Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

t That Sweda which depends upon the action of fire is of three and ten kinds as indicated above. That, again, which does not depend upon the action of fire is of ten kinds. These two kinds of Sweda may again be spoken of as of two kinds, viz. , as applied to a particular time or to the whole body of the former kind is Sankara-sweda j of the latter, Prastarasweda and others. Upanaha is of the first kind, viz.,' local. Physical exercise is of the latter kind, its action being extended to the whole body. A third classification into two kinds arises from the fact pf some Sweda being oily oif \yfttery, and $omp being dry. — T.

GH ARAKA-SAMHl TA.

Here occur some Verses containing a summary.

What benefits may be expected from Sweda, what kind Of Sweda is beneficial to whom, the kind of Sweda that is needed for' the kind of spot ( in the body ), those parts of the body unto which Sweda should never be applied, the indications' of one in whose1 ease Sweda has been successful and of one unto whom it has been1 applied in excess, the remedies that should be applied irt the case' of the latter, they unto whom Sweda should never be applied, and they unto whom it should be applied; the different kinds of articles' with which Sweda should be applied* the three and ten kinds of1 Sweda that depend upon the action of fire,, and the ten kinds that do not depend upon the action of fire, and lastly six kinds of1 Sweda, have all been indicated in this Lesson on Sweda, All that should be said in the matter of Sweda has been said by the great Rishi. The instructor is Punarvasu. The pupils should commit everything to heart.!-4

Thus ends the fourteenth Lesson on Sweda in the treatise of Agnive^as revised by Charaka,

SECTION XV;

We shall, after this,' expound the Lesson’ on suclr articles as should be kept ready ( in view of any untoward 'consequences that may happen of the administration of- emetics and purgatives:) Thus said the illustrious son of Atrt1

Verily, the physician, who wishes to administer either emetics' or purgatives to a king, or one that is like a king, or one that is possessed of great wealth, every one of ! whom is fully competent to store large quantities of all sorts of articles, should, before ad¬ ministering emetics or purgatives, cause certain- articles to be brought together. If the medicines administered work properly, the articles to which we refer, by being collected together, will1 not be useless; for they will, as a matter of fact, be of use in many ! ways. If the -medicines, on the other hand, produce evil conse¬ quences, v. then, the nature of those evil consequences should be noted :and ascertained, and the rartieles stored may then be used as remedies for neutralising or correcting those evil-consequences.-

CHA RA K A-S AMU / TA,

p. 167

If the consequences to which we refer do actually arise, then the articles to which we -refer, if not previously kept ready, may not be immediately obtained notwithstanding the possession of wealth by him for whom they are wanted.3

Unto the illustrious son of Atri that made this observation, Agnive^a said,—

It seems to me, 0 illustrious one, that a physician of knowledge and wisdom should, at the very outset, act in such a way ( in view of the disease he is to treat ) that the drugs ( emetics or purgatives) he is to administer may, in consequence of his action, at once suc¬ ceed in producing the intended results without leading to the faults of excess of correlation, absence of correlation, or injudicious correlation. With respect to all actions, that success is desirable which results from a judicious application of means. Distress or evil is always due to an injudicious application of means. If action commenced judiciously or injudiciously were to lead to success or failure in quite an arbitrary way, knowledge and ignorance then would have no distinction.*3

Unto Agnive9a the illustrious son of Atri replied in these words : —

O Agnivetja, it is only ourselves, or persons like ourselves, that can act in such a way in view of the disease to be treated that the drugs to be administered may at once lead to success in pro¬ ducing the intended results without the appearance of the faults of excessive correlation or absence of correlation or injudicious correlation. There is no one competent to properly teach such felicity in the matter of the administration of drugs. Nor is there any one that is competent to receive, even when taught, that felicity of which we speak.4

Even if one may be found competent to receive such instruction,

I do not see one that is competent to comprehend it, or, having comprehended it, to apply it in practice. The diverse and change-