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

Symptoms of the aggravated blood: — [Owing to a natural similarity between blood and the Pittam, and through a natural affinity between their attributes], causes, which tend to aggravate the deranged Pittam, tend to aggravate or agitate the blood as well. Moreover, frequent meals or repeated use of food, into the composition of which cool, liquid and heavy substances largely enter, are followed by a disturbed or aggravated condition of the blood. Sleep in the day time, anger, exposure to the glare of the sun or fire, over- fatiguing labour, an external blow, ingestion of indigestible or incompatible substances, and eating before the full digestion of a previous meal, may as well be set down as causes which tend to aggravate blood.

IVIetrical Texts:— As the bodily humours are never aggravated independently of the blood, their aggravation goes together with a disturbed or agitated condition of the blood. The aggravated condition of the humours gives rise to pain and moves the wind A'ayu) in the bowels ; it further occasions acid eructations, thirst, burning sensations, aversion to food, vomiting

Chap XXI.] SUTRASTHANAM.

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and nausea. Any of these symptoms should be regarded as the second occasion which calls for medical aid.

Expansion of the deranged humours : — Now we shall describe the expansion (Prasaram) of the deranged humours. The deranged humours, aggravated b}- the above mentioned causes, expand and overflow the limits of their respective localities in the same manner as, cakes, soaked in any ferment or enzyme and kept standing over night, ferment and rise through the acquisition of new and unseen attributes. The V^yu, which is possessed of locomotion or extreme mobility, should be looked upon as the cause of their expansion or over-flowing. The Vayu, though an inanimate thing, in reality is possessed of the quality of "Rajas" (creative or cohesive energ}'), and the qualit}' of the Rajas is the only essential or motive principle in the universe.

As a vast and mighty expanse of water, which has been divided into two expanses by a dam or barrier, will sweep away the latter and unite again to form one sheet of water ; so the deranged humours, sometimes singly, sometimes in combination with two or all of their species, or in unison with blood, expand and over-run the organism in all directions. As for example, the Vayu, the Pittam, the Kapham and the blood are singlv expanded, whereas the bi-hu2o6 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [ Chap. xxi.

moural expansions involve the simultaneous overflow of the two deranged humours, or of any deranged humour and blood, as the Vayu and Pittam, Vayu and Kapham, Vayu and blood, Pittam and blood, and Kapham and blood. The tri-humoural expansions, which involve the blood and any two of the deranged and enraged humours, may be classified as the expansion, of fi) the Vayu, Pittam and blood, {2) the expansion of the Vayu, Kapham and blood, (3) the expansion of Pittam, Kapham and blood, (4) the expansion of Vayu, Pittam and Kapham, (5,1 the expansion of Pittam, Kapham and blood, the different types of expansion numbering fifteen in all.

Metrical Texts:— The aggravated, or the abnormally irritated deranged humours, whether permeating the whole or half of the system or restricted to any particular part or member of the body, give rise to disease in the place of their incarceration, like rain clouds pouring down in the quarter of the sky where they are formed. The deranged humours, not excessively slightly; aggravated, lie inoperative coating the internal passages (Margas) of the body and thus bring about a fresh disease, if subsequent!}' agitated by any disturbing causes.

The deranged and aggravated Vayu, ha\ing moved into any specific seat of Pittam, should be medicinally treated as a case of Pittaja aggravation. Similarly,- the

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