Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Translation of Charaka Samhita. — Kaviraj Avinash Chundra Kaviratna has sent us a fascicule of the English translation of the oldest Sanskrit work on Medicine. This is an enterprise which is deserv¬ ing of encouragement. This is a busy and practical age, and medical science as now known and practised differs toio cczlo from the fanciful pathology and crude therapeutics laid down by Charaka. Still the early grop¬ ing after truth of the sages of an ancient and marvellous civilization will never cease to possess interest even if they fail in'the attribute of utility.”— May, 1891.

( 12 )

Extract from the ( Calcutta ) Englishman.

“ Pundit Avinash Chunder Kaviratna has published the first part of his translation of Charaka Samhita, the most ancient and famous work on Hindu medicine extant. * * * Pundit Avinash truly says the age of

Charaka is not its only recommendation, for it is also the most comprenensive Hindu treatise, we possess on disease and the general conditions of health. Eight years ago, Pundit Avinash Chunder issued an edition of Charaka, together with a Bengali translation. The edition of a thousand copies was rapidly exhausted, and he then set to work upon Susruta, of which about half has already appeared, done into Bengali and Hindi. And now he has begun this English version of Charaka, which has all the appearance of being a careful and scholarly piece of work The indefatigable translator,desferves the warmest encour¬ agement from his fellow-countrymen and from all true friends of India. His work is being published at a cheap rate, and it ought to be welcomed by all students of medicine in India, as well as by students of ancient Hindu learning.” — 12 th July , 1891.

Extract from {Bombay) Native Opinion.

“Mr. Kaviratna has kindly s^nt us the first number of his English translation, which he proposes to issue in suc¬ cessive parts. We wish every success to this praiseworthy attempt of his. Charaka’s work is the most renowned of extant works on the Indian system of medicine, -t. trans¬ lation of this work from the pen of such a well-versed

4 7,357 charaka-samuitA. 57

After this I shall mention the persons for whom smoke is in¬ jurious.32

One who has taken purgative should not take smoke; nor one who has taken an injection; nor one who is suffering under affec¬ tions that produce hemorrhage; nor one suffering from poisoning; nor one afflicted with grief ; nor a woman that is pregnant ;S3 nor one exhausted with labour ; nor one under intoxication, nor one whose stomach is full of mucus; nor one who is suffering under. ex¬ cess of bile; nor one whose eyes are not visited by sleep; nor one subject to fainting fits or vertigo or afflicted by thirst; nor one who is weak ; nor one who has wounds and ulcers on the body ;34 nor one who has taken wine or milk or oily drinks or honey. One should never take smoke after having eaten rice with curds. Then again, one should not smoke whose constitution is dry, as also one who is angry.35 One should not smoke who is suffering under an Inflammation of the palate ; nor one who is suffering under cata¬ ract; nor one whose head has sustained an injury; nor one who Is suffering under pain with heat and swelling in the temples and forehead ; nor one who has got inflammation of the throat ; nor one who is suffering under disorders of the urine ; nor one afflicted with disorders resulting from excess of drinking.36 He who in these disorders when smoke should not be taken, takes it through igno¬ rance, finds his disorders increase very greatly in consequence of such misuse of smoke.37