Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

When the faults [viz., wind, bile, and phlegm), become excited separately, or in combinations of two, or all together,; and, overtaking the dhatu called ‘Rasa’ (food-juice), displace the digestive fire from its place, and cause an increase of the heat of the body by mingling together the natural heat of the body and the heat of the digestive fire, and obstructing all the ducts of the body (which bear the urine, the stools, the sweat, and other impurities), and becoming more excited still, seize the whole body and generate more heat in it (than before), then the entire body of the person becomes heated and * he is said to be assailed by Fever. 125-126

Very generally, in the acute stage of fever, in consequence of the obstruction of the ducts (which bear urine, stools, sweat and other impurities), and of the digestive fire being forced out of its place, a person does not get much sweat. 127

Disgust for food, incapacity to digest, heaviness of the stomach, impurities in the chest, drowsiness, sloth, intensity and absence of intermission of fever, non-escape of the faults, discharge of salivary secretions, nausea, loss of appetite, filthiness of the mouth, stupefac¬ tion and loss of touch and heaviness of the body, copiousness of urine, presence of undigested matter in the stools, and cheerlessness (of both mind and body), — these are the symptoms of immature fever. 128-129

Hunger, weakness, lightness of the limbs, mildness of the fever, escape of the faults, and the eighth day, — these are the symptoms of fever that is mature.* :3°

In acute fever one should avoid these, viz., sleep at day time, baths, rubbing the body with oils, heavy food, sexual congress, indulgence in wrath, breezy spots, physical exercises, and all food and drink that are of an astringent taste. 131

* The. eighth day is one of the symptoms of mature fever, for before that day the fever is not regarded as having become mature. — T.

CHAR A KA-SA MHITA.

niS

Fast is laid down as observable at the outset in fever except the the following kinds of fever, viz., that fever which is born of the loss of some ‘dhatus,’ that fever in which the wind is predominant, that fever which is born of fear, that which is born of wrath, that which is born of lust, that which is born of grief, and that which is born of labour and fatiguing toil. 132

When the fault that is excited is attenuated and when the digest¬ ive fire is stirred up by fast, the disappearance of the fever, lightness of the body, and appetite are brought about. *33

The physician should treat one who is afflicted with fever with such fast as is not hostile to strength. Cure, for (compassing) which the course of operations (called Treatment) exists, has . strength for its basis.* *34

Fast, the administration of diaphoretics, time, gruels (of barley and other grains), and things with a bitter taste, — these are the means which help the digestion of the immature (or undigested) faults in acute (or immature) fever.f *35

In fever caused by (excited) wind and phlegm, warm water should be given (for drink) unto the patient when he feels thirsty.

In fever caused by drinking alcohol, as also in that caused by (excited) bile, the decoction of bitters, when cool, should be given to the patient when thirsty .J :36

Both these kinds of water are capable of kindling the digestive fire, of digesting (the undigested faults), of alleviating fever, of cleans¬ ing the ducts, of infusing strength (into the system), of causing a relish for food, and of producing perspiration. 137

* What is stated here is this : the physician, in prescribing fasts should take care that the strength of the patient is not undermined. Of strength it is further said that it forms the ‘adhishthana’ or basis of cure ; for cure is nothing else than the renovation of strength.

‘Kriya’ means ‘operations’, and ‘krama’ is course or successive steps. ‘Kriyakrama’ means treatment. — T.

t ‘Pachanas’, literally digestives, are those medicines which cause the digestion of the undigested faults. Among ‘pachanas,’ time is an efficacious one. The influence of time on cure, it will be seen, was known to Hindu physicians of ancient times.— T.

I As mentioned in Verse 138 below, the" bitters, usually used, are ‘Musta’ {Cyperus rotundus), Kshetraparppati’ ( Oldenlandia biflora), ‘Bena-mul’ (roots of Andropogon rnuricalum), ‘Ralctachandana’ ( Plerocarptis santalinus), Bala {Pavonia odorata), and the pulv of dry ginger, — T.

CHARAKA-SAMH1 TA.

1 1 16

Water boiled with ‘Musta’, ‘Parppataka’, ‘Ushira’, ‘Chandana’, ‘Udichya’, and ‘Nagara’, and rendered cool, should be given as a drink for alleviating thirst and fever.* 138

When the fever-creating faults of persons who deserve to be subjected to vomiting, are predominated by phlegm, when they have their seat in the ‘amacaya’ and are propelled upwards, they should be alleviated by administering emetics at the proper time. J39