An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita, Vol. II — trans. Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna (1911)

Kalka should be made by pounding equal parts of Saptapai'Tia^ AragvadJia^ AtivisJid^ Pdthd, Katu-rohini, Amritd, Triphald, Patola, PicJm-marda, Parpataka^ Durdlabhd, Trdyamdyid^ Mustd, Chatidana, Padmaka, Haridrd, Upakulyd, Vis'dld, Murvd, S'atdvari, S'drivd, Indra-yava, Atarushaka, Shad^rantJid [z'acha), Madhuka, Bhu-nbnha and Grishtikd*. This paste (Kalka) should be cooked with four times its own weight of clarified butter, with the juice oi Afnalaka, weighing twice as much as the clarified butter and with water weighing four times the quantity of the Amalaka juice. It should be constantly stirred (with a ladle), while being cooked. This medicated Ghrita is called the Maha-tikta Ghrita, which proves curative in Kushtha, chronic fevers, haemorrhage, heart-disease, insanity, Apasmara, Gulma, postular eruptions, menorrhagia, goitre, scrofula, elephantiasis, jaundice, erysipelas, impotency, itches and Pama, etc. 9.

The Tikta-Sarpih :— Two Pala weight of each of the following drugs, viz., Triphald, Patola, Pichumarda, Atarushaka, Katu-rohini, Durdlabhd^ Trdyamdnd and Parpataka\ should be taken and boiled together in a Drona measure of water. The boiling should be continued till it is reduced to one fourth of its original quantity. Then half a Pala weight of each of the following drugs, viz., Trdyamdnd, Musta, Indra-yava, (red)

* Chakradatta does not read "Grishtika" but read "Ub'ira" instead. He also lakes both the kinds of "Haridra," of ''Upakulya" (Pippali) and of "Sariva".

t Chakradatta reads •'Nis'a" in addition to the above drugs.

550 THE SUSIIRIJTA SAMTTITA. [Chhp. IX.

Chandana, Kirdta and Pippali should be pasted together. This pasted Kalka and the decoction should be cooked with aPrastha measure of clarified butter. The medicated Ghrita thus prepared is called the Tikta-Sarpih. Diseases such as Kushtha, chronic fever, Gulma, Haemorrhoids, Grahani, edema, jaundice, erysipelas and impotency readily yield to the curative efficacy of this Ghrita. lo.

lYIedicinal Plasters for Kushtha :—

Having first soothed the patient with any of the preceding medicated clarified butters and having his body fomented, the surgeon should have recourse to the venisection. One, two, three, four, or five s'irds (veins) of the patient may be opened (according to the circumtances). The raised or elevated patches on the skin should be scraped off, or should be kept constantly covered with a medicinal plaster. As an alternative, the characteristic patches of the disease should be first rubbed with the substance known as the Samudra-plmia or with the leaves of S'dka, Goj'i, or Kdkodmnhara and a plaster (Lepa) composed of Ldkshd, Sarja-rasa, Rasdjij'atta, Prapicnndda, Avalguja, Tejovati and the roots of. As'va-mdraka , Arka, Kutaja, and Arevata, pasted with the urine or bile of a cow, should be applied to them; or Svarjikd, sulphate of copper, sulphate of iron, Vidanga, Agara-dhuma, Chitraka, Katuka, Sud/id, turmeric and Saindhava pounded together with the urine or bile of a cow should be applied to the diseased localities. ^

As an alternative, the alkali, prepared from the ashes of Palds'a wood in the prescribed manner, should be boiled with the powders of the preceding drugs ;^ it should be removed from the oven after reducing it to the thickness or consistency of a Phanita and usedm plastering (the diseased patches) ; or a plaster composed

Chap. IX.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 3$!

of fyotishka fruits,. Ldkshd, Maricha, Pippali and the leaves of the Jdti flower pasted together ; or a plaster composed of yellow orpiment, Manah-s'ild, the milky juice of Arka, sesamum, S'igru and Maricha, pasted together ; or a plaster composed of Svarjikd, Kushtha, sulphate of co'^t^qx , Kiitaja . chitraka, Vidanga, Maricha dind Manah-s'ild pasted together ; or a plaster of Haritaki^ Karanjikd, Vidanga, white mustard seeds, rock-salt, GorocJiand, Somardji and Haridrd pasted together should be applied to the diseased localities.

lYIetrical Text : — The preceding seven medicinal plasters are possessed of the virtue of destroying or curing Kushtha in g-eneral. Now hear me deal with the remedies to be specifically employed in cases of ringworm (Dadru) and leucoderma (Svitra\ 1 1 .

Treatment of Dadru : - A plaster composed of Kushtha, mustard seeds, S'ri-niketa, Haridrd, Trikatu and the seeds of Chakra-marda and of Mulaka pasted together with Takra (butter milk ?) should be applied to the ringworm. The disease is found to readily yield to the curative efficacy of a medicinal plaster, composed of Saindhava, Chakra-marda seeds, treacle, Kes'ara (Vakula), and Tdrksha-s' aila (Rasanjana) pasted together with expressed Kafittha juice. Preparations of Hemakshiri, Vyddhi-ghdta (Aragvadha), S'irisha, Nimba, Sarja, Vatsaka and Aja-karna (a species of Sarja) should be used in cases of ringworm of a virulent type for baths (D. R. Drinks),* plasters and rubbing, 12.

Treatment of ^vitra :— in cases of sVitra and Pundarika, the patient should be made to drink a lukewarm decoction prepared with equal parts of the