Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

t The Calcutta and the Bombay editions read ‘madhurasyatvam,’ meaning ‘the presence of a sweet taste- in. the mouth.’— X

CHAR AKA -SAM HIT A,

p. 1457

Destroying then the vigour of the senses, their energy, and their power, as also the ‘ojas,’ it quickly generates ‘Pandu’ which is des¬ tructive of strength and complexion. 28

The eye-balls, the cheeks, and the eye-brows swell. The feet, the navel, and the (male) organ of generation also become swollen.

Worms are begotten in the intestines. The patient evacuates stools that are liquid and copious, and that are mixed with bl'ood and phlegm (mucus).* 29

That chlorosis which has become old, and which, in consequence, of the time that has passed (since its generation), has caused all the. ‘dhatus’ to be dry, becomes- incurable.

The disease also of the person whose eye-balls, &c., become: swollen, and who sees all things as possessed -of a yellow hue, isincurable.f 3°

That person attacked by chlorosis who frequently evacuatesstools that are hard and small in quantity and that- are of a green, colour and mixed with phlegm (mucus), or who has become prostrated and cheerless, or whose body is entirely overtaken by a paleness of hue, or who is afflicted by vomiting, swoons, and thirst, or that person seized by chlorosis who, from loss of blood, has; become white of complexion, does not live. Thus have been declared the indications of the five varieties of the disease known as chlorosis.! 3i-32 t ‘Kharibhutan,’ i. e„ all the ‘dhatus’ of the person (in consequence of the age of the disease) become dry. Their oiliness disappears.

* The second half of the first line is read differently in the Calcutta and the Bombay editions. The sense, however, remains the same. — T.

‘Quno na’ means the man whose eye-balls, &c., have become swollen. — T.

$ ‘Owetatidigdhangah’ means ‘one whose body has been entirely overtaken by white¬ ness (paleness) of hue.’

‘^wetatvamapnuat’ is one who has become white (pale) through loss of blood as stated immediately before. — T.

CHARAKA-SA MHITA .

145s

The bile of that person seized by chlorosis who copiously indulges in things that provoke the bile, (becoming exceedingly provoked', bums up the blood and the flesh and generates the disease called ‘Kamala’ (anaemia). 33

In this disease {viz., ‘Kamala’), the eyes and the skin and the nails and the face become exceedingly yellow.

The stools and the urine become either red or yellow.

The complexion becomes like that of the frog. The organs of sense become (as it were) lost.* 34

One seized by ‘Kamala’ becomes afflicted with a burning sensa¬ tion of the skin, indigestion, weakness (prostration), langour of the limbs with cheerlessness of mind, and disgust for food.

This disease, called ‘Kamala’ is characterised by predominance of the bile.

This disease is regarded as of two varieties, viz., i. that which has the ‘koshtha’ (stomach) for its seat, and 2. that which has the juice, the blood, &c., for it's seat. 35

That ‘Kamala’ which, in consequence of Its age, dries up the ‘dhatus,’ is called the ‘Kumbha-kamala.’ It is very difficult of cure.

The stools and urine of a person afflicted with this disease be¬ comes- black, or yellow, and swellings appear in all his limbs. 3&

Or, his eyes, face, stools, urine, and the matter vomitted, be¬ come red.

That person afflicted with this disease who becomes subject to swoons, manifests such symptoms as burning of the skin, disgust for food, thirst, epistasis, drowsiness, and loss of sense ; 37

The person afflicted with ‘Kamala’ who loses his senses as also his digestive fire, is soon overtaken by death.

I shall now declare what the treatment is of those varieties of this disease which are curable and which are otherwise. 3«

/. e., the organs lose their power, or become exceedingly weakened.— T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1459

One afflicted with chlorosis should be treated (for the correction of his faults) with such drugs as are oily and keen and as are pos¬ sessed of emetic and purgative virtues.

One afflicted with ‘Kamala’ (anaemia) should be treated with pur¬ gatives that are bitter in taste and possessed of mild virtues. 39

Unto them whose stomachs have (by these means) been corrected, the physician should give proper regimen, consisting of old ‘£ali’ rice, with (old) barley and wheat (flour), mixed with the soup of the seeds of Mudga (Phaseolus Mungo) and Adhaki [( Cajanus Indica) and Masura (Czcer lens) and other pulses, as also with the meat-juice of wild animals, both of which are beneficial.

Especial medicines also should be administered that are prescrib¬ able in the particular faults excited. 40-41

Unto persons afflicted with ‘Kamala’ and ‘Pandu,’ th z ghee called ‘Kalyanaka,’ or ‘Panchagavya,’ or ‘Mahâtikta,’ should be administered for oilifying them.* 42

DADIMADYA GHRITA.

Take a ‘kuclava’ of Dadima ( Punica Granatum , the husk of the fruits being taken), half a ‘kudava’ of Dhanya (coriander seeds), one pala from Chitraka ( Plumbago Zeylanica ), one pala from (^ringavera (dry ginger), and an ‘ashtamika’ (equal to a ‘karsha’ or two tolas) of the fruits of Piper longum. 43

With the paste of these should 32 palas of ghee be boiled, adding an ‘adhaka’ (equal to 8 seers, in practice 16 seers are taken) of water.