Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Physicians conversant with the subject call those Piles that are characterised by predominance of (excited) wind and phlegm to be dry. They call those, again, that are characterised by hemorrhage and excited bile to be discharging and wet. 67

I shall, first, speak of the treatment of dry Piles. Those (amogst these) which are paralysed (i. e., possess no sensation), and which are endued with swelling and severe pains, should have fomentation (sweda) applied to them. 68

Anointing the Piles first with oil cooked with Plumbago Zeylanica, the ashes of green barley shoots, and the bark of ZEgle marmelos , fomentation should be applied with balls of barley (pounded), or of the seeds of Phaseolus radiatus (pounded), or of the seeds of Dolichos biflorus (pounded), or grainless paddy bound loosely in a piece of cloth or iron bullets or pieces of stones similarly bound ; or with balls of cowdung or ass’s dung or horse-dung, or sesame paste, or of the husk of paddy and other grains, or of Acorus Calamus , or of dill seeds, all agreeably warm and mixed with oil or ghee ;* 69-70

Or, with balls of fried barley pounded into pulv, unctuous with oils and ghees, or with balls made of radishes, or with those made of (the bark of) Moringa pterygosperma (Sobhfinjana or Krishnagandha) ; or with balls made of Vanda Roxburghii ; or with balls made of ‘Habusha’ ; all these being rendered unctuous with oils and ghees, and agreeably warmed ;

* The fomentation is directed to be made with balls or with ‘pottalis’ of the diverse articles mentioned. Those which can be easily pounded are to be pounded and made into a ball ; while as regards some of the articles, they are to be bound loosely in pieces of cloth. Even the balls of the pounded articles require to be enclosed or wrapped round with pieces of clean cloth. These are all directed to be cooked in glut or oil. They require to be heated before they are applied. — T.

38o

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

Or, with the pulv (loosely bound in a piece of cloth) of bricks (burnt earth) ; or with the seeds of Ptychotis Ajowan (of the Persian species) similarly bound ; or with the leaves of garlics ; the fomenta¬ tion with these last mentioned should be made after anointing the Piles with the oil of Aplotaxis auriculata. The Piles may also be sprinkled over with decoction of the leaves of Justicia Adhatoda, or of Ricinus Communis , or of JEgle marmelos ; 71-73

The patient, if there be severe pains in the Piles, should be first rubbed with oil and then made to bathe in the decoction of the leaves of radishes, or of the Capparis trifoliata, or of Premna serratifolia , or of Moringa pterygosperma, or of Coleus Amboinicus.

Or, such a patient may be (after being rubbed with oil) made to bathe in the decoction of (dried) jujubes while agreeably hot ; or in the wine called ‘Sauviraka’ ; or in thin gruel of rice ; or in the decoction of the root-bark of AEgle marmelos ; or in whey ; or in the ‘manda’ of curds ; or in sour ‘kanjika’ ; or in cow’s urine agreeably hot. 74-76

The Piles may also be annointed with the adeps of the black cobra or of the boar, or of the camel, or of the domestic bat called ‘charmachataka’, or of the cat.

The fumigation of Piles is also beneficial. It should be made with the following, viz..

Human hair, the cast off sloughs of snakes, the skin of cats, the roots of Calatropis gigantea, and the leaves of Mimosa suma.

Fumigation, with the following articles, is beneficial to Piles charac¬ terised by severe pains.* 77-78

Coriandar seeds, Embelia Ribes, Pinus deodara , and ‘atapa’ rice, and ghee ;

Solanum Indica , Pkysalis flexuosa, Piper longum , the leaves of Ocimum Sanctum, and ghee ; 79

The dung of the boar, the dung of the ox, the pulv of fried barley, and ghee ;

* Gangadhara- says that all these articles are to be taken in equal proportions and pounded together.— T,

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

3Sr

The dung of the elephant, the exudation of Shorea robusta, ■‘Silarasa,’ and ghee :

All these are used in fumigating Piles, such fumigation being beneficial. 80

The milk of Euphorbia nerrifolia , mixed with the pulv of Curcuma longa, forms a good plaster (for Piles).

Another beneficial plaster consists of the fruits of Piper longum and the pulv of Curcuma longa, pounded together with the bile of the cow.

The seeds of Sirisa, ( Mimosa Sirissa ), Kushtha (A plotaxis auriculata ), Pippalya ( the fruits of Piper longum ), ‘Saindhava’ salt, treacle, the milk of Arka ( Calatropis gigantea ), the milk of Sudha ( Euphorbia neriifolia), and the three myrobalans, form another plaster that is beneficial-in Piles. 81-82

The fruits of Pippalya ( Piper longum ), Chitraka (Plumbago Zeylanica), Syama (Ichnocarpus frutescens), the seed called Kinva (which is used in producing fermentation), the seeds of Madana (Randia dumetorum), the dung of fowls, the pulv of HaridrS ( Curcuma louga ), constitute another plaster. 83