Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

eat at the proper time, and keep one’s senses under control, seeing that numerous painful diseases arise from food that is inharmonious (with ‘prakriti,’ &c.). 24

The wind, bile, and phlegm, indulged by these four causes of phthisis, become provoked.f

Being provoked, these waste the body by the help of diverse mor¬ bid afflictions. Regarding this disease as the severest of all diseases, it is named ‘Raja-yakshmaa.’J

* Vide ‘Vimansthanam,’ Lesson I, pp. 454 -457, ante, as also p. 453 ante. — T.

+ The four causes are x. acts of rashness, 2. suppression of urgings of stools and urine, 3. waste of semen, &c., and 4. inharmonious food and drink — T.

X ‘Yakshma’ means ‘disease f ‘raja’ means ‘king.’ Hence, ‘Rajayakshma’ means ‘king of diseases.’— T.

p. 686

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

Or, perhaps, it is called ‘Raja-yaksma’ because of the fact of the Shoma, the king of the constellations, having got it in days of yore.* 25

These are the incubatory symptoms of the disease :

They are, —

Catarrh in the nose and the mouth ;

Sneezing, and constant emission of phlegmonous matter ;

The presence of a sweet taste in the mouth ;

The absence of any desire for food ;

A sense of fatigue or exertion at the time of eating ;

The finding of fault, when fault there is none or very slight, in such matters as the plates and cups, &c., used in meals, the water that is given for drink, the food that is placed before, the soups of pulses and other articles, curries and sauces, and the people employed in serving the food ;

A tendency to vomit after meals ;

Actual vomiting on certain days, after meals ;

•Dryness of the mouth and the waste of the legs ;

Frequent examination of the palms ;f

Excessive whiteness of the eyes (i. e., bloodlessness) ;

Frequent inquiries of waxing or waning of the arms ;

Desire for sexual indulgence ;

* In days of yore, the god Shoma (the deity of the moon), having married the seven and twenty daughters of the celestial Rishi, Daksha, one of the lords of Creation, showed particular attachment to only one of them, viz., Rohini. The neglected six and twenty complained of the conduct of their husband to their puissant progenitor. The latter admonished and warned Shoma, telling him that he would incur his displeasure by continuing that conduct. Shoma, however, paid little heed to his father-in-law’s warning. Incensed at this, Daksha cursed Shoma, saying ‘Be thou afflicted with that wasting disease called phthisis !’ The Rishi’s curse began to take effect. Shoma began to waste away. Seeing this, all the deities with Shoma himself sought to propitiate Daksha. The Rishi, unable to falsify his words, mitigated the curse, saying that after wasting himself into invisibility, Shoma would wax again into vigour and life. The waning and the waxing of the moon is thus explained in Hindu mythology. Shoma is the king or lord of the constellations. Hence ‘Raja-yakshma’ may be explained as the ‘yakshman’ or disease that the king or the lord of the constellations had. It should be added that Shoma is not only the lord of the constellations but is the lord as well of the regenerate class of men, i. e. of the Brahmanas. He is commonly called ‘Dwijapati.’ — Ts f This examination is made for ascertaining whether good or evil is in store for him. The actis, palmistry is regarded as a science in India. Everybody dabbles in it. The lines on the palms are supposed to indicate the period of life, the near or distant advent of disease, &c.—T.

James W. Reese, Esq., Westminister Maryland, 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 as the preservation of health and cure of disease.

William Emmette 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, occidental medical science, therapeutic. American and European 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, &c., and one of the first to be taken up will be yours.

Chas. O. Curtman, 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. Cowel, Cambridge : — A careful translation of this ancient work will be very interesting and valuable. I can only hope that you may succeed in translat¬ ing the entire work. It will be a great achievement when finished.

R. G. Eccless, Esq., Dean St. Brooklyn, New York: — Matter is certainly of great

E. P. Davis, Esq., Editor of the American Journal of the Medical Sciences, Phila¬ delphia: — Thank you for this erudite and interesting contribution to the Medical literature.