An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita, Vol. I: Sutrasthanam — trans. Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna (1907)

The milk of a woman is cold and sweet, leaving an astringent after-taste. It proves beneficial as an errhine and acts as a good wash in eye diseases. It is wholesome, vitahsing, light and appetising. The milk of a she- elephant is sweet though it leaves an astringent after-taste. It is spermatopoietic, heavy, demulcent, cooling and tonic. It invigorates the e5'esight.

The milk of a she-animal, milched in the morning, is heavy, cold and takes a long time to be digested owing to her entire repose (literally want of physical exercise or locomotion) during the night, when cooling attributes preponderate. Similarl)^, the milk milched in the evening is found to be possessed of refrigerant and eye-invigorating properties. Moreover, it restores the bodily Vayu to its normal condition owing to the physical labour undergone by the animal in the day time, exposed to the ra3's of the sun and the currents of free air. Cold or unboiled milk is extremely heavy, and serves to increase the slimy secretions of the organs, whereas by boiling it is freed from those injurious traits. But this rule does not hold good in the case of woman's milk, which is wholesome in its natural or unboiled state. Freshly milched warm milk should be regarded as extremely wholesome, which, being cooled down, loses its efficacious virtues and becomes unwholesome. On the contrary, over-cooked milk is heavy and fat-making 55

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(lit : — imparting stoutness to one's body). The milk, which emits a fetid smell, or has become discoloured and insipid, or has acquired an acid taste and looks shreddy and curdled, or tastes saline, should be regarded as Unwholesome and injurious.

The Curd-group :— There are three kinds of curd such as, the sweet, the acid, and the extremely acid curd. Milk curd generally leaves an astringent after-taste. It is demulcent and heat-making in its potency, as well as spermatopoietic, vitahsing and auspicious. It proves curative in Pinasa (nasal catarrh), intermittent fever (Vishama Jvara, dysentery, nonrelish for food, difficult urination, and general cachexia.

Metrical Text :— Sweet curd greatly increases the slimy secretions of the organs and the quantity of fat and Kapham in the body. Acid curd deranges the Pittam and the Kapham^, while the extremely acid curd vitiates the blood. Curd, which has been not perfectly curdled (Mandajatam) is acid in its (digestive) chemical reaction, acts as an inordinately strong purgative and diuretic agent, and deranges the three fundamental humours of the body.

Curdled cow's milk is demulcent, sweet in digestion, appetising, srength- increasing and acrid. It subdues the bodily Vayu and imparts a relish to one's food. Curd prepared with the milk of a she-goat is light,

Chap. XLV.] SUTRASTHA'NAM. 4^5

and subdues the deranged Pittam and Kapham. It proves curative in Vata and wasting diseases, and is a good appetiser. Its beneficial effect is witnessed in cases of piles, dyspncea and cough. Curd, prepared with the milk of a she-bufFalo, is sweel in digestion, and spermtopoietic. It pacifies the deranged Vayu and Pittam, and serves to augment the normal quantity of bodih' Kapham. It is specifically a demulcent substance. Curd prepared with the milk of a she-camel is pungent in digestion. It is found to be charged with alkali, and is heavy and a purgative. A continued use of curdled camel's milk proves curative in Vata, piles, cutaneous affections (Kushtha), worms in the intestines, and abdomimal dropsy. Curd prepared with the milk of a ewe proves aggravating in derangements of the Vayu and Kapham, as well as in cases of piles. It is sweet in taste and its chemical reaction increases the slimy secretions of the organs, and tends to derange the bodily humours. Curd, prepared with the milk of a mare, is appetising. It proves injurious to the eyes, and tends to augment the bodily Vayu. It is pajchifying and hot in its potenc}^ and is astringent in taste. It diminishes the secretions of stool and urine. Curd prepared with the milk of a womin is demulcent, sweet in digestion, tonic, pleasant, heavy, and specially beneficial to the eyes. It subdues the deranged humours and is specially efficacious in its virtues, and is the best

4-6 THE SUvSHRUTA SAMHITA, fChap. XLV.