Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

with fragrant unguents, to wear garlands of flowers and clean vest¬ ments, and worship and honor the deities and the sancrificial fire, the Brahmanas, preceptors and seniors, and the physicians waiting upon him. Then, under an auspicious constellatiou, in a favourable lunar day, at a good Karana ( a >, and by a propitious Muhurta ( b ),. the patient should be caused to drink an astringent decoction that has been properly blessed by aBrahmanawith sacred Mantras: (c), and prepared from honey and liquorice and rock-salt and liquid molasses and the fruit called Madana (d).10

The astringent drink that should be given to the patient should,, of course, be of the proper measure. What measure or quantity should be prescribed must depend upon the constitution of eachindividual. That should be regarded as the proper measure or quantity for an individual which is capable of removing the com¬ plaint. Indeed, that which is productive of neither excess of cor¬ relation or absence of correlation should be taken as the proper measure.11

Having caused the patient to drink the astringent, the physi¬ cian should wait for a little while. When it is understood, from the appearance of perspiration, that the faults (of bile,, wind, and phlegm.) in the patient are abating, or from the hair of the patient standing on end that the faults have changed their locale, or from the noise in the stomach that the faults have passed into the stomach, or from the appearance of nausea or of saliva in the mouth that the faults are seeking an outward course for escape through the mouth, the patient should then be given a bed or seat as high as the knee, fraught with comfort, spread over with an excellent cover,, and furnished with pillows. This seat or bed should be as well made as one for sleep. A pan should also be kept for holding the saliva and other matter ejected from the patient’s stomach. A number of men should be kept in attendance for doing such

(a) . An astrological dividon of time, depending upon conjunctions of planetary bodies. They are eleven in number.

(b) i A division of time, less than an hour.

(c) . Sacred texts from the Vedas and other scriptures.

(d) , Randia dumetorum, Roxb.

CHARAKA-SAMhlTA, 173

clinical services as may be needed. Only such friends and well-wishers should be employed as are agreeable and at whose sight the patient does not shrink. They should be set to the task of holding the patient’s forehead and sides and gently pressing and rubbing the navel and the vertebral regions. The patient should then be instructed in these words : — Disposing the mouth, the palate and the throat in a proper manner, and without much exer¬ tion, throwing out the matter when the urging to throw out becomes pronounced, bending the while the neck, head and whole body slightly forward, promoting urgings that are unpronounced, with nailless fingers or the stalks of Utpala (a), of Kumuda (b), and of Saugandhika (c), so inserted as only to touch the throat without penetrating it, do thou conduct thyself for a little while.*12'18

The patient should conduct himself according to this way. The physician should, with close attention, observe the ejected matter in the pans. From observation of the characteristics of the ejected matter, the skilled physician will be able to understand whether there has been excess or absence of correlation or judi¬ cious correlation in the matter of the administration of emetics. The physician who observes with attention the ejected matter, will, again, succeed in doing what is proper for counteracting the faults, guided by the indications noticed.

Hence, the physician should always observe with close atten¬ tion the ejected matter.14

As regards this, the following are the indications from which are to be inferred the excess and absence of correlation, and judi¬ cious correlation, ( in respect of the administration of emetics. )t

(a) . Nymphcca stellata.

(b) . Nymphtz Lotus, Linn.

(c) . Otherwise called Kalhara. A variety of Lotus.