Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

From suppression of the urgings of nature, sleep during the day-time, night-keeping, intoxication, loud talking, exposure to the night dew, exposure to east winds or to winds blowing strongly, excess of sexual congress, inhalation of putrid or other kinds of disagreeable scents, exposure to dust, smoke, wind, and the heat of the sun, eating heavy food or acids or potherbs and other vege¬ tables of that kind, exposure to water that is very cold, exposure of the head to the heat of the sun, inability to digest the food that has been taken, crying (in grief), suppression of tears, a cloudy atmosphere, grief and irregularities in respect of time and place, wind and the other constituent elements of the body become excited and afflict the blood that is in the head. From this cause spring diseases of divers symptoms in the head.7'10

That part of the body in which the life-breaths are said to in¬ here, to which all the senses are said to belong, and which is said to be the most important of alb the limbs of the body, is called by the name of Head.11

Hemicrania, or headaches affecting the whole head, catarrah, diseases of the mouth, the nose, and the eye, swimming of the head,12 facial paralysis, tremors of the head, inflammation of the throat, wry-neck, dislocation of the cheek bone, and numerous

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p. 186

CEAIi A K A-S AMBIT.

other diseases, born of disorders of the wind and worms in the stomach, affect the head (and are included among diseases of the head).13

Listen now to me as I enumerate the five diseases of the head with their causes and symptoms, that have been separately mentioned by the great Rishis in the abstract or abridgment of diseases.14

From loud talking and excessive talking, powerful scents, night-keeping, exposure to cold, physical exercise, suppression of the urgings of nature,15 fasting, violence done to the body, purging and vomiting in excess, from tears and grief and fear and alarm, from carrying of heavy loads, and walking of long distances,16 the wind that is in the head increases and entering the veins of the head becomes excited, From the wind ( thus excited ) one gets a severe headache.17 The two temples begin to throb with a pier¬ cing pain ; the nape or back of the neck feels a tearing pain ; the space between the two eye-brows, as also the entire forehead, burns with heat and pain.18 The two ears also throb with noise and pain. The sensation in the two eyes is as if they are being torn out. The whole head swims, AH the joints (in the head ) seem to be torn asunder.19 All the nerves and veins also throb incessantly. The neck becomes stiff. The rejnedy in affections of the head due to disorders of the wind is the use of things cooling and warm.*20

In consequence of the use of things that are pungent or sour or saltish or saline, through anger, exposure to heat, or to strong winds, the bile in the head becomes disordered and produces dis¬ orders in the head.21 In consequence thereof, the head becomes the seat of burning and tearing pains. A wish arises for cooling things. The eyes also burn. Thirst arises. The head swims. The whole body perspires.23

From constant enjoyment of luxurious seats, from constant indulgence in luxurious sleep, from excessive eating of heavy and cooling food, the phlegm in the head becomes disordered and produces disorders in the head.23 In consequence thereof, mild

* In Verse 15, 1 tikshnaghranat ’ and not ‘ tikshnapanat ’ is the correct reading. In 16, ‘Vamanadati’ and not ‘ Vamanaditi,’ This ,ati, qualifies all the previous words. ‘ Cankhau ’ are the two temples. ' Ghata’ is the nape of the neck. In Verse 20, ‘ Stabhyate and not ‘ tudyate’ is the correct reading.— T.

CHAR A KA -SA MHITA.

p. 187

pains appear in the head. The sensation of touch in the head becomes weakened. A sensation of dulness or drenching too appears. The head becomes heavy. The langour of sleepiness, general weakness, and disgust for food are the other symptoms.24

In disorders of the head caused by the excitement of the wind, the pronounced symptoms are excess of pain, swimming of the head, and a tremor also. In disorders caused by the excitement of the bile, the symptoms are a sensation of burning, of intoxica¬ tion, and thirst. In disorders caused by the excitement of the phlegm, the symptoms are heaviness and the langour of sleep. In disorders of the head due to the excitement of all the three faults, all these symptoms appear.*25

In consequence of eating sesame, milk, molasses, undigestible things, rotten fish or meat or vegetables, and such food as is made of inconsistent ingredients ( as milk and fish, or milk and meat), a person whose wind, bile or phlegm is disordered, gets impurities in his blood, phlegm, and flesh.26 From those impurities, wormstake birth in the stomach of the man of vicious habits.

These, in their turn, cause in the person’s head, head-disease with terrible symptoms.27 Such, indeed, are the effects produced by those worms that the person afflicted by them feels piercing and cutting pains, a sensation of itching, intumescense, and a foetid odor in the body.28