Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* For ‘Santarpana’ and ‘Apatarpana’ vide Lesson XXI, Sutrasthana, ante. Generally speakings by ‘Santarpana’ is meant the administration of such food and drink as lead to the nourishment of the body. By ‘Apatarpana’ is meant the reverse of this, that is, fasts, sparing diet, &c. ‘Pradeha means plasters, ‘liarisheka’ implies sprinkling water upon the patient’s body. Shower-baths are included in the word. ‘Avagaha’ is that kind of bath in which the whole body is dipped or immersed.

‘Samsparfana’ is, literally, contact ; hence the contact of cool unguents, such as sandalpaste, &c., or medicated oils for rubbing the body with.

‘Vamanadyaih,’ meaning emetics and rest, implies the administration of both emetic purgatives. — T.

t ‘Anuloma’, here, is used in the sense of downwards. — T.

charaka-samhita.

p. 949

Its expulsion In a counter direction is laid down (as the proper treat¬ ment).* * * § 20

Thus no alleviative exists of this, capable of operating in all direc¬ tions.

When the (excited) faults exist in a state of union, that alleviative is approved which can subdue both or all at the same time. 21

Thus, agreeably to the course it takes, has blood-bile been explain¬ ed, having three eventualities.*

Verily, through these (that is the following) reasons, blood-bile that is curable becomes incapable of cure :

Through want of attendant (or nurse), as also of the requisite means, and in consequence of the patient’s perversity (or folly) or of the fault of the physician, or of improper treatment, some disease (that is really curable) transcends the bounds of curability .{ 22_23 •

In this connection it should be stated that, overstepping as it does the distinctions of curability and suppressibility, incurability is (really) of only one kind.

Here (that is, below) are laid down the indications of the incu¬ rability of blood-bile. § 24

* By ‘Samgodhana’ is meant a corrective medicine, that is, an emetio or a purgative. ‘Pratimargaga’ is something that goes in an opposite or contrary way. What is stated here is that when blood-bile escapes through both the upper and the lower outlets, no corrective capable of checking it by acting in a contrary way is to be found. Emetics would increase the upward flow ; while purgatives would increase the downward flow. The treatment laid down for blood-bile is its ‘harana’ or expulsion in a contrary or counter direction. No medi¬ cine, therefore, exists which can operate completely against this kind of blood-bile, for that remedy only is approved which simultaneously checks the disease in all directions. — T.

+ The three eventualities, as explained by Gangadhara, are, curability, suppressibility, and incurability. — T.

t Some Bengali translators take ‘preshya’ to imply a messenger, that is, one whom the patient or his friends may send to call in the physician. The word, however, as correctly explained by Gangadhara, means attendant or nurse. In ‘Sutrasthana’ (Lessons IX and X) ■it has been laid down that an obedient patient, a good physician, proper medicines, and a skilful attendant or nurse, are the four requisites of successful treatment.

‘Upakarana’ implies all kinds of means necessay to effect a cure, such as drugs, a welllighted and well-ventilated room or house for placing the patient in, good beds and clothes, &C., vehicles and media for administering medicines, &c.

By ‘dauratmya’ is meant the perversity or folly of the patient, leading to disobedience of the physician’s behests, the use of forbidden food and drink, &c.

‘Akarma’ is improper treatment. — T.

§ The result of treatment is of three kinds, viz., i. ‘sadhya’ or curable, 2. ‘yapya’ or suppressible, and 3. ‘asadhya’ or incurable. In verses 22 and 23, the Rishi has spoken of “certain causes which convert a ‘sadhya’ or curable disease into an ‘asadhya’ or incurable one.

p. 950

CHA RA K A - SA M HIT A .

That blood-bile whose colour is dark, or blue, or like that of the rain-bow, or which stains a cloth so deeply as to be ineradicable after even a wash in water, is incurable. 25

That blood-bile which is of a very foetid scent, or which is accom¬ panied by all the supervening symptoms, or which affeets patient’s whole strength and flesh have decreased., does not yield to treatment.26

That blood-bile also is, without doubt, incurable, afflicted by which a man beholds all visual objects,' including the sky also, to be red or of the colour of blood. 27

Here it should be said that that variety of the disease which is in¬ curable should not be taken up (by the physician for treatment) ; that which is suppressible should with care be suppressed ; that which is curable should be cured by the physician, with concentrated attention, by means of such medicines whose effects have been tested. 2S ( Here are two verses containing a summary .)

In this Lesson on the ‘Nidana’ (or causes) of blood-bile, Punarvasu, who was freed from heedlessness, the faults of passion, cupidity, pride, and the inebriety of arrogance, and who was emancipated from desire, has expounded the causes, the origin of the designation, the incuba¬ tory. symptoms, the supervening ones, the two courses or paths, the; characteristics when united with particular faults {viz., wind, &c.), and, lastly, curability and the reverse, with the reasons thereof.* 12