Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

As regards mild varieties of leprosy (that is, those in which the patches are small in extent and not elevated), these should be scratched, and blood should then be let out by means of leeches. 5° Plasters applied to leprosy after letting out blood (from the patches), checking the faults excited, and purging the intestines, yield prompt success. 51

In those cases of leprosy in which the lancet is not used, and in which the sensation of touch is destroyed, caustics should be applied, after letting out blood and checking the excited faults. 52

In those cases of leprosy in which the eruptions are as hard as stone, and rough, and fixed, and old, and dead to touch, the patient should first be made to drink the medicines called ‘Agada.’ After this, the eruptions should be burnt by means of applying particular kinds of ‘Agada.’f S3

Those varieties of leprosy in which the eruptions are paralysed or dead to the touch, endued with an itching sensation, and marked by complete absence of unperspiration, should be treated as follows :

* Gangadhara observes that ‘Sweda’ or rubbing, and not ‘Sweda’ and rubbing, should be had recourse to: as preliminaries for letting out blood. — T.

t It is difficult to ascertain what medicines were called by the name ‘Agada’. The word means ‘antidote, i. e., ‘destructive of poison’. What, again, were those ‘Agadas’ which were used as caustics is difficult to determine. The commentators throw no light upon the word. — T.

CHA RAKA- SAM HIT A.

p. 215

The eruptions should be scratched with bundles of Ku$a blades, or with the leaves of Danti ( Baliospermum montanum ), Trivrit (Con¬ volvulus Turpethuin), Karavira ( Nerium odorum), Karanja (Pongamia glabra ), Kutaja (. Holarrhena antidysenterica), )ati (Jasminutn grandifloruni', Arka ( Calatropis gigantea), and Nimba ( Melia Azadirachta), or with (blunted) instruments, or with sea-foam,* or with (dried) cow-dung.

After this, plasters (made of proper drugs) should be applied to them. 54-55

That , treatment which has been laid down for the -cure of leprosy born of excited wind and phlegm, should be adopted for all varieties •of leprosy.

The discharge of phlegm, and bile, and blood, should also be ■caused. Alleviation should also be sought by means of decoctions that are bitter in taste. 56

Bitter ghees, and all those courses of treatment, external and internal, which are alleviative of blood-bile, should first be adopted in cases of leprosy caused by excited bile. 57

Agreeably to distinctions determined by the predominance of the faults, the courses of treatment (of leprosy) are thus laid down.

The common feature of all varieties of leprosy is -the vitiation of the skin. Keeping this in view, I shall now lay down the methods ■of alleviating this disease. 5s

Darbi {.Berberis Asiatica, or Rasanjana (Galena, or the vegetab le .produce called Rasot),* mixed with the urine of the cow, administered for a month, checks leprosy.

Abhayfi (chefeulic myrobalans), with Vyosha (the three acrids, viz., dry ginger, Piper longum , and black pepper), treacle, and oil, administered for the same period, (with cow’s urine added to the ■compound), produces the same result. 59

The roots of Patola ( Trichosanthes dioiap, and of Gavakshi '{Cucumis Colocynthis), each of the measure of a ‘pala’, Triphala (the three myrobalans, viz., chebulic, belleric, and emblic), and Trivrit ( Convolvulus Turpethuvi), each of the measure of a ‘pala1, Trfiyamana

* Bengal physicians understand ‘Rasanjana’ to mean Galena. In the N. W. Provinces;, ■‘Rasanjana’ is taken to be the vegetable produce known by the name of ‘Rasot’. — T.

121 6

CHARA KA-SA M HIT A.

(Ficus heterophylla ) and Katurohini (. Picrorrhiza Kurrod), each of the measure of half a ‘pala’, with Nagara (dry ginger) of the measure of -a fourth of a ‘pala’, should be powdered together.

Of the pounded product, take a ‘pala’ and boil it in water.

One afflicted with leprosy should drink this.

It alleviates the (excited) faults.

After this has been digested, the patient should take old £ali rice (boiled), with the me'at-juice prepared from the flesh of animals and birds living in the wilderness.

This course of treatment cures the several varieties of leprosy, swellings, diseases of the Grahani (lienteric diarrhoea), piles, strangury, jaundice, ‘£ula’ pains in the chest and the pubic region, and chronic intermittent fever. 60-62

Musta (tubers of Cyperus rotundus ), Vyosha (the three acrids, viz , dry ginger, Piper longum, and black pepper), Triphala (the three myrobalans), Manjistha ( Rubia Munjista), Dfiru (otherwise called Devadaru i. e., Cedrus deodard), the twice five roots (i. e., the ten roots), Saptachcchada ( Echites scholaris), the bark of Nimba ( Melia Azadirachta), Vi cal a (otherwise called Rfikhal-sasha, i. e., Cucumis Colocynthis'), Chitraka (the roots of Plumbago Zeylanicd, and Murva (the roots of Sanseviera Zeylanicd}, should, each be pounded into fine pulv.