Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The phlegm that is normal is called strength of the body.

* They are Varsha, Carat, Hemanta, Cita, Vasanta, and Grishma. Vide note p. 66 ante. — T.

p. 200

CHAR AK A -SA MHITA .

When the phlegm changes its normal condition, it becomes those impurities that are evacuated by the system. It is the phlegm that is also called the Ojas in the system. When its normal condition becomes altered, it becomes a source of evil.114

All acts and functions are due to wind as their cause; The wrind has been called the Life of living creatures. It is through the wind that all diseases are generated. It is through the wind also that all creatures meet with destruction.110

The enemy (disease) is always in one’s immediate proximity. One endued with wisdom should, therefore, always observe one¬ self and conduct oneself with concentrated attention, desiring ta have a long life.116

(Here is a summary containing a couple of Verses).

In this Lesson, called Kiyantah ^irasiya, diseases of the head, with the diseases of the thorax and all diseases that are generated by the varying measures of what are called the faults, ( viz., wind, bile, and phlegm), and attenuation, and all those diseases which are called Pidakas, and the diverse kinds of the courses which the faults have, have been spoken of by the truth-seeing Rishi, that benefactor of all creatures, for the instruction of physicians.1"2

Thus ends the Lesson called “ Kiyantah £irasiya,” in the treatise of Agnive9a as revised by Charaka.

LESSON XVIII.

We shall next expound the Lesson called Tr^othiya (the triple Inflammation).

Even this was said by the illustrious son of Atri,1

Three kinds of Inflammations appear. They are due to wind, bile, and phlegm.

Inflammations, again, may be divided into two classes, viz , Constitutional and Accidental.

CHA RA KA-SA M HIT A .

Those called Accidental are caused by cuts, piercing wounds, fractures, dislocations, pressure caused by heavy weights or pound¬ ing any part of the body (as if in a mortar), or the violence caused by something coiled or twined round with great force, or beating, or severe belabouring, of binding with chords, or griping, or other kinds of pain caused by external bodies.

Inflammations also set in, due to contact of the body with the flower or fruit of secretion of Bhallataka (a) ; the bristles of Atmagupta (3), the bristles of the worm called £uka; leaves, creepers, and plants that are poisonous to the touch ; or the sweat or limbs or the urine of poisonous animals.*

Inflammation may also set in through wounds in the body caused by the . teeth, the horns, and the nails or claws of animals whether poisonous or otherwise.! Inflammations are also caused by sea-water, poisonous winds, exposure to excessive cold and burns.2

Accidental Inflammations, again, differ from Constitutional ones in this respect, viz., the symptoms of the latter with respect to wind and the others manifest themselves before, whilst the symp¬ toms of the former springing from their respective causes, — the symptoms, that is, with respect to wind and the others,-* -manifest themselves in a different way, that is, afterwards. %3

Treated with bandages, Mantras, plasters made of drugs that

а. Semecarpus Anacardium.

б. Called also Kapikachchhu ; in Bengali, Allcusi; Mucuna pruriens ; syn. Carpopogon pruriens, Roxb.

* ‘ Parisarpana ’ is moving over. If a person treads upon any such animal, or any such animal moves over his body, inflammation sets in. — T.

t The claws or teeth of the tiger, for example, cause inflammation that brings about death. The nails and teeth of teven human beings can cause inflammation.

Cannine bites can cause inflammation, even when the dog has no rabies. _ T.

t This aphorism is exceedingly terse. I, therefore, expand it for making it intelli¬ gible. The sense is this : in Constitutional Inflammations, disorders first arise in respect of wind and the others ; those disorders then bring about the Inflammations ; in Acciden¬ tal inflammations, the reverse of this is seen, for the Inflammations, with their respective symptoms as due to their respective causes, first set in and then the disorders in respect of wind and the others take place. — T,

p. 202

CHAR A KA -SA M HI TA.

are destructive of poison, and emollients possessed of soothing or cooling virtues, and other means of the kind, Accidental Inflamma¬ tions are relieved.4

Constitutional Inflamations arise from injudicious administra¬ tion of oils, of Swedana, of emetics, of purgatives, of dry enemata, of oily enemata and of errhines, as also- from the in¬ sufficient administration of proper diet after corrective and other modes of treatme nt have been gone through.*5

Constitutional Inflammations also arise from attacks of nausea or vomiting, tympanites, violent diarrhoea or cholera, asthma, coughs, diarrhoea, consumption, anaemia or jaundice, stomachic and abdominal diseases, maenorrhagia, fistula-in-ano, and Haemor¬ rhoids, when the patient is exceedingly afflicted by any of these diseases.6