Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Take 2 palas of each of these, and boil the compound in a drona (32 seers) of water, till a fourth of that measure (viz., 8 seers) remains In the vessel.f

Into the decoction thus obtained, the pulv of the following should be thrown, viz., Bhargi (Siphonanthus Indica ), Paths (Cissampelos hernandifolia ), the three acrids (viz., dry ginger, the fruits of Piper

* It is clear from this that the combinations of drugs mentioned below are not to be administered before the patient has been properly corrected by means of emetics and the rest. The patient should also be consoled with hopes of cure. — T.

+ In practice, double the measure, viz., 64 seers of water, are taken and boiled down to 16 seers. -T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

[2S3 longum, and black pepper), Trivrit ( Convolvulus Turpethuin). Nichula ( Eugenia acutangula ), £reyasi (otherwise called Gajapippali, i. e., Pothos officinalis), Adhaki ( Cajanus Indicus), Murva ( Sanseviera Zeylanica ), Danti ( Baliospermum montanum, syn. Croton ■ polyandrum), Bhunimba (otherwise called Cherayta, i. e., Agathotes Cherayta ), Chitraka ( Plumbago Zeylanicd), the two SarivSs {viz., ShyamSlata or {Echites frutescens and AnantS or Hemidesmus Indicus ), Rohisha (a sort of grass), Bhutika (otherwise called Gandhatrina, i. e., Andropogon schcenanthus), and Madayantika (otherwise called MallikS, or Jasminium Sambac).

The measure of the pulv of each of these should be 2 tolas. Having thrown these pul vs into the decoctions, a prastha of ghee should be boiled with it, adding thereto an equal measure of each of these, 'viz., the expressed juice of cowdung, acid curds, milk, and cow’s urine.

Ghee that is thus prepared is called ‘Maha-Panchagavya Ghrita.’ It is regarded as equal to Amrita itself. 16-20

It is beneficial, when administered day after day, in epilepsy, in Insanity,* in dropsical swellings, in abdominal tumours, in piles, in chlorosis, in anaemia, and in malignant jaundice, f

This medicine cures also all diseases caused by inauspiciousness and the influence of Rakshasas.

It cures also quartan fevers. 2122

Old ghee boiled with the expressed juice of Brfihmi ( Gratiola monnierra), Vacha {Acorus Calamus), Kushtha {Applotoxis auriculata), and £ankhapushpi (Pladera decussata, syn. Canscora decussata), conquers Insanity, the diseases brought about by inauspicious sur- . roundings, and epilepsy. 23

Ghee boiled with Saindhava salt and assafcetida, and in the urine of the ox and the goat of four times the measure (of the ghee), cures epilepsy, heart-disease, and diseases caused by the action of malig¬ nant stars and planets. 24 t284

* Gangadhara reads ‘kshaye kaje,’ meaning ‘in wasting phthisis.’ — T. t I adopt Gangadhara’s reading, viz., ‘halimake’ instead of ‘bhagandhare’ which means fistula-in-ano.— T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

Ghee boiled with Vacha {Acorus Calamus ), Sampaka (otherwise called Aragbadha or Cassia fistula ), Kaitarya (Myrica sapida), VayasthS (otherwise called Vibhitaki, or Terminalia Bell erica], assafcetida, and Choraka {Andropogon aciculatus), with (the exudation of) Palankasha (otherwise called Guggulu or Balsamodendron Mukul) thrown into it, cures epilepsy characterised by excitement of wind and phlegm. 25

A prastha of oil and a prastha of ghee should be cooked, with the drugs called Jivaniya, a pala of each of these being taken, in a drona of milk. This ghee is a well-tried medicine in curing epilepsy.* 26

In a Kangsa (8 seers) of milk and the juice of the sugarcane, and the juice, of eight times the measure, of Kasmaryya ( Gmelina arborea ), a prastha (2 seers) of ghee should be boiled, with a Karshika (2 palas) of each of the drugs included in the group called Jivaniya.f 27

This Ghee conquers epilepsy born of wind and bile.

Ghee , boiled in the decoction of Kaga ( Saccharuni spontaneum ), Vidari {Convolvulus paniculatus), I kshu (sugarcane), and Kuga (Poa cynosuroides), has the same virtues. 28

A prastha (2 seers) of ghee boiled, with the paste, of the measure of 2 palas, of liquorice, in a drona (32 seers) of the expressed juice of the fruits of Amlaka (Phyllanthus Emblica ), constitutes a remedy for epilepsy born of (excited) bile. 29

Mustard oil boiled with goat’s urine of four times its measure forms an excellent ointment (for rubbing the body with, in epilepsy).

Baths in cow’s urine, and rubbing the body with cow-dung, are beneficial in epilepsy. 3°

Mustard oil, boiled in the decoction of the bark of the following, viz., Katabhi (a variety of Mimosa Sirissa of smaller proportions), Nimba (Melia Azadirachta), Katwanga (otherwise called Syonaka or Bignonia Indica), Madhu-sigru ( Moringa Pterygosperma of the red

* A ‘prastha’ is equal to 2 seers ; a ‘drona’ is equal to 32 seers. — T. f In practice, the measure of milk and the juice of sugarcane taken is 16 seers. Asregards the juice of Gmelina arborea, its measure being stated to be 8 times that of ghee , double that quantity, i. e., 32 seers, should be taken.— T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1285

variety), and in an equal measure of cow’s urine, is spoken of highly as an ointment for rubbing the body with (in epilepsy). 31