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

species. The fruit of (the two species of; Vrihati plants has an astringent and bitter taste, and is b'ght of digestion. It is vermicidtil and proves curative in cases of itch and cutaneous diseases (Kushtha), and subdues the deranged Vayu and Kapham. The leaves and fruit of the Patola creeper have a bitter taste. They are beneficial to ulcers, pungent in digestion, heat-making, spermatopoietic, relishing and appetising. The}- subdue the deranged Pittam and Kapham without producing the Vayu. The V^rtakam subdues the Vayu and Kapham. It has a bitter and pungent taste, is light, relishing and appetising. Matured Vartakam is alkaline (in its taste) and generates the Pittam. The Karkotakam and the Karavellakam are possessed of properties similar to those of the preceding species > Vartakam . The herbs and creepers such as the Atarushaka, Kiratatikta, Parpataka and Guduchi together with the tender shoots of the Vetra and the Nimva, have a bitter taste and subdue the Pittam and Kapham. The leaves of the Varuna and Prapunnada destroy the deranged Kapham and give rise to a condition of dryness in the system. They are light of digestion, cooling in their potency, and tend to enrage or agitate the bodily Vayu and Pittam. The potherbs known as Kalashakam are appetising and pungent in taste and tend to neutralise the effects of poison originated through the chemical action of two incompatible substances in

Chap. XLVI.] StJTRASTHANAM. 519

the organism. The species called Kaushumbha has a sweet taste, and produces a condition of dryness in the organism. It is heat-making in its potency and light of digestion, and subdues the deranged Kapham. The species called Xalika-shakam has^ sweet taste. It generates the Vayu and subdues the Pittam. The species called the Changeri has an acid, astringent and sweet taste. It is appetising and heatmaking in its potency, proves beneficial in cases of deranged Vayu and Kapham and curative in cases of mesenteric disorders (Grahani) and piles.

The leaves of the Lonika, Jatuka, Triparnika, Pattura, Jivaka, Suvarchala, Kurmaka, Kathinjara, Kuntalika, Kurantika etc., are sweet in taste and digestion and cooling in their potency. They subdue the Kapham and do not inordinately generate the Pittam. They leave a saline after-taste in the mouth and produce a condition of dryness in the organism. They are alkaline and laxative, and generate the Vayu. The potherbs known as Kuntalika have a sweet and bitter taste. The species Kurantika has an as|;ringent taste. The species called the Rajakshavak-Shakam, as well as the one called Sathi-Shakam, is astringent in its property, cooling in its potency, easily digestible and is not hostile to (does not enrage or aggravate), (subdues D.R.) the humours. The species known as the Harimanthajam is sweet in taste and diges5-20

THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [ Chap. XLVi.

tion but is difficult to digest. The species known as Knlayani (leaves of the Matara pulse; is purgative and sweet in taste. It produces a state of dryness in the organism and extremely generates the' Vayu. It tends t(i dislodge the deranged humours from their locations in the upper part of the body Sramsanam). The Putikaranjas are heat- making in their potency and alleviate oedema and anasarca. They are pungent in digestion, easily digestible and subdue the Vayu and the Kapham. The leaves of the Tamvula are sharp, heat-making (in their potency; and bitter, astringent and pungent in taste. They tend to aggravate the Pittam, are aromatic, prove beneficial to the voice, and remove viscidness in the organism. They pacify the Kapham and Vayu in the system, are appetising, pungent in digestion and deodorant, and tend to remoAe the fetid smell in the mouth, cleanse it of all impurities and alleviate all itchinf^ sensations experienced inside its cavity. This ends the description of potherbs.

The Flower Croup :— The flowers of such trees as.the Kovidara, Shana, and Shalmali are sweet in taste and digestion and prove curative in cases oi haemoptysis The flowers of the Vrisha and Agastya have a bitter taste, are pungent in digestion and alleviate a wasting cough (Phthisis). The flowers of the Madhu-shigru and Karira are pungent in digestion. They destroy the Vayu and increase the discharge of

Chap. XLVI. J SUTK ASTH A N A M .

5^1 stool and urine. The Agastya flower is neither too coohng nor inordinately heat-making in its potency and proves specftilly beneficial in cases of nightblindness (Nyctalopia). The flowers of the RaktaVriksha, Ximva, ]\Iushkaka, Arka, Asana and Kutaja trees subdue the Pittam and Kapham, and prove curative in skin diseases ( Kushtham).