Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

a. Some texts omit this word. ‘Qmkta’ means a sour preparation known as ‘Achara.’ It is a kind of sauce that is manufactured chiefly from the raw mango and ripe tamarind fruits.— T.

b. ‘Kuvara’, or, as some texts read, ‘ICuvala’, is a larger variety of ‘Kola’ or jujubes. One of the Bengali translators wrongly takes it as another form of the word ‘Tuvara’ mean¬ ing an astringent substance. ( Vide ‘Amarakosha, Colebrook’s, pp. 35 and 401, footnotes). — T.

c. Jujubes. Zizyphus jujuba, Lamk.

d. A kind of pot-herb.

e. A species of pigeon.

f. Dolichos bijlorus, Roxb. syn. Dolichos unijlorus, Lamk.

g. Sesame seeds pounded into a paste with water.

h. Eugenia Jambolana, Lamk.

i. A variety of Artocarpus Lakoocha, Roxb. called also ‘Lakucha.’

j. A variety of pickles.

p. 946

CHARAKA-SAMH1TA.

body, stools, urine, perspiration, saliva, secretions from the nose, those from the mouth, those from the ears, those from the eyes, as also of the pimples and other eruptions on the body, pains in every part of the body, and repeated dreams of frightful forms that are luminous, or red, or blue, or yellow, or dark in colour.

These are the incubatory symptoms of blood-bile.* 5 The following supervening symptoms are always to be seen, viz., weakness, disgust for food, indigestion, difficulty of breathing or asthma, cough, fever with diarrhoea, consumption, dropsical swellings with or without inflammation, jaundice, and hoarseness of voice. 6 The blood-bile has two courses or paths, one is upwards ; and the other, downwards.

In bodies in which the phlegm predominates, the blood-bile, in consequence of its contact with the phlegm, moves upwards, and finds egress through the ears, or the nose, or the mouth.

In bodies in which the wind predominates, the blood-bile, in con¬ sequence of its contact with the wind, moves downwards, and finds egress through the urinary and fecal ducts.

In bodies in which both the phlegm and the wind predominates, the blood-bile, in consequence of its contact with the phlegm and the wind, moves along both the paths. Moving along those paths, it finds egress through all the organs or outlets of the body.j- 7

Here it should be stated that that blood-bile which escapes through the upper outlets of the body, is capable of cure, in consequence of the facility of treating it by means of purgatives as also for the many medicines that are capable of administration. 8

That blood-bile which escapes through the lower outlets of the body, is capable of being suppressed (not cured) since it may be treated by means of emetics and since there are not many medicines that are prescribable in it.J 9

* The whole of this passage is vitiated in most editions by many incorrect readings. Gangadhara, I think, gives it correctly. I adopt his readings. — T.

t The normal course of the phlegm is upward ; while that of the wind is downward. Hence, when the blood-bile comes in contact with the phlegm, it escapes through the outlets in the upper part of the body ; when it comes in contact with the wind, it escapes through the outlets in the lower part of the body. When, again, it comes in contact with both the phlegm and the wind, it escapes through the organs or outlets in both the upper and the lower part of the body.— T.

t The blood-bile escapes through the upper outlets of the body or the lower ones. If it escapes through the upper ones, purgatives are to be administered, as these may change its upward into a downward course. There are sis centuries of purgatives. That blood-bile

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 947

That blood-bile which escapes through both the upper and the lower outlets of the body is incurable, since neither purgatives, nor emetics, can be administered, and there being no medicines that are suitable.* i°

Verily, the provocation of blood-bile came into existence, after the appearance of fever, in days of old, on the occasion of the obstruction of Daksha’s sacrifice, for assailing living creatures whose bodies and life-breaths had already been pervaded by the fire born of the wrath and fury of Rudra.f 11

Efforts should be made for the speedy cure of this grave disease whose progress is rapid and which overtakes a person with the fury of a forest-conflagration.

The physician should, with concentrated faculties, treat this dis¬ ease, carefully observing the measure (of the medicines to be admi¬ nistered), the seat of the ailment as also the habitat of the patient, the season when the ailment has appeared, as also the age of the patient.

which escapes through the lower outlets of the body requires to be treated by means of emetics. This latter may alter its downward course into an upward one ; emetics, however, are not many. Hence, blood-bile escaping through the upper outlets is curable, while that escaping through the lower ones is only suppressible. — T.