Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

‘Ekade5ama9rit|h’ is read by some. Chakrapani reads ‘ekadesamanna- .9.ritSh\ This is almost the same. 'Suddenly escaping through the upper and the lower (ducts)’ implies escape in the form of vomit or stools, or eructations or wind with foetid odor. — T.

f The first five words beginning with 'Kama’ and ending with ‘Irsha’ are the names of the evil passions mentioned in all scriptural works. 'Lobha’ occurs again. This may be a misreading, or, it may imply ‘avarice’ as I have put it, Chakrapani explains ‘Sma-pradoshakara’ as meaning diseases born of indigetion.— T,

p. 466

CHAR A KA-SA MBIT A

There occurs a verse here :

Even food that is prescribable and that is taken according to proper measure is not digested in consequence of anxiety, grief, fear, wrath, misery, (the inactivity of continuous) lying down, and wakefulness.16.*

Physicians say that the diseases born of undigested food are of two kinds. These are Visuchika and Alasaka. Of these, that disorder born of undigested food should be known as Visuchika which has an upward and downward tendency of the kind already referred to.17.f

We shall now explain what is meant by Alasaka. Of one that is weak, of a weak digestive fire, and of excess of phlegm, that suppresses the urgings of wind, urine, and stools, and that takes food that is solid, heavy, beyond measure, unmoist, cold and dry, such food and drink, oppressed by wind, and having its outlets of escape closed up by phlegm, become exceedingly compressed, and in consequence of their movelessness, lose the power of escaping out (®f the system). 184

After this, Alasaka discovers, in excess, all the symptoms of undigested food (and drink) except vomiting and purging.

Then the faults (wind, bile, and phlegm) aggravated in a large measure, and having their outlets closed up by the undigested food (and drink), begin to move in transverse directions, and some¬ times cause the patient’s body to become as rigid as a stake of wood.

This (aggravated) from of Alasaka is said to be incurable.1’.

* What is stated here is this : even food that is 'pathya’ or proper, (that is, prescribable for a person in view of his especial circumstances or condition) and that is taken according to proper measure, does not undergo digestion if there is mental anxiety, &c. The Rishi wishes to inculcate that propriety of measure is not everything or the only consideration. — T.

f ‘Visuchika’ is identified with the modern cholera. Its chief symptoms, as here declared, are vomiting and purging. ‘Yathoktarupam’ refers to what has been said in aphorism u ante.—T.

% The disease called Alasaka has been identified with Tympanitis. — T.

CHA RAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 467

Again, of one that takes such food as is compounded of hostile ingredients, or that takes food after a previous stuffing of the stomach with food, or that takes food anew before the food taken previously has been digested, the (excited) faults are spoken of by physicians as “the poison of undigested food/’ in consequence of their symptoms being similar to those of poison.

When such has been the case, it becomes incurable, in conse¬ quence of the rapidity of its action and the hostile character of the treatment (that is deducible from the ordinances).20* * * §

As regards that undigested food which has led to Alasaka and which is capable of treatment (or cure), it should be expelled out by causing hot water mixed with salt to be drunk. Then the patient should be treated by the application of diaphoretics and by insertion of medicated wicks (into the anal canal). The patient should also be made to fast.2t+

In the case of Visuchika, fasting should be prescribed at the outset. Subsequently the patient should be treated like one that has been purged (by the proper application of purgatives)22^

When disorders due to undigested food have occurred and when the usual hour comes of the patient’s eating, if it is seen that the patient has his stomach still affected by the faults or that he has his stomach still dull and heavy, or that he has no liking for food, then for digesting that portion of the faults which still remains, and for exciting his digestive fire, he should be made to drink some medicine, care being taken to see that the food in the stomach has been already digested. In no case should such a patient be made to take any medicine if the food in his stomach is still undigested ; since the (digestive) fire, which has been weakened by undigested food in the stomach, cannot simulta¬ neously digest both the medicine (that is administered) and the undigested food tin the stomach).28§

* What is meant by ‘Viruddhopakrama’ is this : the symptoms exhibited are such that the treatment laid down for allaying one aggravates another. — T.

f ‘Ullekha' implies scraping, that is, cutting and separating. Here it means vomiting. — T.

J Vide Lesson - ante, Sutrasthanam. — T.

§ This is a very important aphorism. What the Rishi says here is this :

p. 468