Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

or, the pulv of Triphala (the three myrobalans) and Vidanga \Embelia ribes) with the pulv of dry ginger and honey ;

or, the juice (decoction) of Vidanga {Embelia Ribes) and Plava (otherwise called Kaivarta-mustaka, i. e., the tubers of Cyperus pertenuis), 36

* Gangadhara takes ‘takrasiddhaih as connected with ‘Vyoshasya Nimbasya cha yushaih.’ So that ‘phalamlaih’ and ‘katubhih’ have no qualifying words.— T.

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or, the pulv of the seeds of Jamvu ( Eugenia Jambalana ) with that that of Vadara (jujubes), mixed with honey ;

or, the pulv of Karkata?ringi ( Rhus succedanea) with that of Musta (the tubers of Cyperus rotundus), mixed with honey ;

or, the pulv of Duralabha ( Hedysarum Alhagi), mixed with honey.

All these conquer vomiting characterised by (excited) phlegm. 37

One conquers even violent vomiting by licking the following :

The pulv of Manah?ila (realgar), with the juice of Phalapuraka (1 Citrus acida of the variety called ‘Taba’) ;

or, the pulv of the same with the juice of Kapittha (fruits of Feronia elephanturri) ;

or, the pulv of Pippali {Piper longum) and that of Maricha (black pepper), with honey. 38

The treatment of vomiting characterised by excitement of all the three faults is now indicated :

The courses of treatment laid down above for the simple varieties of the disease (that is, those born of each of the faults singly) should be combined by a physician conversant with (medical) science and and heedful (of its requirements), after intelligent ascertainment and careful observation of the disease, the season (of its occurrence), the measure in which each of the three faults has been excited, and the strength (or otherwise) of the patient’s digestive fire. 39

The treatment is now laid down of vomiting induced by contact with abominable objects of sense :

In vomititing caused by mental shock, agreeable discourses, con¬ soling and cheering speeches, well-known stories based on tradition, •(delightful) companies, beneficial diversions capable of exciting the sentiment of love : 4°

Diverse kinds of scents agreeable to the mind, of mangoe and other fruits united with flowers and earth,* agreeable pot-herbs,

* The expression ‘Mritpushpamraphaladinam’ is, rather, doubtful. Gangadhara m akes a mess of it in his commentary. Taking the words in their natural sense, the meaning

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agreeable kinds of food and drink, well-dressed ‘Shadavas’, ‘Ragas:, linctuses, 4* agreeable soups, meat-juices, ‘KSmvalikas’, ‘Khadas’, diverse kinds of meat and grain, that are edible, as also diverse kinds of fruits and roots endued with (agreeable) scent, colour, and taste, conquer the disease. 42

Scents, tastes, objects of touch, or sounds, or sights, that may be agreeable to the person though unassimilable, should be placed before him for alleviating his ailment ;

These easily conquer cases of vomiting arising from contact with abominable objects of sense.f 43

The treatment should first be made of the supervening ailments arising in vomiting, guided by what has been laid down in the lessons respectively devoted to them. If vomiting sets in with excessive violence, that treatment should be followed which has been laid down In the case of the excessive administration of purgatives. 44

In consequence of constant vomiting, as also of the waste of ■‘dhatus’, the wind as a matter of course, becomes aggravated. Hence, In vomiting that has continued for a long period, the cause of treat¬ ment should be such as is alleviative of the wind, that is, medicines that are ‘upasthambhana’s and ‘vringhanas’ should be administered. f45 The preparation called ‘Sarpiguda’ {ghee and treacle), the course of treatment called ‘kshiravidhi’ (the regulations under which milk is to be taken), ‘Kalyanaka-Ghrita,’ ‘Tryushana-Ghrita,’ ‘Jivana-Ghrita,’ such meat-juices as have aphrodisiac virtues, and the linctuses laid down, alleviate vomiting that has continued for a loug time. 46 ieems to be ‘of mangoes and other fruits united with flowers and earth.’ Certain kinds of ■earth yield a very agreeable scent. ‘Atar’ (otto) of earth is a fine scent. It would seem that vessels filled with mangoes and fruits citrus acida, and flowers and earth of agreeable smell are directed to he placed before the patient.

‘Kamvalika’ is prepared with cream of curds and sour soups. — T.

* In the second line, the reading of the Calcutta and the Bombay editions is ‘pragamaya tasyS.’ Gangadhara’s reading— ‘pragamo hi tasya’ is not so happy. He takes the particle *hi’ as equivalent to ‘yasmat’ or ‘since.’ As a matter of fact, objects that are agrroeable though they be unassimilable often cure nausea. — T.

t ‘Upashtambhanas’ are medicines that prevent waste. ‘Vringhanas’ are medicines that provoke nutrition and increase corpulency. — T.

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