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

Agantuka Jwara A case of fever due to any extraneous blow or injury should be treated in the light of its periodicity and aggravation or in other words the nature of the deranged bodily Doshas underlying, or involved in such a case should be ascertained from the periodicity of its aggravation. A case of fever due to the effects of poison is marked \>y such symptoms, as blackness of the face, burning sensation diarrhoea, catching pain in the region of the heart, aversion to food, thirst, piercing pain in the limbs, epileptic fits and extreme weakness. A case of fever caused by smelling the pollens of any kind of ( strong smelling ) herbs ( as Hay fever ) is marked by faintitig fits, pain in the head and sneezing. A case of fever incidental to an ungratified amorous longing of the heart, or due to any such ardent passion is characterised by aberration or a distracted state of the mind, drowsiness, languidness,

Chap. XXXIX.] UTTARA-TANTRA. iBl

aversion to food, pain at the cardiac region and a speedy emaciation of the body. Delirium marks a case of fever due to grief or terror and shivering characterises one due to a fit of anger. Thirst and fainting fits are the concomitants of a case of fever due to any curse, or ushured in through the dynamics of deadly incantations. Anxiety, laughter, shivering and weeping mark a case due to the malignant influence of evil genii. 33—34.

The bodily Vâyu deranged and aggravated by fatigue, physical waste or by a blow spreads through the entire organism and begets (traumatic) fever. There is another kind of fever which is due to any extraneous cause or which results from the acute stage of any other disease attendant on the body. It exhibits all the symptoms characteristic of each of the deranged bodily Doshas involved therein * 35 — 36.

Gambhira fever and its prognosis

A case of Gambhira fever is characterised by a feeling of internal burning sensation in the body (which is not complained of in the surface), thirst, suppression of the stool, laboured or painful breathing and cough. Paleness of the complexion, dulness of the sense-organs, emaciation cf the body, depression of the mind f and presence of supervening symptoms (e. g. hard breathing, cough, etc.) in cases of both Gambhira (inward or latent) and

* “Abhich^r,’ means incantations or Atharvan rites by which disease, death and any other injuries are brought about. „

“Abhis'^pa” means the curse pronounced by' Brahmins, preceptors, seniors and alters possesed of puissance.

+ Dallana says in his commentary that some read a few additional lines after this. He, however, does not comment on those lines and further adds that Jejjata does not read them. So we, too, refrain from translating those lines.

1&2 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITX [Chap. XXXIX

Tikshna (high) fever are the indications which point to the hopeless nature of the case. 37 — 38.

A slightly, middling or excessively aggravated condition of the deranged Doshas of the body forebodes the continuace of fever for three, seven and twelve days respectively, each succeeding one being more difficult to cure than the one immediately preceding it in order of enumeration. Thus wc have done with the description of (the nature, causes and symptoms of) the different types of fever. We shall now deal with the remedial measures or therapeutic agents to be employed in these cases. 39.

Treatment : — Draughts of filtered (matured but non-medicated) clarified butter should be given as soon as the premonitory symptoms would make their appearance and the patient would get relief thereby. This is applicable only in a case of the Vaftaja type of fever while purgatives should be administered in a case of the Fittaja and mild emetics, in a case of the Kaphaja type under similar conditions. In cases of Dwidoshaja and Tri-doshaja fevers, the foregoing measures should be adopted according to the Doshas involved in each case. In the cases in which emulsive measures (Sneha-Karma) and exhibition of purgatives and emetics are forbidden, such measures should be employed as would tend to lighten the system such as fasting, (Langhana) etc. 40.

Fasting S — The premonitory and the actual stages of fever are of various forms like those of fire and its fume. Fasting is pre-eminently the best remedy as soon as the characteristic symptoms of the disease make their appearance distinctly and vomiting is most efficacious in a case marked by the presence of the deranged bodily Dosha in the Amdsaya (stomach) and attended with nausea, thirst, water-brash.

Chap. XXXIX.] UTTARA-TANTRA. 1 83