Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

fire has been left, consisting of burning charcoal, and the degree of heat has become such as to be fit for the purpose of Swedana, the patient should then he introduced into the chamber, after having been first rubbed with such oils as are destructive of wind and covered with a piece of cloth. Before introducing .the patient into the chamber, he should be addressed in these words :-t-0 amiable one, do thou enter this chamber for thy good and for being cured of thy ailments ! Having entered the chamber, lie dowp at thy ease, on thy right or left side, upon the ridge running all around the floor. Thou shouldst not leave the ridge however copiousjy thou mayst perspire and near thou mayst feel to the point of losing thy consciousness. In fact,, thou must adhere to the ridge as long as thou art not deprived of breath, that is, till thou feelesft thyself to be on the point of death itself. If thou leavest the ridge for coming to the door of the room ( from desire of escaping from it), thou shalt then, in consequence of thy copious perspiration and the reeling state of thy senses, immediately meet wjth death. Thou shalt not, therefore, on any account, leave the ridge. When thou shalt feel that all thy impurities have passed out of thy body, that thy perspiration has been copious, that all the pores of thy body have secreted thy impurities, that thy body has become light, that all stiffness of limbs has abandoned thee, that all rigidity has left thee, that thou hast been freed from pain and heavi¬ ness, thou shalt then leave the ridge and come to the door.— Coming out of the room, the patient should, for protecting his eyes, abstain from entering or diving into cold water. ^yhen thus his pains and lassitude shall have disappeared, the patient should bathe, in happi¬ ness, in the. usual manner, in warm water. Having bathed thus, he should then eat. This is called Jentaka Sweda,*41

V 1 Gunavati ’ is explained as possessed of fertility ; a piece of land, that is, on which the trees are vigorous. ‘ Madbura-mrittika ’ implies that the soil should be sweet instead of being saltish. ‘ Supatirthe ’ is very near or close to the water. * Aratni,’ though rendered cubit, means the distance from the elbow to the end of the little finger. It is a few inches less than an ordinary cubit. ‘ Kutagaram ’ is explain’ ed by Chakrapanidatta as ‘ Vartulagaram ' or a round chamber. ‘Pindika’ is an ‘ali' or ridge. It should go all round the chamber, only the space near the entrance should be kept as usual. \Kishku ’ is a cubit. ‘ Kandu-samsthanam ’ is ‘ Kandukarasya samsthanam,’ i.e., a place for holding fire or oven. Angara-koshtha-stambha’ is explainCHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 163

Take a piece of entire stone of the measure of the patient who is to lie on it. It should be heated by setting fire to a quantity of such wood as has the virtue of destroying the wind. After the wood has been reduced to smokeless charcoal,- these should be swept off and the stone washed with warm water, and then over¬ laid with silken cloth or woollen blankets. The patient should be well-rubbed with oil and then made to lie down on the stone. By this may he easily be subjected to the process of Swedana. He should, however, while made to lie down on the heated stone, be properly coverd with skins and blankets and silken cloth. This process is called Afmaghana sweda. I shall now speak of Karshu sweda.*46

The physician conversant with the qualities of soil should cause a hole to be dug below' the patient’s bed. The hole should be of the form of a Karshu (that is, its stomach should be large or spacious but mouth or aperture narrow). This hole should then be filled with burning. but smokeless charcoal. The patient should then be made to lie on a bedstead placed above that heated hole. He may thus be easily subjected to a process of Swedana (call¬ ed Karshu).4®

A little chamber should be erected neither high nor spacious. It should be circular or round, and should have no windows or holes. The walls should be thick, and they should be plastered over with Kushthaf and other plants. Within the chamber thus constructed, the physician should cause a bed to be made of warm cloth or blankets. All around and over that chamber should then be placed earthen pots containing burning but smokeless charcoal.

ed by Chakrapanidatta as ‘ Angarartham koshtah avaka^ah vidyate-yasmin,’ sa eva stambhah ; i.e., within the oven'there must be kept 'a hollow column-iike space for holding the burning -charcoals. The Commentator explains that the ‘ sah ’ here is' equivalent to ‘Twam, It may even be omitted, for ‘Janiyat’ alone would give the sense.

> Apranophcchwasat ’ means as long as the breath of life continues. Khadria is Acacia Catechu j syn. Mimosa Catechu. Afwakarria is Shored robusta.—T.

* “Raurava’ means the skin of the Ruru deer. Generally, it stands for warm skins used either as bedsheets or quilts. Some texts read ‘ Kaurava.’ Chakrapanidatta adheres to this reading. It means cloth made of cotton. — T.

f Applotaxis auricuiata ; syn, Saussurea auriculata.

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CHRAKA-SAMHITA .