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

Poisoned hay or fodder or any other poisoned foodstuff produces lassitude, fainting, vomiting, diarrhoea or even death (of the animal partaking thereof). Such cases should be treated with proper anti-poisonous medicines

* Jejjata explains 'Ghata' as a pitcher, i.e., a pitcher-ful of water.

t Dallana holds that the use of the plural number here in '< fmfv' "

means that honey, treacle, etc. should also be used with wine.

X Dallana says that some read ' earth of an ant-hill' in place of 'black clay for its anti-poisonous properties.

p. 88

698 THE SUSHKUTA SAMHITA. tC ap- III.

according to the indications of each case. As an alternative, drums and other musical instruments smeared with plasters of anti-poisonous compounds (Agadasj* should be beaten and sounded (round them). Equal parts of silver (7^«Vrt), mercury ySutdra) and Indra-Gopa insects with Kuril- Vindaf equal in weight to that of the entire preceding compound, pasted with the bile of a Kapila (brown) cow, should be used as a paste over the musical instruments (in such cases). The sounds of such drums, etc. (pasted with such anti-poisonous drugs) are said to destroy the effects of even the most dreadful poison. 12-D.

Poisons of the Atmosphere and its

purification :— The dropping of birds from the skies to the earth below in a tired condition is a distinct indication of the wind and the smoke (of the atmosphere) being charged with poison. It is further attended with an attack of cough, catarrh, head ache, and of severe eye-diseases among persons inhaling the same wind and smoke. In such cases the (poisoned) atmosphere should be purified by burning quantities of Ldkshd, Haridrd, Ati-vishd, Ahhayd, Abda (Musta), Renuka, Eld, Dala (Teja-Patra), Valka (cinnamon), Kushtha and Priangu in the open ground. The fumes of these drugs would purify the Anila (air) and the Dhuma (smoke) from the poison they had been charged with 12.

IVIythoIogical origin of poison (Visha):

— It is stated in the Scriptures that a demon named Kaitabha obstructed in various ways, the work of the self-origined Brahmd when he was engaged in creating this world. At this the omnipotent god grew

* See Chapter VII, Kalpa-Sthina.

t 'Sarivi' according to Dallana. 'Bhadra-musta' according to others.

Chap. III.] KALPA STHANAM. 699

extremely wrathful. The vehement wrath of the god gradually swollen and inflamed, at last emanated in physical forms from his mouth and reduced the mighty, death-like, roaring fiend to ashes. But the energy of that terrific wrath went on increasing even after the destruction of the demon, at the sight of which the gods were greatly depressed in spirit. The term Visha (poison) is so called from the fact of its filling the gods with Vishdda (depression of spirits). After that the god of creation, having finished his (self imposed) task of creating this world, cast that wrath both into the mobile and the immobile creations Just as the atmospheric water which is of imperceptible and undeveloped taste, acquires the specific taste of the ground or soil it falls upon, so it is the very nature of the (tasteless) Visha that it partakes of the specific taste i^Rasa^ of a thing or animal in which it exists. 13,

Properties of poisons :— All the sharp and violent qualities are present in poison. Hence poisons should be considered as aggravating and and deranging all the Doslias of the body. The Doshas aggravated and charged with poison forego their own specific functions. Hence poison can never be digested or assimilated in the system. It stops the power of inhaling. Expiration (exhalation of the breath) becomes impossible owing to the internal passages having been choked by the deranged Kapha. Consequently a poisoned person drops down in an unconscious state even when life is still present within his body. 14.

Nature and Location of Snakepoison : — The poison of a snake like the semen in an adult male lies dififused all through its organism. As semen is gathered up, dislodged and subsequently emitted through the urethra by being agitated (by