Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Langhana leads to increase of the digestive fire and of the wind. It is this increase of fire and wind that dries up a fault when it has been excited slightly and when, therefore, it is possessed of little strength. — T.

§ The remedy in the case of the faults excited to a measure that is more than slight and less than much, (that is, when the degree of excitement is of middling proportions) is the administration of both Langhana and Pachana. Such faults are then dried up, as a piece of water that is not large is dried up by the hot rays of the sun and by the wind, assisted by clouds of dust and ashes. Langhana operates like the former ; Pachana like the latter. — T.

CHAR A KA-SA M HIT A.

p. 491

Of persons whose faults have been excited to a great degree, it is necessary to drain out the faults.

Verily if the bounding dams of a water-basin are not breached, the water (within it) cannot be drained out.

The operation of draining out the faults is (to be effected by) similar (means).'2*

Of diseased persons of the following kinds, even when the fit time for it comes, a draining out of faults, or administration of any other medicine, should not be attempted.

They are —

(1) one that is not disposed to remove the cause of censures directed to oneself,

(2) one that is very poor,

(3) one that has no attendants (nurses) to look after him,

(4) one that is full of pretensions regarding his own skill as a physician,

(5) one that is of a fierce temper,

(6) one that is envious of other people,

(7) one that is exceedingly addicted to unrighteous acts,

(8) one that is exceedingly weak in strength, flesh, and blood,

(9) one that is suffering under an incurable disease, and

(10) one in whom the symptoms of the near approach of death have discovered themselves.

By treating a patient of any of these kinds, the physician incurs both sin and infamy. 63t

* The ‘Avasechana’ of excited 'doshas’ or faults implies their draining out. The means adopted is the administration of correctives such as emetics and purgatives, and application of oils, &c. (vide Lesson XXII, Sutrasthanam).

'Kedara1, as used here, does not mean a field or meadow, but a water-basin.

‘Setu’ is a dam or embankment. — T.

t The reasons, from a Hindu point of view, for not treating these kinds of men, are all cogent. As regards those men that are undisposed to provide against the evil opinions entertained of them by others, it should be said that they are wedded to their vices ; for it is by leaving off their vices that they can silence the calumnies of friends and foes. A confirmed sinner like such a

p. 492

CHAR A KA-SA MHITA.

Here occur some verses.

That region where water and trees do not occur plentifully, where the wind blows strongly, and which is much exposed to the heat of the sun, is called a jdngala region.

person should not I be treated. A wholesome dread of public opinion charac* terises every good man.

The objection to treat one that is very poor is based on his inability to con¬ form to the instructions of the physician. Such a man cannot have a room like to what the physician would advise him ; he cannot have beds and clothes and diet, &c., of the kind prescribed.

Hence, treatment in his case can never be effectual. Then, again, the Hindu Scriptures regard a poor man as suffering misery only in consequence of the sins of a past life. Such a man is a great sinner. Poverty is the result of sin. Even Manu says that poor men should be driven off the place where sacrifices are performed or offerings made to the deities and the Pitris. In another place Manu says : — the poor, the blind, the deaf, should not be given any portion of the offerings made at Qraddhas. Their death would be a relief to them. The world does not lose anything by the disappearance of poor men from it.

It should, however, be remembered that these injunctions with regard to the poor do not apply to Brahmanas. With the latter, poverty is a merit, for it is adopted from choice. To the credit of the Hindu Scriptures it should be said that there are other places where injunctions occur about giving to the poor.

In the Mahabharata there are many passages laying down this obliga¬ tion. The objection to treat a person who has none to attend upon or nurse him, is founded upon a similar reason.

With regard to one that is full of pretensions about his own skill as a physi¬ cian, the objection io treat him arises from his absence of faith in the efficacy of the measures proposed or prescribed. Then, again, such a patient is sure to interfere with the physician attending upon him. Also, if cured, he will ascribe the cure to the adoption of his own suggestions by the attending physician, thereby denying just fame to the latter.

A wrathful man should not be treated. Such a man, impatient of re¬ covery, may call in a new physician. He may even injure the^attending physician by wrongly imputing absence of knowledge and skill to him.