Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

or marrow or oil or milk or fat or ‘vesavara’ (/. e., meat divested of bones and boiled and reduced to paste and mixed with treacle and ghee)f or the colour which is deep blue, or that which is deep red, or that which is deep black, or that which is as limpid as clear water, or that which is dark blue 'resembling the hue of the breast of a Khanjana or Motacilla alba\ or that of matter which is excessively oily, or that which is greenish, or that which is as brown as that of the leaves of Indigofera tinctoria , or that which is variegated (i. e., consisting of diverse pus) ; 32 or, that which is muddy, or that which, is slimy.

The stools are thready (seem to consist of threads). On them appear eyes like those that are on the plumes of the peacock.

They have the smell of a corpse, or of putrified matter, or of pus,* or of raw fish.

Flies are seen to cover them within a short time.

The stools appear also to be the liquefied form of many ‘dhStus’ mixed together (such as blood, food-juice, flesh &c.).

The quantity varies, for sometimes it is scanty and sometimes it is copious. 33

' The supervening ailments are thirst, burning, fever, vertigo, the sight of darkness all around, hiccup, and asthma.

• The evacuations are accompanied by pain or painlessness.

Inconsequence of constant evacuations, the rectum falls out or becomes inflamed and suppurates.

The rectum having fallen out becomes incapable of being reduced, (or restored to its usual position).

The mouth of the rectum remains unclosed (or open).

The strength, the flesh, and the blood of the patient all become exceedingly weakened and reduced.

All the joints and bones become afflicted with pain.

The patient manifests disgust for food, and cheerlessness in general (br dislike for everything).

CHAR A K A- S AM FT IT A.

®54^

Delirium and swoons manifest themselves.

The patient suddenly looks like one that has no ailment's.'

Diarrhoea with such supervening, symptoms should be regarded as' Incapable of treatment or cure. 3%

Even these are the indications of Diarrhoea born of the simulta.- iieous excitement of all the faults.

Diarrhoea born of all the faults- excited together should' be .known! as incurable.

As long, however,, as- it does not become incurable, it should be treated.*

The treatment should be based upon an examination^ of ‘Hetuf (cause), ‘Upagaya’ (diagnosis by experimental administration of medicines and diet), and the fault or faults excited, the symptoms, that may be regarded as principal being taken up first. 35.

There are two other varieties of Diarrhoea (besides the four men¬ tioned above). These are regarded as Accidental. Both of themarise from mental causes. They are Fear-born and Grief-born.

The characteristics of both are similar to that of the variety which is wind-born- 3&

The wind becomes quickly provoked1 by fear and grief.

Hence, the treatment of diarrhoea born of fear as also of grief should be such as is alleviative of the wind.

The patient should be sought to be made cheerful,, and; consola¬ tions should be offered to him. 37

Thus having explained the six varieties of diarrhoea, I shall speak of the treatment of these which are curable, in due order. Listen, to what I say 1 3s

Of him whose accumulated faults, provoked by food which causes .a burning sensation, generate diarrhoea, the faults, should be expelled by administering purgatives. 39

* That is, as long as all or many of the symptoms do not manifest themselves, this variety ef diarrhoea should not be regarded as incurable. Hence,' its treatment should be taken upws Continued while there is hope of cure. — T. •

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

*54/

[The commentators explain that' if the bowels of such a person are moved of themselves, nothing should be done to check the evacu*- ations. Purgatives should be administered only to them whose bowels are not moved.]

Unto one afflicted with diarrhoea in which the evacuations are mixed with undigested food, such medicines should not be admi¬ nistered at the outset which operate to stop the evacutions, since the (evacuation of the accummulated) faults, checked at the outset, generates many ailments. 4°

[What is said here is this : when the accumulated faults begin to be evacuated, in acute diarrhoea, the evacuation should never be checked, since by checking them at the outset many other ailments are brought about.]

These are dropsical swellings, the disease called chlorosis, enlarge¬ ment of the spleen, leucoderma (and other skin diseases), abdominal tumours, abdominal dropsy and other ailments, fever, tetanus, tym¬ panites, flatulence of the stomach, lienterie dysentery, and piles.

Hence, when the stools, without becoming adherent, begin to be evacuated of their own motion, they should be allowed to do so (without-check).

When, however, they come out in small quantities, the paste of Abhaya (chebulic myrobalans) which has purgative virtues, should be administered.

if the faults are thus expelled, the stomachic ailment becomes alleviated.

The body becomes light, and the digestive fire becomes en¬ kindled. 4i-43