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

Symptoms of Ananta-vsfta Siroroga S — The disease of the head in which a violent pain is felt at the Many£ and the Ghâti (the two nerves on the backside of the neck) which ultimately affects the region of the eye, the eyebrow and the temples and specially produces a throbbing of the cheek, as well as paralysis of the jaw-bone and the eye. The disease is known as Ananta-vrfta and is due to the concerted action of the three Doshas. n.

Symptoms of Ardhsfvabhedaka and £amkhaka: — The disease of the head in which a violent and excruciating pain of a piercing or aching nature is felt in one half of the cranium which makes the patient feel giddy, and which either follows no distinct periodicity or recurs at a regular interval of ten days or of a fortnight, is called the Ardhârabhedaka and is due to the concerted action of the three Doshas. A violent pain caused in the head and more especially in the temples by the local VAyu in combination with the deranged Kapha, Pitta and blood is designated by the holy sages of Ayurveda as the Samkhaka. It produces a very great pain, and is very hard to cure even by the joint advice of thousands of physicians and is as fierce as death itself. 12-13.

Thus ends the twenty -fifth chapter in the Uttara Tantra of the Sus'ruta Samhitd which deals with the symptoms of the diseases of the head.

CHAPER XXV I.

Now we shall discourse on the chapter which deals with the therapeutics of the diseases of the head (3iroroga-Pratishedha). i.

Treatment of Vataja-^iroroga ‘.—Remedial measures described in connection with the treatment of Vdta-Vyidhi should be employed in their entirety in the Vayu-origincd types of the diseases of the head, and all medicinal compounds of oil or clarified butter should be followed by a potion of milk. Mudga, Kulattha, or Mdsha pulse, unmixed with any other thing, as well as pungent and heat-making articles, saturated with clarified butter and followed by potions of tepid milk should be taken in the night. Sesamum oil or the paste of sesamum may also be taken. Milk duly boiled with the Vayu-subduing drugs should be employed in a lukewarm state in washing the diseased locality, and a plaster composed of the powders of the same drugs boiled with milk should be applied lukewarm to the scalp. In the alternative, the scalp may be plastered over with the boiled flesh of fish or with Kris'ard (preparation of rice and sesamum) saturated with Saindhnva salt, or with (the paste of) Chandana , Utpala, Kushtha and Pippali, finely powdered together (all in a lukewarm state). 2-3.

Oil duly prepared with Kulira (crabs) should be used for Nasya (snuffing) purposes subsequent to the employment of the (above) fomentation. A quantity of milk diluted with the addition of half as much of water should be duly boiled with the paste of the drugs of the Varunddi group and taken down from the fire when the water has evaporated. Butter should be skimmed out

Chap. XXVI.]

UTTARA-TANTRAM.

p. 135

of it when cool and clarified butter prepared therefrom should be again duly cooked with the paste of the drugs of the Madhura group. The use of this Ghrita as a Nasya (snuff) is highly efficacious in the type under discussion. Clarified butter duly cooked with the decoction of the preceding drugs (of the Varunâdi group) and with milk should be taken with sugar. Snaihika Dhuma (Chikitsd, XL.) should be administered in time when required, and Traivrita Ghrita and Bald Taila should be prescribed as a draught and as an errhine, as well as for the purposes of anointing, sprinkling and Vasti-Karma. The food in the present type of the disease should be taken with milk cooked with Vdyusubduing drugs and with meat-soup saturated with Sneha ( clarified butter). 4.-5.

Treatment of Pittaja and Raktaja

£§irO~roga : — Cooling plasters saturated with clarified butter should be applied to the scalp and cooling head-washes should be prescribed in the Pittaja and Raktaja types of Siro-roga. Milk, the expressed juice of sugarcane, fermented rice-gruel (Dhdnydmla), curd-cream (Mastu), honey and sugar mixed in w^ater — these should be used for sprinkling purposes. Plaster for the head should be prepared with Nala, Vetasa , Kahlara (red lotus), Chandana , Utpala , S'amkha (conch-shell), S'aivdla , Yashti-madhu , Musta and lotus taken together and mixed with clarified butter, and the plasters described in connection with the treatment of Pittaja and Raktaja Visarpa (Erysipelas) should also be u**ed. The drugs of the Madhura group should be used in a tepid state as plasters and the Sneha (oil or clarified butter) duly cooked with the same drugs should be used as an errhine, and appropriate medicines should be used as purgatives as well as in As t ha pan a and Sncha-Vasti measures,