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

of Surasi and of BJialldtaka, well pasted with honey and with the bile of a boar (Varaha), Godha, Peacock, Sallaka, cat, Prishata (deer) and of mungoose, should be preserved inside a horn. This anti-venomous medicine is called the Rishabhagada. Snakes never visit the house of the fortunate and mighty one wherein this well prepared remedy is preserved. Venomous insects dare not come within the precincts of such a mansion and even their poison loses its quickness and fatal character. The sound of trumpets and drums, smeared with this compound and blown upon and beaten, tend immediately to destroy the effects of poison. If a poisoned patient would only look at the banner plastered with this Agada the poison from his system would be thereby eliminated. 24

Sanjivana Agada: -a compound made of

the powders oi Ldkshd, Harenu, Nalada, Priyangti, the two kinds of S'igru, Yashti-mad/m, Prithvikd (Ela) and Haridrd, pasted with honey and clarified butter, should be preserved inside a cow's horn and covered in the above manner. This anti venomous medicine is called the Sanjivaua Agada and should be used as snufT, collyrium and drink. It is capable of restoring even a man apparently dead (by poisoning) to life, 25.

Darvi-kara- Raji la- Vishahara- Agada:— -An Agada consisting of the powders of S'leshmdtaka, Katphala, Mdtuhmga^ S'vetd, Girihvd, Kinihi, sugar and Tanduliya should be regarded as the best remedy in cases of poisoning by Darvi kara or Rajila-bites. 26.

lYIandli-Vishahara Agada: -One part edich. oi Drdkshd,Sugandhd, Naga-vnttikd^ and Samangd

* Dallana says that in place of "Sugandha Naga-vrittika" some read •'Sugandha Naga-mrittika" which means ''the sweet-scented earth of the mountain" known to be possessed of anli-poisonous virtues.

p. 726

(Vardha krdnti), two parts each of the following drugs, viz., — leaves of Surasd, Vilva, Kapittha, and of Dddima, and half a part each of the following, viz. : (leaves of) black Sindhuvdra, Amkotha and Gairika, should be powdered together and mixed with honey. This antivenomous medicine (Agada) is highly efficacious especially in the case of poisoning by a Mandali-bite. 27.

Vamsa-tvagadi Agada:— An Agada should

be prepared with the scrapings of green bamboo (Vams'a-tvak), Amalaka, KapittJia, Tri-katu, Haimavati, Ktishtha, Karanj'a-sQeds, Tagara and S'irisha flowers, pasted with cow's bile. Used as a plaster, snuff or collyrium, it destroys the poison of a spider, mouse, serpent or any other (poisonous) insect. Used as a collyrium (over the eye-lids), as a plaster over the umbilical region, or as a Varti (plug), it removes the obstruction of stool, urine and Vayu (flatus, e!c.), or of a foetus in the womb. Used as a snuff* or a collyrium, its curative potency is manifest even in such dangerous eye-diseases as Kdcha, Arman, Kotha, Patala and Pushpa. 28.

Pancha-^irisha Agada:— A potion con

sisting of a decoction of the roots, flowers, bark, seeds and sprouts of a S'irisha tree, taken with honey, the five officinal kinds of salt and a profuse quantity of powdered Trikiitu, proves speedily efficacious in a case of poisoning by an insect-bite. 29.

Sarva-Kamika Agada :— An Agada prepared with Kushtha, Tri-katu, Ddrvi, Madhuka (flower), the two kinds of salt (Saindhava and Sauvarchala), Mdlati (flower), Ndgapushpa and all the drugs of the Madhura (Kdkolyddi) group and pasted with the juice of Kapittha and mixed with honey and sugar destroys all sorts of poison specially that of a mouse (Mushika). 30.

Chap, v.] KALPA-STHANAM. 72/

Ekasara Agada : — The following drugs viz., Soynardji seeds and Somardji flowers * Katdbhi, Sindhuvdra, Choraka^ Varuna, Kushtha^ Sarpa-gandhd^ Saptald^ Punarnavd, flowers of S'irisha, Aragvada and of Arka, S'ydmd, Ambashthd, Vidanga, A^nra, As'mantaka, black earth and Ktiravaka comprise the Ekasara Agada. These should be applied singlyt or in combination of two or three to destroy the effects of poison. 31.

Thu- ends the fifth Chapter of the KalpaSalhana in the Sus'ruta Samhita which deals with the medical treatment of snake-bites.

* Some explain "^t^TTlfiT^ H^' to mean 'Somaraji, Phala (Madana) and Pushpa (Naga-kes'ara).'

t Some explain "^^f f^f+cjait ^Tf^" to mean that the Agada should be used "once, twice or thrice" according to the requirements in each case.

CHAPTER VI.

Now we shall discourse on cases of rat-poisoning (IVIushika-kalpa) i.

Different varieties of rats (IVI. Text) :

— Now hear me enumerate the names of the different families of Mushika (rats) briefly referred to before as having their poison in their semen, classified according to their different names, features and the medical treatment to be employed for the neutralisation of the effects of their poison. They are eighteen in number and are named as follows : — Lalana, Putraka, Krishna, Hamsira, Chikkira, Chhuchhundara, Alasa, Kashdya-das'ana, Kulinga, Ajita, Chapala, Kapila, Kokila, Aruna, MahdKrishna, S'veta, Mahd-Kapila and Kapotdbha, 2A