Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

For the days the mother stays within the lying-in-apartments, gifts, auspicious rites, and the utterance of blessings, hymns, (to the deities), songs, and instrumental music, and feasting, and drinking, should ceaselessly go on within those apartments.

They should also be always filled with cheerful people who are devoted to the mother (or the good of the family to which she belongs).

A Brahmana, well versed in the Atharva-Veda, should, morning and evening, perform the ganti -Homa for the good of both the child and the mother.

The ordinances relating to the protection (of the mother and the babe) have thus been expounded.98 a. Garlics.

b. Broken grains of rice.

* As regards the herbs and plants referred to in the text as capable of keeping off Rakshasas and evil spirits, the Commentatries mention Guggula ( Balsamodendron Mukul) and other kinds of incense used in worshipping the deities. The fact is, mustard seeds, inspired with mantras , are very often used for keeping off evil spirts. With the aid of mantras each seed becomes as strong as a cannon ball.— T.

a. Dyosfiyros Embryofitens^ Pers.

* ‘ In dh an a’ is any kind of fire-wood. ‘ Tinduka- Kashtendhana1 is fire-wood of Tinduka. The mention of fire twice indicates that fires of any wood, and fire of Tinduka wood should be kept. What is intended is that not only fires, but fire-wood in sufficient quantity should be kept ready.— T,

p. 858

GHARAKA SAM HIT A.

When the physician notices that the mother has become hungry, he should, without regarding the consideration of assimilability, give her as much of ghee and oils and fat and marrow as she can drink.

After she has drunk some oil mixed with the powder of these, viz., Pippali (a), Pippali-mula (< b ), Chavya ( c ), Chitraka ( d ), and Qringavera (<?), her abdomen should be gently rubbed with ghee and oil, and then it should be bandaged with a large piece of cloth.

By this, the wind, within her womb, will not be vitiated in consequence of the absence of space to move about.*

When the oils taken have been digested, gruel of barley, in which have been boiled Pippali (/) and the rest, well mixed • with oils, should be given to drink, morning and evening, in a liquid state and in proper measure.

The mother should be washed with tepid water before she is given the oils or the gruel of barley.

Having observed this course (of treatment) for five or seven nights, the mother should then be gradually nourished (to health).

This is the course of treatment for the mother when she is in health."

The diseases which come upon the mother are either difficult of cure or incurable, in consequence of the following reasons :

The waste and relaxation of all the constituting ingredients of the body brought about by growth of the fcetus :

The emptiness of the body brought about by the pains due to straining, the discharge of extraneous matters and blood, and the drying up of all humours :

a. Piper longum , Linn., syn. Chavica Roxburghii, Miq.

b. The roots of the above.

c. Piper Chaba , Hunter ; syn. Chavica officinarum , Miq.

d. Plumbago Zeylanica , Linn.

e. Dry ginger.

* By rubbing ghee and oil on the abdomen and then bandaging it with a large piece of cloth, the wind is checked. ‘ Anavakagatwat’ implies ‘ from absence of space.’ The fact is, the bandage presses down the vacant spaces between the nerve-cells, and keeps the part from exposure to chilling winds. — T.

/. ‘ Pippali and the rest1 implies the pulv made of Pippali-rootS, Chavya, Chitraka, and dry ginger.

For the equivalents of these, vide notes a to e above. —T,

[ 2 ]

James W. Reese, Esq., Westminister, Matyland, U. S. A. You have undertaken a great and difficult work, and one which, it seems to me, deserves the approbation and encouragement of all who care to know what wise men of the past ages thought and taught on a topic so important aB the preservation of health and cure of disease.

William Emette Coleman, Esq., San Francisco , California.—* * * As each successive part is issued, the greater intrinsic value of the work is apparent . There is much in it both of interest and value to the'

Western mind, occidedtal medical science, therapeutic. American and Europe¬ rn medical science has much to learn .

Chas. E. Sajons, Esq., Philadelphia, U. S. A. : — You are entitled to the greatest praise. Next May or June the Satellite — a journal under my editorial management — will begin to review books, etc, and one of the first to be taken up will be yours.

Chas. 0. Courtman Esq., St. Louis , Ohio U. S. A. .-—The work interests me very highly, and' I have already, on last night taken it to the meeting of one of our medical societies, and read extracts from it which excited a lively curiosity and expressions of interest. I will send selections from it to a medical journal and also to a pharmaceutical monthly.

Professor E. B. Cowell, Cambridge.. .A careful translation of this ancient work will be very interesting and valuable. I can only hope that you may succeed in translating the entire work. It will be a great achievement when finished.

R. G-. Eccless Esq., Dean St. Brookyn, New York. ..The matter is certainly of great interest to me.