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

A bite by a rat of the Aruna (vermilion coloured) species is marked by an extremely aggravated condition of the bodily Vdyu and the symptoms peculiar to it. A bite by a rat of the Maliat-krishna (extremely black) species leads to an aggravated condition of the Pitta, while a bite by one of the Mahji-s'veta class ushers in an aggravation of the bodily Kapha. The blood of a person is vitiated by the bite of a rat of the Mahsi-kapila family, while the bite by one of the Kapota species leads to the dârangement of all the four principles viz,, the three Doshas (Vayu, Pitta and Kapha) as well as of the blood. Their bites are accompanied by a violent swelling of the affected locality, the appearance of nodular glands (Granthi) and such other erythematous and eczematous growths as Mandala, Karnikd and Pidakd (Pustules). 3-E.

Three Prastha measures-f* each of clarified butter, curd and milk should be duly cooked with the duly prepared decoction of Karanj'a, Aragvadha, Tri-katu^ t According to Dallana, the recipe of this Ghrita is as follows : — One Prastha each of clarified butter, curd and milk, two Palas each of Karanja, etc., and sixteen seers of water to be boiled down to four seers, the drugs of the Kalka weighing one seer in all.

* Some explains ''SVetd Punarnavd" to mean "white Punarnavd." Gayaddsa reads "S'reshtha" in place of "S'vetd" in which case also the white species of Punarnava is evidently meant.

^12 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. (Chap. VI

Vrihati, Ams'umati and Sthird (Kdkoli), and with Trivrit, Tila, yi?«n/^ (Gulancha), Chakra, Sarpa-gandhd, (black) earth* (of an ant-hill) and the barks of Kapittha and Dddima as Kalka. The whole should be duly cooked over a gentle fire. The Ghrita thus prepared would destroy the poison of the five kinds of rats viz., Aruna, etc. As an alternative, clarified butter duly cooked with the expressed juice of Kdkddani and Kdka-mdchi should be given to the patient in such cases. A wise physician shall have recourse to bleeding or venesection in these cases and the system of the patient should be cleansed by purgatives and emetics, 3.

General Treatment: —The general measures to be adopted in the case of a bite by a rat of whatsoever class are as follows : — The seat of the bite should be first cauterized (with boiling clarified butter), and blood-letting should be resorted to (by opening the veins of the patient). The seat of the bite should then be marked with superficial incisions and a plaster of S'irisha, Rajani, Kushtha, Kumkuma and Amrita (Gulancha) should be applied. The patient should be made to vomit with the decoction of Jdlini or with that of S'ukdkhyd and Amkotha boiled together. The (powdered) roots of S'ukdkhya, Kos'dvati, Madana fruits and Devaddli hu'its should be administered with curd for the elimination by vomiting the (internal) poison (if any). The patient should be made to take (with curd) the compound consisting of Phala (Madana), Vacha, Devaddli and Kushtha pasted with the urine of a cow (as an emetic). This remedy neutralises the effects of the poison of all species of venomous rats. 4.-A.

A compound composed of Trivrit, Danti and Tri- * In place of "^xtjt^ ^^jf^^" some reads "^?7p^^*j,r^thi", while Jejjata reads <'^^7pm'm1%^Tl'"

Chap. VI.] KALPA STHANAM. y$$

phald should (if necessary) be employed as a purgative (in such a case). A compound prepared with the pith of S'irisha and the pulp of its fruits should be used (if necessary) as an errhine (S'iro-virechana). The watery secretion of fresh cow-dung mixed with a profuse quantity of (powdered) Tri-katu should be used as collyrium. The patient should be made to lick a compound prepared with the expressed juice of the fruits of Kapittha and with honey and the serous secretion of (fresh) cow-dung, or a lambative made of Rasdnjana, Haridrd, Indra-yava, Katuki and Ati-vishd with honey should be given to the patient in the morning. A potion of medicated clarified butter duly cooked with the roots of Tanduliyaka should be given to the patient for drink. As an alternative, clarified butter, duly cooked with the five parts i^viz., roots, bark, fruits, leaves and flowers) of a Kapittha tree or with the roots of Ashphotd, should be prescribed, 4.

The poison of a venomous Mushika (rat or mole) even though (apparently) eliminated from the system may sometimes still be aggravated in cloudy days or in foul weather. In such a case, all the above measures as well as the remedies laid down under the treatment of Dushi-visha should be resorted to. The round protruding edges (Karnikd) of an ulcer, incidental to a rat-bite, whether benumbed or painful, should be excised (D.R. — made to suppurate) and should be treated with purifying or cleasing remedies according to the deranged Dosha or Doshas involved in each case. 5-6.