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

Fruits such the Karira, Akshaka Pilu and Trinashunya have a sweet, bittei and pungent taste, and are heat-making in their potency. They subdue the Vayu and Kapham. Of these the Pilu has a bitter and astringent taste. It generates the Pittam, acts as purgative, is pungent in digestion, keen, heat-making and oily. It subdues the "\'ayu and p Kapham. The Arushkara and Tauvaraka fruits have an astringent taste, are pungent in digestion, heat-making in their potency and prove curative in cases of worms in the intestines, fever, constipation of the bowels (Anaha) and Meha. Fruits such as, the Karanja, Kinshuka, and Arishtaphalam (Nimva) are vermifugenous and pungent in digestion, and prove curative in , cases of Leprosy, Gulma (internal tumour). Ascites, Piles and Prameha. The Vidanga ^ fruit produces a state of dr3ness in the body, is heat-making in its potency, light, and pungent in digestion, subdues the Yayu and Kapham and is slightly bitter and anti-toxic. The Abhaya (Chebulic Myrobaians) proves curative in cases of ulcers, is heat-making (in its potenc)'), and acts as a purgative, tends to reduce corpulency and subdues the deranged humours. It is appetising and invigorating to the eye-sight, has an acid and astringent taste, and proves curative in oedema and

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cutaneous affections. The Aksham fruit is possessed of purgative properties, is light (of digestion), and produces a state of •dryness in the organism. It is heatmaking in its potency, produces hoarseness Aphonia), is a vermifuge and is beneficial to the sight, h^is an astringent taste, is sweet in digestion and subdues the Pittam and Kapham. The Puga fruit subdues the Pittam and Kapham, produces a state of dryness in the organism, cleanses the mouth of all secretions and impurities, has a slightly sweet and astringent taste, and is possessed of laxative properties. The fruits and vegetables such as the Jatikosha, the Jati Phalam, the Kataka Phalam the Kakkolakam, Lavauga and the Karpura etc., have a bitter pungent taste, subdue thirst and Kapham, are light in digestion, and remove bad odours from the mouth and cleanse it of all impurities. The Karpura has a shghtly bitter taste, is aromatic, cooling in its potency, and light in digestion. It is possessed of liquefacient properties and is specially recommended in dryness of the mouth and fetid breath. The Lata-Kasturika is similar in its virtue to the Karpura and is cooling and both laxative and diuretic. The pith of the Piyala fruit has a sweet taste, is spermatopoietic and subdues the Vayu and Pittam. The pith (the kernel found inside the seeds) of the Vaibhitaki fruit is intoxicating and subdues the deranged Vayu and Pittam. The pith or the kernel of the Kola fruit has an astringent sweet

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THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [ Chap. XLVl.

taste, subdues the Vayu and Pittam allays thirst and alleviates nausea and vomiting. The kernel of the seed of the Amalaka resembles the last named pith in its properties. The kernels of such fruits as the Vijapuraka, Shampaka and Koshamra are sweet in digestion, appetising, demulcent, and subdue the Vayu and Pittam. These kernels of seeds should be regarded as possessing identical properties as the pulps of the fruits from which they had been extracted. All fruits with the exception of Vilva are efficacious in their ripe and matured condition. The latter (Vilvas) have been enjoined to be eaten unripe for medicinal purposes as well as with a view to derive a greater efficacy from iheir use. Unripe Vilvas are astringent and appetising in their eftect, heat-making in their potency, and have an astringent-pungent-bitter taste.

Fruit, which is bliglited or that affected by any other disease or that which has grown in an improper season, or raw or over-ripe, or worm-eaten, should be lejected as unfit for use. Here the description of the fruit- group is ended.

The group of Potherbs :— Now we shall deal with the properties of potherbs. The fruits of such creepers as tlie Fushpaphala, Alavu and Kalindak destro}^ the Pittam, generate the Vayu, and slightly produce the Kapha m. They tend to increase the discharge of the stool and urine, and are sweet in taste and digestion.

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