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

Authoritative verses on the subject:— Excessive blood-letting is followed b}' im^paired appetite and an agitated condition of the vital Vayu owing to the loss of the fundamental principles of the body, and, accordingly, to recoup the health of the the patient a course of diet should be prescribed which is light and not excessively heat-making, and which contains a fair amount of emollient and bloodmaking matter, and is marked by Kttle or no acid taste.

The four measures indicated for the stoppage of bleeding are known ; as the Sandhanam (process by contracting the affected part), the Skandanam (thickening or congealing the local blood), the Pachanam (process of setting up suppuration in the wound) and the Dahanam (process of cauterisation).

Drugs of astringent tastes are possessed of the property of bringing about an adhesion (contraction) of the wound. Cooling measures such as, applications of ice etc, tend to thicken the local blood ; alkalis and alkaline preparations produce suppuration in such a

Il8 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. XIV.

woimci or ulcer, whereas cauterisation has the property of .contracting a vein.

Remedies and appHances possessed of the virtue of bringing about an adhesion of such a wound should be used where applications for thickening or congealing the local blood would fail ; whereas the suppurating measures should be adopted in the event of the former (Sandhanam) proving ineffectual. With any of the three of these preceding measures a physician should try to check the outflow of blood incidental to an operation of bleeding, and lastly the process of cauterisation should be resorted to in the event of the preceding ones having pro^-ed unavailing, as it is pre-eminently the best means of checking the bleeding.

The least residue of the vitiated blood continuing in the affected part may not aggi-avate the disease but prevent its perfect healing. In such a case bleeding should not be again resorted to, but the deranged residue should be subdued by means of pacifying or absorbing remedies.

Blood is the origin of the body. It is blood that maintains vitality. Blood is life. Hence it should be preserved with the greatest care.

The Vayu of a person who has been bled, and which has been aggravated by constant cold applicationsp. 119 may give rise to a swelling of the incised* part characterised by a piercing pain, which should be treated with an unguent of tepid clarified butter.

Thus ends the fourteenlh Chapter of the Sutrasthan^m in the Sushrula Samhit^ which treats of Blood.

CHAPTER XV.

Now we shall describe the Chapter which treats of development and non-deA'elopment of the humoral constituents . of the body and excrements (Dosha- Dhai:u-IVIaIa- Kshaya-Vriddhi - Vijnaniya-madhya^am).

Since the human body is constituted of humours, (Doshas), excretions (Mala\ and the fimdamental principles (Dhatus. of blood, marrow, etc., hear me discourse on the features which are peculiar to each of them.

The Vayu. — The imparting of motion to the body : Praspandanam;, the carrsing of the sensations of the respective sense organs (Udvahanam', the passing down of food to its proper receptacles (Puranam), the separation of excretions from the assimilated food matter (,Viveka , and the retention and evacuation of urine and semen, etc. (Dharanam' should be ascribed to the fimctions of the five kinds* of Vayu inerve forcei which support the body.

The Pittam. — Pigmentations or coloiu-ing (Ragakrit), the digestion of food and metabolism of tissues (Paktikrit), the vitalisation and nutrition of the protaplasmic cells (Ojakrit), the origination and preser-

* They are called Pr^na, Ud<ina, Samdna, \'y^na and Apina.

Chap. XV. ] SUTR ASTHANAM . 1 2 i vation of eye-sight (Teja-Krit), the germination df heat and maintenance of the temperature of the body (UshmaKrit), and the origination of the faculty of intellection (Medha-Krit) should be regarded as the functions of the five kinds* of Pittam, which contribute to the preservation of the body through its thermogenetic potency (Agni-Karma).

The Shieshma'.— The function of the five kindsf of Shieshma is to lubricate the interior of the joints (Sandhi-Samshleshanam), to contribute to the gloss of the body (Snehanam), to aid in the formation of healthy granules in sores (Ropanam), to add to the size of the body (Puranam', to build fresh tissues (Vrimhanam), to impart a pleasant or soothing sensation to the body (Tarpanam), to increase its strength ' Valakrit , and to give firmness to the limbs 'Sthairyakrit), thereby contributing to the welfare of the body by supplying it with its watery element.

The Rasa or the lymph chyle exercises a soothing effect upon the entire organism and tends t They are known as Shleshmaka, Kledaka, Vodhaka, Tarpaka, Avalamvaka.

* They are named as Ranjaka. P^chaka, SSdhaka (Medh^krit and Ojakrit), Alochaka and BhrSjaka.