Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Having first corrected the system by means of purgatives and the rest, and administering gruels and other kinds of light food, the patient should be given milk to drink so that he may gain strength. Milk should be continued till the patient feels the inclination to vomit. Indeed, it should be stopped when the patient has got an accession of strenth. 61

Verily, when the patient’s digestive fire is enkindled, he should have soups and meat-juice, mixed with a small measure of some acid and salt.

If, however, flatulence again appears, the patient should again be treated with oils, and subjected to some process of ‘sweda’ for indu¬ cing perspiration. When these are over, he should have dry enemata administered unto him. 62

If there is presence of a thrilling sensation in the abdomen, and distension and contraction, and if there is pain in the joints, the bones, the flanks, and the back, and if, while these symptoms manifest them¬ selves, the patient’s digestive fire remains strong, and if the intestines be constipated, and his constitution becomes dry, the physician should treat him with oily enemata. 63

As regards dry enemata (that may be recommended), these should consist of the ten roots mixed with such drugs as are keen purgatives.*

As regards oily enemata, such should be selected as are: destruc¬ tive of the wind, boiled with some sour articles, and mixed with castor-oil or the oil of sesame seeds. 64

Those who are weak, or old, or of tender years, or of delicate constitution by nature, or in whom the faults have not been agravated, or whose digestive fire burns strongly, should be regarded or unfit for purgation. 65

The physician possessed of wisdom should treat such persons with such alleviatives or (medicated) ghees, soups, meat -juice, and

* ‘Adhobhaga’ or, rather, 'adhobhagahara,’ is a technical term- meaning a purgative. Gangadhara’s reading ‘yuktasya’ is incorrect. It should be ‘yuktSsyat.’— T.

CHA RA KA-SAM HI TA.

p. 1346

suitable diet, as also by administering enemas, oils, &c., for rubbing the body with, oily enemata, and milk.* 66

In the case of one afflicted with dropsy born of excited bile, if his strength remains undiminished, he should at the outset be treated with purgatives. If, however, he happens to become weak, oily enemeta should be administered at the outset and the patient should then be treated with enemas using milk. 67

When the patient’s strength, body, and digestive fire are restored, medicated oils should be administered to him and, after this, he should once more be purged.

As regards the purgatives that should be used in such cases, they are as follow :

Milk boiled with the paste of Trivrit ( Convolvulus Turpethuvi), or milk boiled with the seeds of Uruvaka {Ricinus Communis ), or milk boiled with Ratals, (otherwise called Charmakasha), or with TrSyamSna ( Ficus heterophylla ) ; or with Aragbadha ( Cassia fistula ).

If in this disease the presence be marked of excited phlegm, milk boiled with cow’s urine should be used.

If there is presence of excited wind, ghee boiled with bitter drugs should be used. 68-69

In the last two varieties of bile-born dropsy, after purging the patient (with such purgatives), milk should be given to drink. After this, enemata and purgatives should once more be resorted to.

The careful physician should, by having recourse to these methods alternately, conquer the disease, {viz., bile-born dropsy). 7°

In the case of a patient afflicted with phlegm-born dropsy, oils and ‘sweda’ and correctives should be first administered He should next be allowed such food and drink, mixed with articles that are pungent and alkaline, as are destructive of phlegm. 7i

* In this verse the Rishi lays down the coarse of treatment for those who are unfit for purgation.

‘Qamana’ means alleviatives, consisting of such things as medicated ghees, soups of Phaseolus Manga, &c. — T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1347

Indeed, phlegm-born dropsy should be conquered with drinks consisting of cow’s urine and different kinds of ‘Arishtas’ (vinous spirits), as also with powders in which iron prevails, also with alkaline drinks, and drinks consisting of medicated oils. I2

In dropsy caused by excitement of all the faults, all the courses of treatment laid down above (for the simple varieties) should be adopted.

If, however, supervening symptoms (of a painful nature) appear, the case should be avoided by a physician possessed of wisdom. 73

By epistasis, pain, and suppression of urine, supervening in (enlargement of) spleen, the physician should know that it is the wind that has been excited : by loss of consciousness, thirst, burning, and fever, (supervening in the same disease), the physician should know that it is the bile that has been excited ; by heaviness (of the body), disgust for food, and hardness, (supervening in the same disease), the physician should know that it is the phlegm that has been excited.

By all these symptoms appearing together, the physician should know that all the faults have been excited together.