Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

At that time, the child’s head comes downwards.

When she has reached this stage, she should be placed uppn a bedstead, and directed to strain (for expelling the child).

The well-disposed women in attendance upon her should then whisper into her ears the following Mantras :

May Earth, Water, Ether, Fire, Wind, Vishnu, and Prajapati, always protect thee that art with child in thy womb !

May they see that thou art delivered of thy burden ! O thou of fair- face, do thou, without pain, . bring forth a happy child endued with the splendour of Kartikeya, and may the god, Kartikeya, protect that child !

a. Saussurea auricalata j syn, Aplotaxis auriculata , DC.

b. Elettaria Cardamomum.

c. Gloriosa Superba, Linn.

d. Acorus Calamus, Linn.

e. Plumbago Zeylanica, Linn.

f. Pongamia glabra , Vent., syn. Galedupa Indica , Lamk. g Betula Bhojapatra, Walld.

h. Dalbergia Sissoo, Roxb.

45°

CHARAKA SAMHITA.

Even this (is what we direct) !**

She should then be directed by the women - endued with the aforesaid qualities who are in attendance upon her in this way :

Do not strain when there are no pains !

. She who strains when the pains have ceased finds her exertions fruitless !

The offspring brought forth by such a one becomes deformed and afflicted with diseases, or these diseases (in especial) may come upon an offspring, viz., asthma, consumption, phthisis, and enlargement of the spleen. Just as one, however one may try, does not succeed in bringing about the urgings for, sneezing and eructations and wind and urine and stools, before the urgings therefor come in course of nature, or if one succeeds, by strong efforts, in bringing on the urgings for those acts, one only exposes oneself to various diseases, even so is the case with a woman who indulges in straining before the exact time comes for delivery.

As the suppression of the urgings. for spittle and the rest becomes productive of injury, even so is the avoidance of strain¬ ing when the time has come for delivery.

She should be addressed (by the women in attendance) in these words : Do thou bear thyself as we say.

Desirous of following their advice, she should at first strain gently, and then with greater force.

While she indulges in such straining, the women in attend¬ ance • should exclaim, — Delivered, Delivered ! Praise, Praise ! It is a such child !

At these words, her heart will be filled with joy.!5

When the woman has delivered, some one amongst the women in attendance should see whether the placenta has come out or not.

If the placenta has not come out, some one among the attending women should forcibly press with her right hand the part, just above the navel, of • the woman who has just delivered, supporting her the while by the left hand placed against her back, and continuously give her a good shake.

Her loins should also be pressed by some one using her heels.

Her lips also should be seized and pressed with force.

The (end of the) braid of the hair on her head should also be inserted into her mouth.85

Then taking up some leaves of Be tula Bhojapatra and

'CEARAKA SAMH1IA

Kashamani and the cast off slough of a snake, these should be set on fire and the vapour applied to the genital organ • of the woman that has delivered.

Or, taking the paste of Kushtha (a), and Taliga- ( b ), and dissolving it in the decoction of Valwaja ( c ), or the yeast of Maireya (d), or the decoction of Kulattha (e), or that of Mandukaparni (/) and Pippali (g), it should be given to the woman to drink.87

Also the paste of Sukshma-Ela (It), Kilima (z), Kushtha (/), Nagara (k), Vidanga (l), Kala-vit (in), Gura (n), Chavya (o), Pippali ri>), Chitraka (q), and Upakunchika ( r ) , dissolved in the yeast of Maireya or in any of the decoctions mentioned before, may be given to her to drink.

Or, cutting off the right ear of an old bull-ass, and pounding it on a stone, throw it into any of the aforesaid decoctions, viz., of Valwaja and the rest ; then taking it up after a brief space of time, the decoction (from which it is taken up) should be given to the woman to drink.*88 a. Saussurea auriculata j syn. Aplotaxis auriculata, DC.

b. Pinus Webbiana, Lindl. . syn. Abies W ebb iana, Loud.

t. Intperata cylindrica ; syn. Saccharum cylindricum , Lamk.

d. A Variety of wine. :It should be noted that ‘ Suramanda’ implies the yeast of wine or the froth or scum that comes to the top of any vinous liquor in course of fermentation.

e. Bolichos uniflorus, Lavik j syn. Dolichos biflorus , Roxb.

f. Hydrocotyle Asiatica, Linn. Gangadhara takes Mandukaparni here, on what authority it does not appear, as indicating Danti ,i. e.,Baliosperum montamm ; syn. Croton polyaruirum, Roxb.