Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The life of that man becomes difficult to save whom either of these two diseases, viz., suppression of urine and' stools, and diar¬ rhoea, assails when he is already weak and ill'.! 7

The life-breaths soon abandon that man whom these two dis-

* This verse shows that the speaker here is not Punarvasu of Atri’s race; It is some¬ body else who recites the words of Atri to Agniveca. This is the first time when some¬ body else steps in as the narrator. This person may be Charaka himself, the editor andreviser of Agnivefa’s treatise. It is curious that neither Chakrapani nor Gangadhara, por any of the Bengali translators, notices this change in respect of the agency of narration. — T.

t The physician should not take up the treatment of that man who shows the several morbid symptoms indicated in these two verses. ‘Chyavate,’ with reference to the food taken, implies motion downwards as also upwards, in other words, one who purges ancf vomits. — T.

f ‘ Gambhiraja’ is, literally, ‘deep-born.’ Deep-born hiccup means hiccup rising from the intestines, or such regions as lie deep beneath the throat. — T.

11 ‘ Anaha’ here evidently means suppression of stools or of both urine and stools. In many medical works, it is supposed to in n- suppression of mine only. — T.

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eases, viz.\ suppression of urine and stools, and excessive thirst, assail while he is already weak. 8

He, indeed, is like a dead man ’who gets an accession of fever in the morning, who has a dry and painful cough, and who is with¬ out flesh and strength * 9

He, indeed, is like a dead man who gets an accession of fever in the afternoon, who has a phlegmonous and painful cough, and who is without flesh and strength, w

That man does not live whose urine becomes dense, whose stools become knotty, whose digestive fire becomes weak, who has abdominal dropsy, and who is afflicted by asthma or difficulty of breathing.f 11

That man whose dropsy extends to the hands and the feet, dies of that very disease after giving much pain to his kins¬ folk! 12

The physician should not take up that man for treatment who has got dropsical swelling on his feet, whose calves have lost all compactness, and whose thighs have become exceedingly weak. 13 That man should not be treated with medicines whose hands, feet, anus, and abdomen show signs of swelling, 'who has become divested of complexion, strength, and appetite. H

That man should be forsaken (by the physician) from a distance whose chest is largely filled with phlegm which is of a blue, or yellow, or red colour, and which comes out constantly. J5

The physician possessed of knowledge should forsake from a distance that man the hairs on whose body stand erect, whose urine becomes dense, who has fever with a dry cough, and whose flesh has been reduced. 16

That man has no treatment whose faults have all been excited, causing sufferings of diverse kinds, who has lost flesh, and who is divested of strength. 17

Fever with diarrhoea, appearing after the disappearance of drop¬ sical swellings, or dropsical swellings appearing after the disappear-

* The commentators explain this verse in the following way : the morning is the time .for phlegm. Dry cough has the wind for its cause. Appearance of a dry cough, there¬ fore, in the morning is a very morbid symptom which indicates grave consequences. — T.

t Chakrapani explains that ‘grathitam’, as applied to ‘mutram’ or urine, means ‘ghanibhutam’, i. e., dense. — T.

$ The fact is, this disease lasts long and causes much suffering to kinsfolk. It is cer¬ tain to end in death, yet as death does not come soon, kinsfolk have to attend to him and nurse him long,— T.

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CHARAKA-SAMH1TA.

ance of the former, lead to death, especially in the case of one who has already become weak. 18

The physician possessed of knowledge should forsake that man who has become pale and exceedingly emaciated, who is afflicted by great thirst, whose eyes have become motionless, and whose breath has become quick.* J9

That man should be forsaken who is afflicted by dislocation of the cheek-bone, and wryneck, and excessive thirst, whose strength has been exceedingly diminished, and whose life-breaths move about in the chest only. 20

That man soon meets with death who sees darkness after physi¬ cal exertion, who fails to obtain ease, whose flesh, and strength, and food have diminished. 21

That man soon dies who is afflicted by diseases which increase rapidly in severity, which spring from opposite causes, and which cannot be treated without having recourse to operations of opposite consequences.! 22

That man dies soon whose strength, knowledge, general health, Grahani , flesh and blood, rapidly decrease. 23

Death rapidly takes away the life of that man whose diseases increase rapidly (in severity) and whose nature (disposition) rapidly alters for the worse. 24

( Here occurs a verse containing a Summary ).

Even these kinds of diseased bodies the physician should not take up (for treatment).

Wise physicians do not expect (when such men come to them) the slightest success from treatment. 1

Thus ends the 6th Lesson, called “ that appertaining to how many kinds of body are there.” in Agnivefa’s treatise as revised by Charaka.