Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

t 'Tadyonitwat the bile has, among other ‘dhatus’ and limbs of the body, the blood for its seat or habitat. {Vide aphorism 12, Lesson XX, Sutrasthana, ante). What is said here is that the bile, which has its habitat in blood, increases in measure when it overtakes the blood. At the same time, it vitiates the blOod.—T.

GHARAKA-SAMHITA.

1 1.51

By the heat of the bile (thus mixed with blood), every ‘dhatu’ begins to melt. In consequence of this melting, the liquid portions of the several ‘dhatus’ ooze out. Mixing with those liquid portions, the bile increases again (in quantity).* 7

In consequence of the blood combining with the bile, as also of the blood being vitiated thereby, and of the similarity, in respect of •scertt and colour, between the bile (thus excited) and the blood, the bile (under these circumstances) is called blood-bile (Rakta-pitta) by the wise. 8

The bile (thus circumstanced), dwells, locating itself in the spleen, the liver, and all those blood-bearing ducts of living creatures which have their, origin there (viz., in the spleen and the liver). 9 ‘

If the blood-bile becomes possessed by phlegm, it becomes thick, of a light pale colour, slightly oily, . and slimy.

If possessed by wind, it becomes of a dark red colour, frothy, thin, and dry. **>

If possessed '.by bile, it becomes of the colour of a decoction (of vegetables), black, like the urine of the cow, dark-blue, of the colour of domestic soot, or of antimony. 11

When blood-bile is characterised by two faults {such as phlegm and wind, wind and bile, or phlegm and bile), it presents the indica¬ tions (as mentioned above) of those two faults.

When it is characterised by all the three faults, it presents the indications (as mentioned above) of all the faults.

That blood-bile which is possessed by one fault is curable ; that which is possessed by two faults is suppressible. ™

That blood-bile which is .possessed by all the three faults is incurable.

The blood-bile, when severely excited, of a person whose digestive fire is weak, or of -one whose body has been weakened by various ailments, or of one who is of advanced years, or of one who has no appetite for food, is also incurable. !3

The blood-bile, it has already been shown, has two outlets, viz^

* ‘Tasya’ .means ‘of the bile that has mixed with the blood’. ‘DhatordhStoh’ , implies ‘of every dhStu’. ‘DravodhStu’ means the liquid portion th« word ‘dhXtu’ is used and not "*an?aYb~ecause one ‘dhStu’ may beget another ; Of, at least, increase the measure of another by some product of its own. — T.

X46

.1152

CHAR AKA - SA M HIT A.

the upward and the downward. The upward outlets are seven in ■Rumber. As regards the downward ones, they are two. J4

There are seven holes in the head (viz., the two ears, the two eyes, the two nostrils, and one mouth), and there are two holes in the lower part of 1 the body. That blood-bile which has its course upwards is curable ; that which has its course downwards is suppressible ; while that which_ has its course both upwards and down- . wards isjuncurable. 1S

When the blood-bile escapes from all the (nine) holes (mentioned above), as also all the pores of the body, this infinity of outlets is said to be destructive of life. 16

That blood-bile also which escapes copiously through both the upward and the downward outlets, that in which the blood which escapes is of corpse-like scent, that in which the blood is of an exceedingly dark colour, 17

That in which the blood, mixing with"phlegm and wind, sticks at the throat (without coming up\ that which is afflicted by all the supervening symptoms mentioned above, 18

That in which the blood is possessed of such colours as yellow, or blue, or green, or coppery, and that which afflicts a person who is weak and suffering from cough (bronchitis), are never cured. *9

That blood-bile which is accompanied by two of the excited faults, that which returns after temporary suspensions, and that which changes its course from outlet to outlet, should be known to be suppressible. 2°

That blood-bile which has only one outlet, in which the patient has not lost strength, the intensity of which is mild, which is of recent origin, which appears in a favourable season, and which is unaccompanied by supervening symptoms, is curable.* 21

The causes of blood-bile are food and drink that are oily and heating, as also food and drink that are heating and dry. It is generally seen that of that blood-bile which has its course down¬ wards, the latter (viz., food and drink that are heating and dry) is the cause ; while of that which has its course upwards, the former (viz., food and drink that are oily and heating) is the cause. 22 That blood-bile which escapes by the upward outlets becomes

‘Favourable season’, as autumn, or winter. — T.

CM A RA KA -SA MHJ TA.

HS3?

combined with phlegm ; that which escapes by the downward outlets is accompanied by the (excited) wind ; that which escapes by both the upward and the downward outlets becomes associated with both phlegm and wind. 23