.’

‘ Kshapana’ is explained by the Commentator as ‘ Vamanadibhirdoshakshapanam.’ — T.

p. 204

CHA RAKA-SA MHI TA.

part may sometimes be seen to contract and shrivel up, and some!- times its extends and covers a larger area.

Even this is what happens in the case of Inflammations caused by excitement of the wind.9

In consequence of eating food that is hot, pungent, bitter, alkaline, and saltish, or food that is undigestible, or of exposure to the heat of fire or the sun, the bile, becoming excited, prevails over the skin, the flesh, and blood, and brings about Inflammation.

Such Inflammation appears quickly and disappears as quickly.

Its color becomes dark, or yellow» or blue, or coppery. It becomes hot to the touch and soft also. The hair that grows on the inflamed part becomes tawny or coppery in hue.

The part seems to burn, or become the seat of afflicting pains. Vapours seem to rise from it. It becomes also very hot, and cover¬ ed with sweat. Secretions sometimes issue out of it. It cannot bear any kind of warmth or heat.

Even this is the nature of Inflammations caused by excitement of bile.1®