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

A bite by an insect of strong and acute poison should be treated as a snake- bite and the three-fold remedies to be employed in snake-bites according to the threefold divisions of snakes should also be employed in these cases. The measures of fomenting, plastering and hot washing would prove efficacious in these cases, except in the event of an insect-bitten patient having been found to have been fainting away on account of suppuration and sloughing in the seat of the bite, in which case all kinds of cleansing (emetic, purgative, etc.) and anti-poisonous measures should be adopted. 22-23.

Plasters of S'irisha, Katiika, Ktishtha^ Vacha, Rajani, Saindhava, milk, marrow, lard (VasA), clarified butter, S'unthi, Pippali and Deva-ddru in the form of Utkdrika (poultice-like preparation) should bs used in fomenting (the seat of the bite). As an alternative, the fomentation with the drugs of the S'dla-parnyddi Gana in the same (Utkarika) form should be considered equally efficacious in the case. 24.

In the case of a Scorpion bite, the affected part should not be fomented. It might, however, be fumigated with vapours of the drugs to be dealt with later on. The medicinal remedies (Agadas) applicable in the several cases are here separately described. 25-26.

Recipes of remedies in different

cases : — An anti-venomous compound (Agada) consisting oi Kushtha, Chakra(T 2ig3.\-Si), Vachd, Vtlva-roots, Pdthd, Suvarchikd, house-soot and the two kinds of Haridrd is efficacious in the case of a bite by a Trikantaka insect. An Agada consisting of house -soot, i?(7;'^;«', Chakra, Kushtha and the seeds of Palds'a destroys the poison of a Gala-goli insect. An Agada composed of Kumkuma, Tagara, S'igru, Padmaka and the two kinds

p. 749

of Rajani, pasted with water, proves curative in the case of a bite by a S'ata-padi (centipede). An Agada consisting of Mesha-s'ringi, Vachd, Pdthd, Nichula, Rohini, and Bdlaka is efficacious in all kinds of Mandukapoisoning. An Agada consisting of Vacha, As'va-gandhd, Ati-bald, Bald, Ati-guhd (Sala-parni) and AguJid (^Pris'niparni) nullifies the poison of a VisVambhara insect. An Agada consisting of S'irisha, Tagara, Kzcshtha, the two kinds of Haridrd, Afns'u-tnati and the two kinds of Sahd destroys the poison of an Ahinduka insect. Cooling measures should be adopted in the night time in the case of a Kandumaka-bite, since the poison which is aggravated by the sun's rays in the day does not prove amenable to any remedy, if applied at that time. An Agada consisting of Chakra, Kushtha and Apdmdrga is efficacious in a case of Suka-vrinta-bite. As an alternative, the earth of a black ant-hill pasted with the expressed juice oi Bhrmga would prove efficacious in such cases. A plaster prepared with the earth of a black ant-hill and the urine of a cow proves curative in cases of bites of Hies, ants and mosquitoes. The treatment of a case of a bite by a Prati-suryaka is the same as that of a snake-bite. 27-36.

Origin and Classification of Scorpions : — Scorpions are divided into three classe, viz.^ the mild-poisoned ones (Manda-visha), those whose poison is neither mild nor strong (Madhya-visha), and the strong-poisoned ones (Maha-visha). Scorpions germinating from cow-dung* or from any other rotten substances are Manda-visha. Those which germinate from (decomposed) wood or (decayed) bricks are Madhya-visha (with poison neither mild nor strong);

* Dallana says that by cow-dung (Gomaya) is meant the dung, the urine etc. of not only a cow, but of a buffalo, etc. as well

p. 750

while those which originate from the dccmposed carcase of a snake or from any other poisonous putrid organic matter are Tikshna-visha (strong-poisoned). The first group of scorpions includes twelve different species, the second three and the third and last fifteen, thus making thirty* species in all. 37-3^-

Specific traits and Characteristics of mild-poisoned Scorpions :— Scorpions which are black (Krishna) ordark-brown (S'y^va) or of variegated colours (Karbura) or yellow (Pandu) or coloured like the urine of a cow or rough or dark blue (Mechaka) or white or red or greenish (S'ddvala) or red mixed with white (Rakta-s'veta)i- or provided with hair on their bodies (Romas' a) should be regarded as Manda-visha ( mild poisoned ones). A bite by a scorpion of this species is accompained by pain (in the seat of the bite), shivering, numbness of the limbs and a flow of blackish blood (from the punctures of the bite). In the case of a bite at any of the extremities, the pain courses upward, accompained by a burning sensation, perspiration, swelling of the bitten part and fever. 39

IVIadhya-visha Scorpions :— Scorpions of

the Madhya-visha (mild-poisoned) class are red (Rakta) or yellow (Pita), or tawny (Kapila). All of them are ash-coloured in their belly and provided with three joints or links. They germinate from the stool, excreta, eggs and putrid carcases of the three (aforesaid) groups of snakes and respectively partake of the nature of the

* According to Gayaddsa the total number of the three classes of scorpions would be twenty-seven, of which the first (mild-poisoned) class consists of eleven, the second consists of three and the third of thirteen.