Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

t ‘Avasthikam’ implies ‘for the time being,’ that is, temporary. ‘Sattwa’ here "means mind and not the quality of goodness. — T.

I26a

p. 1004

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

Swoons or fits of unconsciousness ;

Frequent vertigo or giddiness of the head ;

A sense of inebriation, dancing, a sensation of being pierced, or of pain, or of trembling, or of falling down from high places, in dreams.

After the manifestation of these incubatory indications, the disease manifests itself.* * * § 5

Here are laid down indications that lead to a particular know¬ ledge of Epilepsy.

These are, —

Frequent swoons, and frequent accessions of consciousness ;

Jutting out of the eyes into prominent relief ;

Discordant bewailings ; f

Copious discharge of froth from the mouth ;

Bending of the neck ;j

Piercing pains in the head (at such times when the patient regains consciousness) ;§

Bending and swerving of the fingers from their straight or normal position ;TT

* Amongst the incubatory symptoms occur certain sensations in dreams. The person feels, in dreams, that he is inebriated with wine ; that he is dancing ; that he is pierced with weapons ; that he is suffering great pain ; that he is shivering ; that he is falling down from a high place ; &c.

‘Bhrama’ is a technical word, implying vertigo or giddiness of the head. Gangadhara takes it as implying a sensation of the entire body being whirled round and round, with the surrounding objects also whirled in the same manner. — T.

t ‘Asamna vilapantam’ is explained by Gangadhara as ‘apritya rudantam that is, crying from discontentedness or cheerlessness. This can scarcely be correct. The patient himself does not remember that he was crying. The expression really means discordant cries.— T.

+ ‘Akhata gribam’ I render as ‘bending of the neck.’ The root ‘kha’ generally implies ‘khanana’ or digging. Here it is used in a different sense, viz., that of bending. As a matter of fact, when an epileptic fit occurs, the patient’s neck, is seen to bend or incline either to the right or the left, or sometimes forwards or. backwards. — T.

§ ‘Abiddha giraskam’ implies piercing pains in the head. Of course, it is only at intervals of consciousness that the patient feels such pains in the head.— T.

IT ‘VishamavinatSngulim’ implies that the fingers are both ‘vishama’ and ‘vinata.’ The first implies that they are stretcheed out in attitudes that are not normal or straight. The second means bent.— T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1005

Tossing of the thighs, the arms, and the legs ;

Roughness, as also redness or darkness of hue of the nails, the eyes, the face, and the skin generally ;

Delirious speeches ;*

Sight of forms that move as quickly as flashes of lightning, and that are rough and dry ;

Aggravation of the disease by indulgence in food and practices that are provocative of the wind ; and

Relief of the malady by indulgence in food and practices of an opposite kind, (that is, food and practices which allay the wind).

The above symptoms manifest themselves in Epilepsy caused by excited wind. 6

Frequent swoons and frequent accessions of consciousness ;

Indistinct mutterings ;

Rolling and tossing on the ground ;

Greenness, or yellowness, or a coppery hue of the nails, the eyes, the face, and of the skin generally :

The sight of forms that are blood-stained, fierce, terrible, blazing, and angry ;

Aggravation of the malady by indulgence in food and practices that are provocative of the bile ; and

Relief of the malady by indulgence in food and practices that allay the bile.

The above symptoms manifest themselves in Epilepsy caused by excited bile. 7

Long-extending swoons, with long intervals of consciousness ;

Falling down upon the ground ;

The exhibition, in a slight degree, of abnormal movements and attitudes ;

Discharge of saliva from the mouth ;

Whiteness (or paleness) of the nails, the eyes, the face, and of the whole skin generally ;

Sight of forms that are white, heavy, and oily ;f

* The correct reading is ‘anabasthita vachanam’ after which comes ‘chapala parusharuksharupadarginam.’ ‘Vachanam’ is omitted by Gangadhara. The compound simply be¬ comes ungrammatical and senseless. — T.

1' The adjective ‘snigdha,’ applied to forms, may imply amiability. Probably, this is the ioo 6

CH ARAKA-S AM HIT A\

Aggravation of the malady by indulgence in food and practices that are provocative of the phlegm ;

Relief of the malady by indulgence in food and practices that allay the phlegm.

That Epilepsy should be regarded as born of all the three faults in which the symptoms of the three aforesaid varieties are manifested in a combined form.

This variety of Epilepsy is said to be incurable.

Thus have the four varieties of Epilepsy been explained. 8

Sometimes Epilepsy of the variety called Accidental supervenes upon these four (Constitutional) varieties.

Instructions regarding this Accidental variety of Epilepsy are to be laid down hereafter.

The special indications of Accidental Epilepsy are the appearance of symptoms in addition to those which have been already stated. These additional symptoms slightly differ from those which belong to the Constitutional varieties of the diseases.* 9