Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

t Krichcchrat’ is correctly explained by Chakrapani as implying ‘qighram,’ i. e., frequently. Some of the Bengali translators take it as implying ‘painfully.’ The correct reading is ‘anchayitwa’ and not ‘munchayitwa,’ although Chakrapani is for the latter. — T.

§ This Lesson is called ‘Yasya gyava-nimittiyam,’ or, as some texts have it, ‘yasyagyaviyam,’ after the first word of the first (or following) verse. Short poems or sonnets.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 905

The physician possessed of knowledge should regard the dis¬ ease of that patient to be fatal whose eyes have become brown, or green, and have fallen down (from their usual place).* 2

The physician of wisdom should avoid that man as one the period of whose life has run out, who, when afflicted by various diseases, becomes unconscious and whose mouth has become dry. 3 That man whose nerves have become green, and the pores of whose body have become closed (so that no perspiration appears on his skin), dies of vitiated bile if he feels a hankering after food and drink possessing an acid taste. 4

Phthisis kills that man the ends or extremities of whose body seem to thrive and assume a healthy complexion but the other parts of whose body become dry and wasted, and whose strength also decreases.-]- S

Of one who is afflicted by consumption, the following are regarded as fatal signs, viz., heat in the shoulders, hiccup, vomiting of blood, epistasis, and pains in the sides.J 6

The man who is afflicted by distempers brought about by excited wind, he who is afflicted by epilepsy, he who is afflicted by leprosy, he who is afflicted by dropsy, he who is afflicted by abdominal dropsy, he who is afflicted by abdominal tumour, he who is afflicted by diabetes, and he who is afflicted by phthisis, — all these should not be taken up for treatment if they have lost strength and flesh. If afflicted by other diseases as well, the physician should avoid them (upon loss of strength and flesh). § 6-7

If a person whose epistasis has been removed by purgatives or songs are very generally named in this way. The Eighth Lesson has been named in the same way. — T.

* ‘Qyava’ is brown ; ‘harita’ is green. It is evident, therefore, that the two words are to be taken disjunctively. ‘Vidhwasta,’ meaning fallen down, applies to both cases. — T.

t ‘Anta’ implies end or extremity. ‘Qariranta’ mean hands and feet, face with nose and ears, &c. — T.

t Some texts read ‘darQanam’ for ‘ccharddanam.’ The latter is evidently the correct reading.

‘Heat in the shoulders’ implies that the other parts of the body are cooler.

All deep-seated pains go by the name of Quia.— T.

§ Some texts read ‘rakti’ for ‘sophi.’ ‘Rakti’ implies one who is afflicted by bilious hemorrhage. ‘Sophi’ implies one that is suffering from dropsy or dropsical swellings in general. ‘Udari’ is one afflicted by abdominal dropsy in particular. In the last line.

p. 906

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

becomes afflicted by thirst, and if one,. after being purged, becomes subject to flatulence, they should both be regarded as already dead. 8'

That person does not live who is incapable of drinking water or milk, or any other liquid, when his mouth, throat, and chest are dry.* 9

The physician should predict the dissolution of that man in whom he notices a weakening of the voice, loss of strength and complexion, and an aggravation of the disease without any (appa¬ rent) cause. 10

The physician endued with intelligence should forsake that man whose breath moves in only the upper regions of his body, whose body has lost all heat, who has got deep-seated pains in his groins, and who does not obtain ease by any means, n

The physician should avoid from a distance that man who often exclaims in a broken voice that his death is near, and who hears sounds that do not existf 12

Atri’s son regards the life of that man whose disease disappears at a time when he is very weak, to be very doubtful.

If his kinsmen with bows and prostrations implore the physi¬ cian to take up his treatment, the latter should, without adminis¬ tering any correctives, direct that he should be treated with, the (nourishing) juice of meat. ,

If in course of even a month no improvement takes place, he should be directed to have the juice of diverse other kinds of meat. (No medicine, however, should be given). His life is exceedingly difficult to save. I3-IS

The wise are of opinion that the period of life has run short of that man whose spittle, faeces, and vital seed sink in water: id

He in whose spittle diverse colours are seen occurring sepa¬ rately, and whose spittle sinks in water, does not live long.* 1 1 some texts read ‘madeshu’ or ‘anyeshu.’ The sense then would be — ‘in other diseases of even a mild form, &c.’ It should be remembered, however, that loss of strength and flesh in other diseases of a mild form is not generally regarded as a fatal indication. Hence, ‘anyeshu’ seems to be the correct reading. — T.