Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Then also the confusion that sets in through disorders born of undigested food, the food the patient takes anew, and me,dicine (administered by the physician), in consequence of its potency as a cause, suddenly destroys the life of the sufferer whose digestive fire is weak and who is already afflicted and strengthless.24*

Again, of all disorders born of undigested food, the alleviation happens through only abstention from food

If a portion of the complaint still remains ( notwithstanding the adoption of this method of treatment ), then for conquering the disorders of the person that has been made to abstain from food, the physician, disregarding medicines whose operation is contrary to the cause, should administer such medicines as are contrary to the symptoms of the particular disease under treatment.

In the conquest of all diseases, physicians possessed of skill desire such medicines as are contrary to both the original cause as also the symptoms ( of those diseases ), or contrary to either of them.25 when disorders caused by undigested food have already taken place, how is the patient to be treated ? The answer is, that no medicine should be ad¬ ministered if the food in the stomach is still undigested. Indeed, the physician should wait for some time ; till, in fact, digestion has taken place and and the food has passed from the ‘amaoaya’ to the ‘koshtha.’ I have rendered both the words as ‘stomach.’ The first, however, means that division of the stomach in which the food eaten first finds its way ; while the second means that apart¬ ment of the stomach into which the food passes in its second stage.-- T.

t By ‘Apatarpana’ is meant the reverse of ‘Santarpana’. The latter implies the use of such medicines and diet as are of sedative or cooling, as also nutritive, effects. Hence, ‘Apatarpana’ is abstention from such food and such medicines. ( Vide Lesson XXI, Sutrasthanam, p. 233 ; particularly, the last note in p. 336). Here ‘Apatarpana’ has been used in a limited sense, for it means only fasting. This treatment stands to reason, for when disordesr

* In the previous aphorism, it has been said that one afflicted by ‘5maprodosha’ should never take any medicine when the food he has taken has not been digested. Here the consequence is shown more plainly of the taking of food and of medicine by one who is suffering from ‘amaprodosha’. The original ailment, the new food taken, and the medicine administered before such food is digested, together form a cause of power or potency which brings on immediate death ; the patient being already weak and of a weak appetite, succumbs to death more readily. — T.

CH A RA RASA M HI TA.

p. 469

Of oile in whom the disorders born of undigested food have hot yet been developed, as also of one in whom such disorders having already shown themselves have attained the stage of fnaturity, the treatment that should be followed, when the digestive fire is not weak, consists of the judicious adoption of these, viz., the nibbing of (medicated) oils, enemata dry or oily, and drinking of oils agreeably to the ordinances governing the practice.

This, howevet, should be done after a careful and proper survey of the especial circumstances connected with the faults (i. e., the precise measure of excitement which wind, bile, and phlegm have undergone), medicine, place, time, strength, food, suitability (of food and drink and medicine to the constitution), constitutional peculiarity, Nature., and age or years, as also the character of the diseases themselves.26* have been generated by undigested food,- the patient, instead of taking more food, should practise abstinence. Absolute fast may not be prescribed. What is wanted is light food taken sparingly.

There are two kinds of treatment, viz., (1) ‘Nimltta-viparitam’ and (2) ‘atanka-viparitam’. The first means such treatment as is addressed to removal of the original cause of the disorder treated ; the second means such treatment as seeks to alleviate the Symptoms and thus effect a cure generally.

Wise physicians seek to use such medicines as are contrary to both the cause and the symptoms. If there be no such medicine, only then they select such as are alleviative of either the cause or of the symptoms. Both methods are scientific. — T.

* ‘ Anudriktamapradosha ’ is one in whom the disorders born of undigested food have not yet manifested themselves or are in an incipient state. ‘ Paripakkadosha ’ is one in whom the faults of ‘ ama ’ or undigested food have, through either time or treatment, become ‘ cooked ’ or brought into a stage near cure.

What the Rishi says is that with regard to both those classes of persons the treatment indicated here should be followed. That treatment consists of the use of oils for rubbing, of enemata dry or oily, and the drinking of oils agreeably to the ordinances already laid down in Sutrasthanam.