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

(demonology — Chapters LX — LXII). A case of fever due to any mental condition should be cured with psychic (hypnotic) measures ; while the one due to overfatigue or exhaustion should be treated with diets of Rasaudana * after anointing the body of the patient with clarified butter. Fever due to any curse or to deadly incantations (exorcism) may be cured by performing Homa (offering oblations to the gods) and such other ceremonies ; while the cases due to the malignant influence of any hostile planet, or of any unearthly sound may be cured by practising charity, hospitality and peace-giving rites (Svastyayana). All heat-engendering (Ushna) measures are prohibited in a case of traumatic fever and sweet and astringent drugs charged with oil or clarified butter should be prescribed. Other therapeutic agents should also be employed according to the nature of the specific derangement of Dosha involved in the case. In a case of fever caused by the smell of any herb or cereals or in one due to the effect of any sort of poison, the treatment should consist in such measures as would alleviate the poison and the aggravated Pitta in the system. + Decoction of Sawa-gandhd (the drugs of the ElAdi-gana) is also beneficial in these cases. A decoction of Nimba and Deva-ddru or of Jdti flowers may be prescribed as well. Clarified butter, wine and preparations of barley grains are wholesome in a case of Vishama-Jwara which may be got rid of as well

* Rasaudana is a kind of food prepared by boiling rice in meat soup (instead of in water). The term may, however, mean rice simply mixed with meat-soup.

t In place of some read and that would mean that the measures and remedies prescribed in cases of poisoning (sec Kalpa-sthdna) should be applied. This variant seems to bo the better one.

204 THE StfSHRtfTA SAMHITX [Chap. XXXIX.

by worshipping Brâhmans, cows, the god Is'ina, and

Ambikd. 132 — 133.

The body of the patient overwhelmed with coldness (shivering) in cases of fever due to the action of the aggravated Kapha or Vdyu, should be plastered with a paste of the drugs of the heat-making group * and heating measures should then be resorted to. In the alternative, a compound of Arandla , S'ukta, cow’s urine and Mastu (curd-crcam) made lukewarm should be sprinkled over the body. Plasters of the leaves of Surasa , Arjaka and S'igru pasted together with water would prove beneficial. The body may be rubbed with Kshdra-taila (oil cooked with alkali) mixed with S'ukta. A decoction of the drugs of the Aragvadhddi group proves highly efficacious particularly in the present case, and decoction of Vdyu-subduing drugs should be used tepid as a bath. The shivering having been thus relieved with the foregoing measures and by the sprinkling of tepid water over the body, the languid body of the patient should be smeared with pasted Kdldguru and wrapped up in a silk, woolen or linnen cover and then the patient should be made to lie in a bed. 1 34.- A.

Damsels young, beautiful and skilled in the sport of love, with faces glowing like the full moon of autumn and darting forth beams of love from their languid blue-lotus-like eyes, with eye-brows moving in the ardour of desire and with dreary foreheads throbbing with the gentle pulsations of love, with girdles sliding down from their slender waists, with their splendid buttocks naturally making them lazy in their steps, with their lips vying with the ripe Vimba fruit in their luscious

* Dallana explains the Ushna-varga (heat-making group) to mean the Bhadra-darvddi, Surasddi and the Elddi groups*

Chap. XXXIX.]

UTTARA-TANTRA.

p. 205

redness, with their elevated thickest breasts, and smeared with saffron and Aguru pastes and clad in thin transparent garment, fumigated and scented with the vapours of burnt Aguru , should be asked to take the patient into a firm embrace like a forest-creeper entwining itself around a sylvan tree, and the girls should be told to keep off as soon as the patient would feel himself heated. The patient thus cured of the disease (cold-fever) by the fond embrace of these beautiful damsels should be treated to such a wholesome repast as would be welcome to him. 134.

Measures which alleviate the burning sensation should be employed in a case of fever marked by sever burning sensation of the body. Vomiting should be induced in such cases with honey and treacle mixed with the (cold) infusion of Nimba leaves. The body of the patient should be anointed with Sata-dhauta * Ghrita and then plastered with a paste formed by mixing powders of barley, Kola and Amalaka with the fermented boilings of S’uka paddy, or with the cold paste of tender leaves of Phenild (soap-berry) mixed with Kola and A'malaka and pasted with Amla (Kanjika), or with the cold paste of the leaves of Palis 9 a pasted with Amla (Kinjika', or with the froth (produced by stirring in Kdnjikd the paste) of the leaves of Vadara or Arishta i f whereby thirst, swoon and burning sensation would be relieved and removed. 135.

A Prastha measure of oil duly prepared by cook-

* Clarified butter washed hundred times in water is known as dhauta Ghrita.