Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* I use the word ‘Nurse’ for ‘Upasthatri’ or ‘ Paricharaka. ’ The European reader should note that in India ‘ Paricharakas ’ are always males, and in very rare cases only, females. — T.

f The ingredients called ‘ Dhatu ’ are Wind, Bile, and Phlegm. In their parity or harmony of correlation is Health or the normal condition of the body. The absence of such parity or harmony is Disease. Health is otherwise known by the name of Happi¬ ness ; while Disease is identified with Sorrow or Misery. — T.

t The merit of a drug consists in its possessing an abundance of virtue, so that a very small quantity may produce a very large measure of action. There may be objects cartloads of which would be necessary to produce a particular action. These should not be regarded as drugs. The merit of a drug, again, consists in its capaoity of being used in diverse ways to suit patients of diverse dispositions. The usual forms of Ayurvedic

Cf/A kA KA - SA MHI TA.

p. 103

Knowledge of the manner in Which drugs should be prepared or compounded for administration, cleverness, devotedness to the patient waited upon, and purity (of both mind and body) are the four qualifications of the attending Nurse.6

Memory, obedience to directions (given by the Physician), fearlessness, and communicativeness (with respect to all that is experienced internally and all that is done by him during the in^ tervals of the Physician’s visits), are the qualifications of the Patient.7

If this tale of four be possessed of these sixteen qualifications then does it constitute the cause for the achievement of success (in Treatment). The Physician, in this aggregate of four, is the chief cause (for the achievement of success) since he is the ascertainer (of the character of the disease), the director (with respect to what the patient and the nurse should do\ and the minister (who applies the remedies that bring about the cure).8

As in the task of cooking, a vessel, fuel, and fire are means in the hands of the cook ; as a field, an army, and weapons are means in the victor’s hands for achieving a victory in battle ; even so the patient, the nurse, and drugs are objects that are regarded as the physician’s means in the matter of achieving a cure. In the act of treatment, the physician is regarded as the chief cause.9"1 a

Like clay, stick, wheel, thread, &c., in the absence of the potter, failing to produce anything by their combination, the three ofrhers, viz., drugs, nurse, and patient, cannot work out a cure in the absence of the physician.11

In the matter of the most difficult diseases disappearing like the vapoury forms in the welkin, and of others capable of ready cure but aggravating within the shortest time,, the sole cause is a competent and an incompetent physician, the other three (of the tale of four) being present in both cases. Even death (without medicines are Churna, Swarasa, Kalka, Kwatha, Phaota, Citakashaya, Paniya, Pramathya, Mantha, Kshirapaka, Yavagu, Avalepa, Vatika, Modaka, Khandapaka, Bhavans, Putapaka, &c. The more the number of forms in which a drug can be used, the greater its importance. Then, again, drugs should be undeteriorated, i.e., their virtues should not be weakened by worms, dampness^ &c. — T.

p. 104

CHARAKA-SA M HIT A

treatment) is preferable to treatment made by an ignorant and incompetent person.*12-13

An ignorant physician proceeds in the treatment of disease like a boat tossed by the wind or like a blind rridn who, having no knowledge of the ground over which he Walks, gropes fearfully along, always stretching out his arms.14

An ignorant physician, who succeeds in curing by chance a person afflicted with disease and having his allotted period of existence still unexhausted, and who regards himself on that account as one well conversant with the treatment of disease, very soon slays hundreds of persons the allotted periods of whose exist¬ ence have run out.t15

Hence one devoted to these four principal qualifications of a physician, viz., the scriptures (bearing on the science of Life), knowledge of their meaning, readiness to act (according to his knowledge and abilities), and the acquisition of experience (of all that concerns his profession), is said to be a saviour of the lifebreaths. J1 6

That physician who has knowledge of these four things, viz., (disease), the symptoms (of disease), the means of alleviating