An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita, Vol. III: Uttara-tantra — trans. Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna (1916)

Prognosis : — A skilful physician shall not take in hand the medical treatment of a patient afflicted with vomiting, where the patient is emaciated and is. distressed with the supervening symptoms,* and in which the ejected matter is mixed with pus and

* The supervening symptoms are : —Cough, asthma, fever, hiccough, thirst, mental dejection, heart-disease and Tamaka-S'vâsa.

C bap. XJJX.J

UTTARA-TANTRA.

3 ”

blood, and resembles the variegated colour of a peacock’s plume and where vomiting is almost constant. II.

General Treatment in a case of vomiting marked by an excessive preponderance of any Dosha (or by the presence of all the three Doshas), emetics or purgatives should be administered with a due regard to the nature and intensity of the Dosha or Doshas involved. In cases due to the concerted action of any two of the deranged bodily Doshas the medical treatment should be determined according to their relative order of preponderance. Diet in these cases should consist of dry and light articles and what the patient is accustomed to. Febrifuge decoctions should be administered according to the nature and intensity of <he deranged bodily Doshas involved in each case. 1 2.

Treatment of Vsftaja Type Draught

of clarified butter churned from milk, * or the soup of Mudga and Amalaka taken with clarified butter and Saindhava-$a.\t, or gruels ( YavAgii ) prepared with the drugs of Pancha'mida and taken with honey, would prove curative in the Vsitaja type of vomiting. The use of the essence of any bird of the Vishkira group (e.g. chicken, etc.) taken with a little quantity of salt and juice of acid-fruits would likewise prove efficacious. ^Lukewarm oily purgtives mixed with salt arc also recommended in such cases 13.

Pittaja Type 5 — Cold drinks and decoctions of Pitta-subduing virtue would relieve vomiting due to the derangement of Pitta. Emetics or purgatives composed of the drugs of the Madhura- drugs and mixed

* l* as ^en explained by some commentators as milk mixed with clarified butter. Chakradatta reads milk and water in place of

312 THE SUSHRUTA SAMIUTA. [Chap. XtlX.

^ % 4 with the expressed juice of Drdkshd may likewise be employed in the present type. In violent* attacks of vomiting the medicated clarified butter known as Tailvaka-ghrita should also be prescribed. 14. v

Treatment of Kaphaja Type A decoction of the drugs of the A ragvadhdch -group or of Das'a-mula should be given with honey in a case of vomiting due to the aggravation of Kapha. A cold infusion (Hima-Kashâya) of Guduchi mixed with honey would prove an excellent remedy in all the three preceding types of vomiting. 15 — 16.

Vomiting due to ( the use or sight of ) any disgusting or loathsome thing should be treated with agreeable things, while that peculiar to pregnancy should be relieved by giving to the enceinte the things she longs for.

* Traumatic Types : — Vomiting due to the use of any unaccustomed or incongenial food should be relieved with fasting, vomiting or with the administration of habituated or congenial food. Vomiting due to the presence of worms in the bowels (Krimija) should be treated with remedies applicable in a case of Krimija Hrid-roga (heart-disease of parasitic origin). The measures and remedies prescribed before should be employed with a due regard to the nature and intensity of the deranged bodily Dosha or Doshas involved in each case. 17.

General Treatment Vomiting is relieved by frequently licking a lambative made of Pippali ‘ honey and the expressed juice of KapitthaAvmt. Madhurasd * with the washings of rice and with honey may be likewise taken for the purpose. Tarpana (soothing) measure with the admixture of honey would be bene-

* , “Madhurasd** may mean (1) Drak'shd (2) Gdmbhdri fruit (3) Murvd pr (4) Yashti-madhu, The practice is to prescribe prdkshd.

g*ap< XLIX.J UTTARA-TANTRA, 313 ficial its all the three cases (due to the aggravation of the Doshas).* A potion composed of powdered Atma-gupta - seeds and Yashti-madhu mixed with a copious quantity of rice-washing and with honey as well as gruels prepared^ with the admixture of KaranjaA eaves should be administered. Ktistumbu.ru pasted and mixed with salt and acid would also be benificial. Kapittha should also be taken with Tri-k tu and rice-washing. 18 — A.

The excreta of flies should be licked with sugar, honey and sandal paste. A lizard should be immersed in hot milk and this milk, when cooled, should be given to the patient to drink. Powdered fried paddy mixed with honey and clarified butter should be given to drink or pulverised Pippali mixed with honey, sugar and clarified butter should be licked. Sandal-paste * with the expressed juice of Amalaka^ or the decoction of the leaves of Mudga *(* as well as a lambative composed of the marrow of Kola and Amalaka spiced with the Tri-sugandhi drugs (viz., Eld, Patra and Tvak) powdered together should be prescribed. Gruels of fried S'dli paddy mixed with honey should also be prescribed. The use of perfumes which are agreeable both to the mind and to the organ of smell, is also recomended. 18-B.