Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Nilini (Indigofera tincioria), Trivrita ( Convolvulus Turpeth.mil', Danti ( Baliospermum montanum ), Pathya (chebulic myrobalans), and Kampillaka ( Mallotus philippensis ), should be reduced to powder.

This powder should be added to ghee for purifying it. Then ‘Vit’ salt, the ashes of green blades of barley, and dry ginger, should be added to it. 102

ANOTHER VARIETY OF NILINADYA GHRITA.

Nilini (Indigofera tinctoria), Triphala (the three myrobalans), Rfisna ( Vanda Roxburghii), Bala (Sida ccrdifolia), Katurohini ( Picrorr - hiza Kurroa), Vidanga ( Embelia Ribes), and Vyaghrx ( Solanum Xanthocarpum ), should be boiled in water. The measure of each of these drugs should be one pala, and that of water should be an adhaka (8 seers). When three-fourths of the water have evaporated, a prastha (2 seers) of ghee should be added to it. It should then be mixed with curds of the measure of one prastha (2 seers), and one

* Vide Lesson XXVIII of this Division.— T.

t ‘Mala’, literally, impurities, is used here in the sense of stools, &c. What is stated in this verse is that any of the ghees mentioned previously, administered with the powder named, viz., that of the Indigo plant, operates as a purgative and expels the collected- •to oil in the bowels. Hence, the medicine is called a ‘^odhana’ or corrective, — T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1183

pala of the milk of Sudha ( Euphorbia nerrifolia] 1. [All these should be boiled together till the measure of water evaporating, that of the ghee only remains in the vessel.]

From the ghee thus prepared, a small measure, viz., a pala, should be given to the patient (every day), mixed with the ‘manda’ of the gruel of barley, The patient should take it only after the food he has eaten has become digested. When (through the effect of this ghee so taken) the patient has been sufficiently purged, he should be given food with meat-juice.

This ghee cures ‘Gulma’, leprosy, abdominal dropsy, brown spots on the face called ‘Vyanga’, inflammatory swellings, chlorosis, fevers, leucoderma, enlargement of spleen, and insanity.* 103-106

The meat-juice of the flesh of the cock, the peacock: the francoline partridge, cranes, and the variety of quails called Perdix Olivacea , £ali rice (boiled), wines, and ghee are excellent regimen for wind-born ‘Gulma.’ 107

Food that is hot, liquid, and oily, is beneficial for those persons that are afflicted with wind-born ‘Gulma.’ The drink that is beneficial for them is ‘manda’ mixed with the wine called ‘Vâruni’, or water in which coriander seeds have been boiled. 108

When the digestive fire becomes mild, the ‘Gulma’ increases j when that fire becomes kindled, the ‘Gulma’ decreases. Hence, a person that is afflicted with ‘Gulma’ should neither gorge himself with food nor observe absolute fasts. I09

In all cases of ‘Gulma’, treatment that is followed after the admi¬ nistration of oils and .‘Sweda’ becomes successful. No treatment succeeds in the case of a patient unto whom oils have not been admi¬ nistered and who has been kept on dry food and drink, no

If the physician regards a bile-born ‘Gulma’ to be fraught With • immediate danger to life, he should then treat it with either milk or ghee which has been boiled with drugs having purgative virtues. 111 ROHINYADYA GHRITA.

Take a ‘karshika’f of the following, viz., Rohinikatuka (otherwise

* In practice, the measures of the liquids are always doubled. Thus instead of taking an adhaka or 8 seers of water, 16 seers are taken ; so oi ghee ; instead one prastha, meaning 2 seers, 4 seers are actually taken ; of curds also, the measure should be 2 prasthas, i. t., four seers, although one prastha is stated. — T. t A ‘karshika’ is equal to 2 tolas. — T.

ISO

charaka-samhitA.

p. 1184

called Katurohini, that is, Picrorrhiza Kurrod), Nimva ( Melia Azadirachta', ) Madhuka (liquorice), the three myrobalans, divested of seeds, and Trayamana (Ficus heterophylld) ; two palas of each of these, viz., Patola ( Trichosanthes dioicd), and Trivrit (Convolvulus Turpethuni) ; and two palas of Masura seeds (Vida tens') :

Reduce these to paste, and boil it (in the usual measure Of ghee), adding water -that is eight times the measure of the ghee-.

-Boiling should go on till the water evaporating, the measure of the ghee only remains in the vessel.

Of this ghee, 4 palas should be drunk, after correcting it properly. This medicine alleviates bile-born ‘Gulma also fever, thirst, ‘£ula,’ (deep-seated pains) vertigo, swoons, and disgust for food. 112-114 TRAYAMANADYA G'HRITA.

Taking 4 palas of Trayamâna (Ficus heterophylld), boil it in water of ten times that measure (viz., 40 palas). The boiling should go on till a fifth of the measure of water (that is, 8 palas only) remain in the vessel.