Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Mons. A. Barth., Paris : — Your efforts to place within reach of the readers of ancient literature a work of so interesting a nature both of the Oriental scholars and to the men of medicine, are very praiseworthy, and I shall be happy to bring the work to the notice of the French public, or, at least, of those who take an interest in these researches.

Mons. B. St. Hailaire, Paris .— I praise you on your undertaking and wish you all success. The work is of interest to all learned men and to medical men, and the commentaries written on it prove its value and utility. I will put in a notice in the fournal des Savants as soon as I can and shall be happy to do you justice.

Professor H. Jacobi, Bonn University, Germany : — The work you have undertaken will interest Sanskritists as well as medical men who care for the history of their science.

I shall not fail to draw the attention of some eminent physicians whom I know personally, to the ancient work of Charaka.

Herr. R. Garbe, Prinzenstram Konigsbureh, Germany : — English trans! lion of Gharaka Samhita is, perhaps, at least from an historical point of view, the most ir,f*ortant work of the medical literature of your country.

Sir Alfred Croft, M. A., C. I. E., Director of Public Instruction, Bengal: — I have been greatly entertained as well as edified by the examination, in part IV, of all the things which a man-shall not 'do. A layman can understand the precepts and such a guide to life, cannot be other than Valuable.

WESSON XXI.]

CHARAKA-SAMHI7 A.

*59*

The symptoms that supervene are whiteness of the nails, eyes, face, skin, urine, and stools. 4°

Indulgence in food (and drink) and practices laid down in the enumeration of the causes from which the disease springs aggra¬ vates it.

Indulgence in food and practices that are the reverse of those mentioned, alleviates the disease.

Even these are the indications of phlegm-born Erysipelas. 4*

[The causes and the symptoms of Erysipelas born of wind and bile are now laid down.]

Exceedingly provoked by their respective causes, the wind and the bile, gaining strength from each other, causing burning speedily beget Erysipelas on the body. 42

The following are the symptoms :

From the violence of the burning which the patient feels, he thinks that his whole body is covered with burning coal.

He is, again, excessively afflicted with vomiting, diarrhoea, swoons, burning of the skin, partial loss of consciousness, fever, that variety of asthma which is called ‘Tamaka,’ a sensation of fracture of all the bone-joints, thirst, disgust for food, indigestion, or a sensation of wounds inflicted with heavy clubs. 43

Those districts of the body which are afflicted by the disease, present the colour of a dead coal (z. <?., a blackness like that of coal), or excessive redness ;

It is also covered with boils that present a charred aspect. 44

In consequence of the quickness with which it spreads, it affects the vitals speedily.

When the vitals are afflicted, the wind, becoming exceedingly strong, breaks down the limbs (z. e., produces the sensation of the limbs being broken)

Thus provoked, the wind overwhelms (stupefies) the consciousness, . It causes also hiccup and asthmatic breathing, sj It destroys sleep. 45

*° Without sleep and with consciousness almost stupefied his mind becomes pained. He does not feel ease or comfort anywhere or at any time.

p. 201

5 592

'CHJKITSA S THA NA .

fVISARFA,

No place or seat satisfies him.

He tosses on his bed, constantly wishing to change his situation.*

When his agony becomes excessive, he speedily falls asleep, and 'his slumber becomes so deep that he can with difficulty be awakened from it. One afflicted with such Erysipelas, which is called fiery Erysipelas, should be regarded as out of treatment. 46

Provoked exceedingly by their respective causes, phlegm and bile, cause Erysipelas to spread locally.

They cause the affected district to be drenched with foul matter. 47

The symptoms of the disease are as follow :

Fever characterised by a sensation of cold, head-ache, burning of the skin, a sensation of the body being wrapped round with a wet blanket, langour of the limbs, sleep (at day time), drowsiness, stupe¬ faction of the mind, disgust for food, delirium, loss (or weakness) of the digestive fire, loss of strength, a sensation of the breaking of the bone-joints, swoons, thirst, a sensation of obstruction of the ducts (such as of the throat, the anal canal, &c.), dulness of the senses, the evacuation of undigested stools, tossing of the limbs, fretfulness or dissatisfaction with everything, and mental anxiety.

This variety of Erysipelas generally arises in the ‘amagaya’ (that is, that part of the stomach where the food eaten goes first).

Another characteristic is that it becomes local (that is, affects a single part of the body). 48

In that district of the body where this variety of Erysipelas sets in, pimples appear that are red or yellow or pale, or of the complexion of ‘mechaka’ (z. e., smoke, hence, dry and dark), filthy, oily, of great heat, heavy (in the sense of solid), slightly painful, and ■swollen.

These take time in suppurating ; have no discharges ; and they soon become foetid. 49