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

dried state it is sweet in digestion, acts as a demulcent, allays thirst, and alleviates the burning sensation of the skin. It has a slightly bitter and pungent taste, tends to subdue the deranged humours of the body and purifies, its internal channels. Jamvira is digestant, sharp and acts as a vermifuge. It subdues the Vayu and Kapham, and is aromatic, appetising and pleasant. It tends to remove the bad taste in the mouth, and alleviates cough, dyspnoea and diseases due to the action of the deranged Vayu and Kapham or due to poison. The Surasa generates the Pittam, reHeves the colic and pain at the sides, while the Sumukha is said to be possessed of the same properties with the exception that it neutralises the effects of poisons brought about through the chemical combination (of several incompatible substances in the organism). The herbs known as the Surasa, Arjaka and Bhustrina destroy the Kapham, are light of digestion, and tend to produce a state of parchedness in the organism. They are demulcent, generate the Pittam, and are heat-making in their potency and pungent in taste and digestion. The herb called the Kasamardaka has a bitter and sweet taste. It subdues the Yayu and Kapham, is a digestant, cleanses the throat and specially subdues the Pittam. The Shigru has a pungent, alkaline, sweet and bitter taste and generates the Pittam, while the Madhii- Shigru variety is laxative, has a bitter and pungent taste; is appetising and removes oedematous swelling of the

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body. The Sarshapa herbs, as well as those known as Gandira and Vega, can be but imperfectly digested. They tend to suppress the discharge of stool and urine, produce a state of dryness in the organism, are sharp and heat-making in their potency, and serv^e to derange the three fundamental humours of the body. The herbs called Chitraka and Tilaparni are light (of digestion), and subdue the Kapham and oedema. The herb known as the Varshabhu subdues the Vayu and Kapham. It proves beneficial in cases of oedema, abdominal dropsy and piles. The Mulaka-Potika has a pungent bitter taste. It is pleasant, appetising, light and throat- cleansing, tends to impart a greater relish to food, and subdues the action of all kinds of deranged humours. Raw or immature Mulaka of the larger species is heavy in digestion and long retained in the stomach in an undigested state. It is irritating and lends to produce a derangement of tlie three humours of the body, while boiled with oil or butter it acts as a denmlcent and subdues the ^'ayu, Pittam and Kapham.

Dried Mulaka subdues the action of the three deranged humours. It is anti-toxic and light (of digestion). All dried herbs with the exception of the preceding one generate the Vayu and take a long time to be digested.

The properties described in connection with the Mulaka bulb in its different stages of growth and 65 su

THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XLVI.

conditions can also be attributed to its flowers, leaves and fruits respectivel3\ Mulaka flowers subdue the Pittam and Kapham, while their fruit subdues the Vayu and Kapham. Rasona is demulcent, i heat-making, sharp, pungent, slimy, heavy and ] laxative. It has a palatable taste and is tonic, spermatopoietic, and tends to improve the voice, intellect *. and complexion and to bring about an adhesion of fractured bones. It alle^iates heart-disease, indigestion, fever, Vivandha, Kukshi-Shula, Gulma, a non-relish for food, cough, asthma, piles, Kushtha, dulness of appetite, swelling (Shopha), worms and diseases due to the ^ Vayu and Kapham. Palandu is not excessively heatmaking in its potency, has a pungent taste, is heavy, tonic and appetising. It slightly generates the Pittam and Kapham. It subdues the Vayu. |

The species, known as the Kshira-Paldndu, is demulcent, cooling in its potency, and relishing, imparts a steadiness to the fundamental principles of the body, is tonic, promotes the growth of flesh, improves the intellect and increases the Kapham. It is palatable, heav)'', slimy and proves beneficial in cases of haemoptysis. The potherbs called Kalaya subdue the Pittam and Kapham, generate Vayu, are heavy and sweet in digestion, and leave an astringent aftertaste in the mouth.

The leaves of plants and trees known as the .t

Chap. XLVI. ] SUTRASTHANAM. ^,^