Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

In consequence of taking (in excess) food that is heavy, or sweet, or cold, or oily, or of excessive sleep or physical exercise, and the like causes, the phlegm becomes excited and, prevailing over the skin, the flesh and the blood, brings about Inflammations.

Such Inflammation appears slowly and disappears as slowly.

Its hue becomes whitish or white. It becomes oily and smooth, A sensation of heaviness is felt in the part, ft does not change its locality. It looks as if wet or drenched with water. The hair that grows on the part presents a white color at the end. It is capable of bearing the application of warmth or heat.11

Inflammations are altogether of seven kinds. When the causes (in respect of the excitement of the wind, the bile, and the phlegm) and the symptoms are unmixed, the varieties are three in number, When in respect of their causes and indications, they

CHA RAKA -SA MHITA .

p. 209

are mixed two at a time, the varieties are three in number. When all the causes and symptoms are combined, there is but .one variety, called Sannipatika.*19

Inflammation, classified according to these several natures, is of two kinds, three kinds, four kinds, and seven kinds. They are, again, of one kind, judged by the swelling-! 1 9 liere occur some Verses,

When in consequence of an Inflammation, the limbs of a patient become afflicted with pain or benumbed and destitute of sensibility, or when such pain becomes very acute, and when the Inflammation, if pressed down, swells up quickly, such Inflamma¬ tion should be set down as due to the action of the wind.14 That Inflammation, again, which is of a reddish splendour, whose pains abate during the night, and which disappears upon being rubbed with oil or ghee and warm substances, should also be known to be due to the action of the wind,16

That Inflammation which appears in a person afflicted with thirst and fever, which is attended with pain, and which burns, which is covered with sweat, which secretes juicy liquids and which is endued with a bad odor, should be known as an intumescence due to the action of the bile.16 That Inflammation which causes the face, the eyes, and the skin to become yellow, and which is first generated from the middle part of the body (although it may subsequently change its place), which is such that the skin on the affected part becomes very thin, and which brings about an attack of diarrhoea, is said to be due to the action of the bile.1 7

* I have expanded the passage a little. The fact is the seven varieties are these.; (l) due to excitement of the wind, (2) to excitement of the bile, (3) to excitement of the phlegm, (4) to excitement of both wind and bile, (5) to excitement of both wind and phlegm, and (6) to excitement of both bile and phlegm, and (7) to excitement of wind, bile, and phlegm. The symptoms in each case must correspond with the cause.— T. , f Two kinds, such as Constitutional and Accidental. Three kinds,, such as due to excitement of the wind, of the bile, or of the phlegm : Four kinds such as due to wind and bile, phlegm and bile, wind and phlegm, and all three united together, Seven kinds, as explained in the note above. — T,p. 206 charaka-samhitA.

That Inflammation which is cool, which is generated slowly, which is attended with itching, whose color is whitish, and which if pressed down does not swell up soon, is said to be an intumes¬ cence due to the action of phlegm.18

That Inflammation must be ascribed to the action of phlegm from which, if opened by a lancet or a blade of Ku^a grass, no blood is seen to flow but, instead, only an oily secretion of scanty measure.19

When the causes with their indications combine (two at a time) the Inflammation is said to be due to two combined faults. When all the causes with their indications combine, the Inflammation presents the features observed separately in separate varieties thereof, and the symptoms are necessarily of a mixed kind.20

That Inflammation which, in the case of a male person, setting in from the feet gradually extends over the whole body upwards, or which, in the case of a female, setting in from the mouth, gradually extends over the whole body downwards, is regarded as not easy of cure.21