Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Beholding these, ignorant physicians err in judging of the strength or weakness of a disease, Stupified by ignorance, they administer medicines improperly, for the destruction or excessive misery of the afflicted,6"'

Physicians of wisdom, however, ascertaining everything by examination of every kind, do not trip in the administration of medicines at any time,8

Having heard, in course of this prelection on the aspects presented by a diseased person, of the cause that limits the number of those aspects, of the cause, with censures; of erroneous con¬ clusions with respect to aspects, of the diseased, and also of the cause, with praises, of correct conclusions with respect thereto, Agnivefa, after this, touching the feet of the illustrious son of Atri, questioned him about the origin, place ( habitat ), shape,

CHA RA KA - SA M HIT A.

p. 529

complexion, name, effects, and treatment of all kinds of worms generated in the body.

Unto him the illustrious son of Atri said

In this matter, without doubt, O Agnivefa, ( it may be said that ). there are twenty varieties of worms. In a former place, except those that have their birth with the body, they have been spoken of with all their distinctions.9*

Classified according to ( the differences of ) their nature ( or origin ) they are of four kinds.

These are 1. those born of faeces, 2. those born of phlegm, 3. those born of blood, and 4. those born of impurities.

Of Impurities, there are two kinds, viz-, 1. External, and 2. Internal.

We shall speak of only those worms that are born of External Impurities.

Their rise ( or appearance ) is due to omission or, neglect in cleansing the body.

* The first portion of this aphorism has been worded in a very intricate way. It seems that the writers of such texts took a delight in expressing their meanings in language at once quaint and difficult of comprehension, or, perhaps* they devised that the services of living teachers should never be dis¬ pensed with. ‘ Sankhyagrasambhavam ’ of ' Vyadhitarupa,’ implies ‘ cause of the limit of the number’ of the aspects of the diseased’. It has been said that the number of those aspects is two, the cause being difference in respect of the condition of mind, strength, complexion, &c,. Instead of saying this, plainly, it is referred to as ‘ the cause that' limits the number,’ Number has, limits, for it may be large or small ; cause of the number, and cause limiting the number, are the same. The former is a quaint mode of expression. Then, again, in ‘ Vyadhitarupahetu-Vipratipattau-karanam,’ both ‘ hetu ’ and ‘karanam’ ordinarily mean the samething. ‘ Vipratipatti ’ is. erroneous conclu¬ sion. ‘ Vipratipattau karanam ’ would, therefore, mean the causes, in the matter of, or of, such erroneous conclusion. ‘ Vyadhitarupahetuviprapatti' implies erro¬ neous conclusions with reference to or about ‘ vyadhitarupa ’ or aspects of diseased persons. I take this opportunity for shewing how round about and needlessly periphrastic is the language of some of the aphorisms.

Some medical scholars believe that these portions are later interpolations. This, however, is a crude opinion.— T.

p. 530

CHAR AKA SAM HIT A.

Their habitat is hair, beard, bristles, eyelashes, and clothes.

As to their form they are very minute, of the shape of a seed, and possessed of many feet.

Their colour is black or white.

Their names are Yuka, and Pipilika.

The effect they produce is an itching sensation, on Urticaria evanida, or eruptions of diverse kinds ( i. e ., small boils and pimples ).

Their treatment consists ef separating them from the body by scratching • or combing and other processes, destruction of the impurities ( that generate them ) by washing and other processes, and avoidance of such food and practices as generate them.10

Of worms born of blood, the origin is the same as those of the several varieties of Kushtha ( Leprosy ).

Their habitat is the blood-bearing ducts.

As regards their form, they are very minute, round, feetless. Owing to their minuteness, some of them are invisible. Their colour is coppery.

Their names are Kegada, Lomada, Lomadwipa, Sanrosa, Audumvara, and Jantumatri.

The effect they produce is the destruction of the hair, beard, nails, and bristles.

As regards those blood-worms that occur in boils and sores, the effects they produce are to make the hair stand on end, violent itching, sharp pains and gentle itching.

As regards those that become very powerful amongst them, they eat away the skin, the ducts, tendons, flesh and cartilage.

Their treatment is the same as that of the several varieties of Kushtha ( Leprosy ) which we shall explain in future.11

Those worms that are born of phlegm have their origin in the use ( as food and drink ) of milk, raw sugar, sesame seeds, fish, flesh of animals living in marshy regions, cakes of diverse varieties, frumenty, the herbs called Kusumbha ( Carthamus tinctorius, Linn. ), oily substances,

CM A RA KA-SA Mill TA. 53 1