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

potency. It is one of the most potent auxiliaries in combating the action of the deranged humours of the body. The variety called the Samudram (sea-brine) is sweet in digestion, and not inordinately neat-making in its potency. It is not indigestible, but purgative, slightly demulcent, and does not inordinately generate the Pittam, and is good in attacks of colic pain (Shula). The variety known as Vida salt is a little alkaline (in its taste) and is appetising. It tends to produce a condition of dryness in the organism, and proves beneficial in cases of colic (Shula,) and in diseases affecting the heart. It imparts a relish to food, is sharp and heat-making in its potency, and restores the deranged bodily Vayu to its normal state (restoring or setting aflow the nerve-current by removing any obstruction). Sauvarchala salt is light of digestion, heat-making in its potency, and pungent in taste. It is appetising, has an agreeable aroma, removes any viscidness from the internal organism, and proves curative in cases of abdominal glands, colic pain and incarceration of scybala in the bowels. Romaka salt is sharp and intensely heat-making. Its action permeates the whole system immediately after its use, and is pungent and light of digestion. It subdues the Vayu, tends to increase the secretion of the internal organs, enters into the minutest capillaries of the body, and is purgative and diuretic. Audbhida salt is light, sharp, and heat- making in its potency.

Chap. XLVI. ] SUTRASTHANAM. ^29

It acts as a moistener to the internal organs, has a pungent bitter taste, and is charged with a small quantity of alkali. It permeates the minutest capillaries, and tends to restore the deranged Vayu to its normal condition. Gutika salt destroys the deranged Vayu and K^pham, and is vermifugal, appetising, digestant and purgative. It tends to aggravate the Pittam and acts as an internal liquefacient or antifat. The salt quarried from a salt mine situated at the foot of a hill (Shailamulaja), or from a sandy (Valukelam) or alkaline soil (Ushakshara\ has a pungent taste, and helps the disintegration of Kapham, etc. (Chhedi). It is also called pungent (Katu) salt.

The group of Alkalis .—The different varieties of alkali (Kshara) such as the Javakshara vCarbonate of potash), the Svarjikakshara^ the Pakima and the Tankana cifre abdominal glands, piles, mesenteric diarrhoea, and gravel and stone in the bladder. All these varieties of alkali should be regarded as possessed of digestant or stomachic properties. Their abuse is known to have brgught about cases of hcemoptysis. Of these_, the varieties known as the Javakshara and Svarjikakshara are inflammatory as fire, and they tend to reduce Kapham, remove Vibondha (suppression of stool etc.), piles, and abdominal glands and prove curative in cases of enlarged spleen. They are anti-spermatopoietic. The alkali

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^^O THE Sl'SHKUTA SAMHITA'. [Chap. XL\i.

known as Usharaksliara is heat-making in its potency, and subdues the deranged V^yu. It tends to increase the shmy (mucous; secretions in the organs and is detrimental to the strength of the body. The variety called P^kima tends to reduce obesity, causes a free and increased discharge of urine, thus full}- relieving the bladder of all its contents (lit : bladder-cleanser). The alkali known as the Tankanakshdra (borax) tends to produce a condition of dryness in the organism, generates the Vayu, subdues the Kapham, and is appetising in its property. It is moreover known to bring about a derangement of tlie Pittam. and is sharp in its potency.

The lYletal group: --Gold has a sweet ;uid agreeable taste, acts as a tonic or restorative elixir, imparts rotundity to tlie body, and subdues the action of all the three deranged humours of the body. It is cooling and antitoxic in its potency and invigorates the eyesight. Silver has an acid taste, is laxative and cooling (in its potency), presents a glossy or oily aspect, and destroys the Pittam and Vayu, Copper has a sweet and astringent taste, and acts as a liquefacient and corrosive agent. It is laxative and cooling in its ]~)otency. Kansya Indian bell -metal) has a bitter taste, and acts as a liquefacient agent. It subdues the Kapham and Vayu, and is beneficial to the eyesight. Iron generates Vayu, is cooling in its potency, allays thirst and subdues

Chap. XLVi.] StJTRAStHANAM. ^31