Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* The administration of purgatives, while checking the discharge through the upper outlets, would enhance the discharge through the lower ones. Similarly, emetics, while checking the discharge through the lower outlets, would enhance the discharge through the upper ones. Hence, in such a case, that is, when the discharge is simultaneous through the upper and the lower outlets, it is incapable of treatment or check. There is no medicine that is prescribable. — T.

+ It is curious to see how such crude notions were imbibed by the Rishis about the origin of this disease. Probably, these passages are interpolations of a later age. The story of Daksha’s sacrifice is this : Daksha was one of the sons of Brahman, the Grand-sire, created by a fiat of the latter’s will. Daksha was one of the ‘Prajapatis,’ or lords, or progenitors, of the Creation. He had eight and twenty daughters. Seven and twenty of these he married to Chandramas (the deity of the moon) ; and the remaining one to Siva or Mahadeva. The latter is supposed to reside in crematoria.. He is adorned with snakes and human skulls and bones and the. ashes of funeral pyres. All that is rejected by others is acceptable to Mahadeva. Disgusted and angry with Mahadeva, Daksha resolved to perform a grand sacrifice to which everybody would be invited with the exception of Mahadeva. No portion of sacrificial offer¬ ings was to be given to Mahadeva. When the sacrifice commenced, Mahadeva’s spouse, who was Daksha’s daughter, came to her father’s abode, although she had not been invited.' Seeing her, Daksha became angry and began to speak ill of her lord. Unable to bear her father’s words, she cast off her life-breaths by Yoga. When Mahadeva heard of this, he came to Daksha’s sacrifice, accompanied by a large army of spirits and ghostly beings, and destroyed everything in wrath. It was this wrath of Mahadeva which gave rise to Fever and Blood-bile.— T.

p. 120

p. 943

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

He should, in dealing with the disease, have recourse either to those methods which are called ‘Santarpana,’ or those named ‘Apatar¬ pana or to such food and drink as are mild, sweet, cooling, bitter, or •astringent ; or to plasters and sprinkling and baths and unguents, or to emetics and drugs of similar virtues.* 12

( Here occur some verses.)

That blood-bile is curable which escapes through the upper outlets -of the body. This is so because of the adaptablity of purgatives and the existence of a profusion of (suitable) drugs. I3

Verily, for conquering the bile, purgatives are the best remedy. They are not even a bad remedy for the -phlegm that is excited with the bile. »4

In treating blood-bile that escapes through the upper outlets of the body, things that are astringent, or bitter, are capable of being applied in diverse ways. Hence, blood-bile that escapes through the upper outlets is regarded as capable of easy cure. TS

That blood-bile which escapes through the lower outlets is, it is certain, only suppressible. This is so because of the little adaptability of emetics to this disease and the paucity of (suitable) drugs. 16

Emetics are not regarded as the best of remedies for conquering the bile. They are also said to be unfit for alleviating the wind that, is excited with the bile. l7

In the treatment of this disease, things that are sweet are capable of being applied in diverse ways. Hence, blood-bile that escapes through the lower outlets is said to be only suppressible.f 18

That blood-bile which escapes through both the upper and the lower outlets should be known as incurable for the reasons laid down before. J9

There is no counteracting corrective for this bile. In blood-bile,