Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

In consequence of grief, fasting, physical exercise, food that is unoily, dry food, and insufficient food, wind penetrating the thorax, produces excessive pain.t22 When the thorax becomes afflicted with wind, the symptoms that manifest themselves are as follows : — • tremor of the whole body, a sensation of pressure on the chest and the abdomen as if tightly wrapped round with a broad piece of skin, stiffness of the whole body, a sensation of giddiness or intoxication producing delusions, a sensation of emptiness in the chest and heart, and of booming sounds about the heart. When

* ‘ Bhramah ’ or swimming has previously been said to be the symptom of headdisease when caused by excitement of the bile. Here, however, it is set down as a symptom of that disease which is induced by disorder of the wind. Kaviraja Gangadhara explains that * Vatat ’ here implies such wind as exists with bile. — T.

t Some texts read ‘ Amlabhojanaih ’ for ‘ Alpabhojanaih. ’ The meaning would then be 'food that is sour’ instead of ‘insufficient food.’— T.

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the food filling the stomach has been digested, the pains become excessive.*80

In consequence of taking food that is hot or sour or saline or bitter or indigestible, as also of alchoholic drinks, indulgence in anger, and exposure to the rays of the sun, the bile in the thorax becomes excited.81 The symptoms of thoracic diseases caus¬ ed by excitement of the bile are a sensation of burning in the region about the heart, a bitter taste in the mouth, bitter and sour eructations, a sensation of langour and exhaustion, thirst, loss of consciousness or swoons, delusions, and perspiration.t82

Excessive food, or food that is heavy, or food that is oily, or the total absence of mental and physical labour, or excessive indulgence in the pleasures of sleep, are causes of thoracic dis¬ eases due to excitement of the phlegm.88 The symptoms that then manifest themselves are numbness of the heart ( so that the region about the heart loses the sensation of touch), a sensation ■of the region about the heart being wrapped round with a piece of wet and heavy cloth, sleepiness, and disgust for food. Such a man has also the sensation of his heart being pressed down by a heavy mass of stones, t8 4

When the causes and the symptoms ( as hereinbefore indica¬ ted of the different tkinds of thoracic disease ) exist together, such diseases are then called Sannipatika. The wretch who, while suffering under a thoracic disease that is due to disorders of all the three ingredients, viz., wind, bile, and phlegm, takes sesame, milk, molasses, and other articles of the kind, brings on the afflic¬ tion called Granthi. Impurities and foetid humours are then generated in his vital parts. In consequence of those impurities, again, diverse kinds of worms are generated in the body of the

* In the first line, for ‘ funyatadravah ’ some texts read ‘ cunyatabhramah. ’ The last reading does not seem to be correct, for the mention of ‘ bhramah ’ after 1 pramohah’ would be superfluous. — T.

f In the second line, some texts read ‘ dahah ’ for ‘swedah.’ After the mention of ‘hriddahah’ in -the first line, it is not probable that ‘daha’ should be repeated, though ‘daha,’ standing by itself, would mean a burning sensation throughout the body. — T.

J ‘ Stimitabharikam ’ is one word, the meaning being * a sensation of the heart being wrapped round with a piece of wet cloth producing a feeling of heaviness or pressure.’ — T.

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afflicted wretch. Born in his vital parts, those worms move about and wander through every part of his body and devour his flesh, blood, and other vital ingredients. He then feels piercing pains in his heart like to what would happen if somebody were to repeat¬ edly pierce his heart with a needle. Sometimes he feels as if he were receiving cuts from a sharp weapon. An itching sensation also follows, as also an intolerable agony. Judging from these symptoms that the affliction under which the patient is suffering is a thoracic disease, in an aggravated form, due to the generation of worms, the physician possessed of learning should lose no time in conquering it, for fatal consequences, if the disease is not checked, are sure to be brought on very soon.*35.39

The seriousness or gravity of thoracic-disease is altogether of thirteen kinds. Six of these are due to the aggravation of the the faults affecting two of them at a time or only one of them at a time. Six other kinds are due to the attenuation of the one, the middling state of the second, and the aggravation of the third ; while from an equal measure of excitement of each of the three faults, only one kind is derived.-]-40

Through union of the faults (taken two at a time ), the variety will come up to nine. Of this, when one only of the faults is aggravated, six varieties result ; while, only one ( of the two ) be¬ coming aggravated, the variety comes up to three. Each of the three faults again becoming aggravated separately, the variety would come up to three. (With the thirteen mentioned in the pre-