Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

After the taking of meals-, one should drink a ‘karsha’ of the' ashes thus prepared, mixing it with wine, cream of curds,, hot water,, ‘sura’ and ‘asava,’

This medicine cures- diseases of the chest, dropsical swellings,, enlargement of the liver, abdominal tumours, piles, abdominaldropsy, ‘Visuchika,’ epistasis,. and hard abdominal tumours called ‘VatashtilS.’ 157-160

The ashes of the dung of goats should be boiled in cow’s urine- (of eight times their measure). The boiled product should then be: strained1 through a piece of clean cloth.

Into the liquid that is obtained, should be thrown the following,. viz., the roots of Pippali ( Piper longum), the five salts, the fruits of Pippali ( Piper longum ), Chitraka ( Plumbago Zeylanica), £unthi (dry ginger), Triphala (the three myrobalans), Trivrit ( Convolvulus Turpethum), and VachS {Acorus Calamus), the ashes of barley shoots, ‘Sarjjikshara (carbonate of soda), £&tala (a shrub otherwise called Charmakasha), Danti ( Baliospermum montanum), Svarnakshiri ( Cleome felina), and VishanikS (otherwise called Meshajringi, i. e., Asclepias geminata). The measure of each of these should be two tolas.

Pills or boluses should then be made of the size of jujubes.

CH ARAKA - SA M HIT A, .

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The boluses should be taken, with ‘Sauvira’ wine.* 161-163

The medicine mentioned above is beneficial in dropsical swellings,, in indigestion, and in even violent forms of that variety of abdominal dropsy which is characterised by accumulation of water. 164

Gruel made of the rice of ‘Shastika’ paddy macerated in cow’s urine, and boiled in milk, may be ‘given in copious measure to a person (afflicted with- abdominal dropsy).

The patient should, after this, drink the expressed juice of thesugarcane, "

This regimen alTays all varieties of abdominal dropsy.

In consequence of this treatment, the wind, bile, and phlegm become restored to their proper places in the system.

Thus attacked by a physician of skill, the excitement of theseis allayed. 165-167

When the stools become hard of a person afflicted with abdo¬ minal dropsy, the leaves of the following, viz., Trivrit ( Convolvulus Turpethum), £ankhini (A ndropogon aciculatum), Danti {Baliospermu m montanum ), Sudha (otherwise called Snuhi, i. e., Euphorbia neriifolid ), and Putika ( Basella Rubra), boiled in water, should be given to him to take before meals. *68

After this, when the stools have lost ther hardness without the faults having been completely allayed, the physician conversant with the scriptures should give unto him milk mixed with (cow’s) urine.

This drink is highly efficacious in allaying the lingering faults. l69

If the wind (becoming excited) generates pains in the flanks, or paraplegia, or afflictions of the chest, the physician should cause the patient to take the same oil with the ashes of (the fruits of) Vilwa (AEgle marmelos ). *7<»

Also cooking the same oil with the strained ashes of each of these, viz., Agnimantha ( Premna serratifolia), £yonaka ( Bignonia

* The drugs to be added should first be reduced to powder or pulv. Mixed with the strained liquid, these form a pill-mass. When boluses, again, are formed, they should be administered with'Sauvira’ wine.— T. -

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\CHARA K A-S AM HIT A.

Jndica), Palaga Butea frondosa ), sesame blades, Bala (Si da cordifolid), Kadali (Musa sapienta), and Apamarga (Ackyranthes asp era), the physican should administer it for alleviation of abdominal dropsy. This medicine alleviates also the chest-afflictions of such a patient that are born of excited wind. 171-172

If the patient afflicted with abdominal dropsy has his phlegm obstructed by the wind, or by the bile, or has his wind obstructed by both the phlegm and the bile, and if his strength has not been diminished, the physician should then administer to him the oil of castor-seeds, mixed with the medicines (already mentioned) that are alleviative of abdominal dropsy. Such oil is beneficial in cases of this kind. *73

If a patient, who has been sufficiently purged (by means of the medicines mentioned above), is again assailed by flatulence of the stomach, the physician should treat him with enemata, well oiled, consisting of acids and salts. r74

If it is the wind that being obstructed causes such flatulence, then the physician should treat the patient with keen enemata mixed with cow’s urine and (alkaline) ashes. !7S

If after administering all these medicines the physician finds that the abdomen has not been reduced and the three faults have . not been alleviated, he should then inform the patient’s kinsmen and well-wishers ar.d wives and Brahmanas and the king and preceptors that his condition has become very doubtful. He should continue the treatment, saying that, — ‘if treatment be stopped, death would be inevitable ; but if treatment be continued, death may or may not come.” Having said this, he should, with the permission of the patient’s well-wishers, administer to the patient poison, mixing it with his food and drink. 176-178