Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Throw a quantity of milk into it, adding some acid for converting it into curds.

When the milk has been converted into curds, the latter should be properly churned.

The ghee raised from the churned curds, boiled in whey, and mixed with the pith of the roots of Chitraka {Plumbago Zeylanica ), is one of the foremost medicines that cure swellings.f

It also cures piles, diarrhoea with fever, excited wind, abdominal tumours, and gonorrhoea, and imparts strength to the digestive fire.

The patient may also take his food mixing it with the whey, that is left after extracting the ghee indicated above, and also the ghee itself that is thus prepared. Or, he may take gruel of barley, boiling it with the whey and the ghee mentioned above* 56

Even this is the composition of ‘Chitraka-ghrita.’

Jivanti {Ccelogyne ovalis ). Ajsji {Nigella sativa), £athi {Curcuma Zerumbet\ Pushkara (otherwise called Kushtha, i. e., Aplotaxis auriculata\ Karavi (otherwise called Jiraka, i. e., cumin seeds), Chitraka {Plumbago zeylanica ), Vilvvamadhya (the pulp of raw fruits of AEgle Mermelos ), and YSvaguka (the ashes of incinnerated barley shoots)

These should be pounded into a paste. Of the paste thus prepared take as much as comes up to the size of a Vadara (fruits of Zizyphus Jujuba).

Prepare some gruel of barley and boil it with the paste, men¬ tioned above, adding a measure of tamarind pulp, and frying it in

* The composition of these ghees has been explained in the previous lessons. — T. f Earthen pots are used for making curds. Milk is placed in the pot, with a little quantity of curds or some sour soup as the juice of citrus acida or tamarind, &c. The milk is converted into curds within 12 hours or so.— T.

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CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

ghee and (sesame) oil. This compound forms a medicine that is bene¬ ficial in piles, diarrhoea, exerted wind, abdominal tumours, swellings, diseases of the chest, and loss of appetite.

That gruel of barley also which is boiled with the five roots according to the method mentioned above is productive of the same effects as the gruel indicated above. 57-58

The soup of Kulattha ( Dolichos biflorus ) with the pulv of Pippali ( Piper longuni) added to it, the soup of Mudga ( Pkaseolus Mungo) with the pulv of the three acrids and the ashes of barley shoots, and the meat-juice of such fowls as use their feet for finding their food, or of animals that belong to the wilderness, as also of such animals as tortoises, iguanas, peacocks, and porcupines, 59 (as well as)

Suvarchala (otherwise called Suryamukhi, i. e., a kind of potherb), Grinjanaka (carrot), Patola ( Trichosanthes dioied), Vayasi (otherwise called Kakamachi, i. e., Solanum nigrum), Mulaka (radish), Vetra ( Calamus Roiang), and Nimba ( Melia Azadirachta ), — these potherbs are beneficial for persons afflicted with swellings.*

Old barley and old rice also are equally beneficial.

The medicines that are for internal administration have now been mentioned. Those for external application will now be laid down.

Different kinds of oils, of plasters, of medicated waters (for sprink¬ ling over the body as also for washing it), and of fomentations for inducing perspiration, should be used in the case of those patients in whose constitutions the wind predominates. 61

Oil boiled with the paste of the following drugs, or the paste only of those drugs, forms beneficial remedies for external application (in this disease).

The drugs are £aileya (a variety of lichen), Kushtha ( Aplotaxis auriculata ), Aguru ( Aquilaria Agallocha ), Dfiru ( Pinus deodard), Kaunti (otherwise called Renuka, i. e., Piper aurentiacuvi), Tvach (the bark of Cinnamomum zeylanicuni), Padmaka (a fragrant wood brought from the central provinces and southern India), Ela, (seeds of Elettari cardamomum), Amvu (otherwise called Vala, i. e., Pavonia odorata), Palaga ( Butea frondosa ), Musta ( Cyperus rotundui>.

* The leaves of the plants and trees mentioned should be taken. — T.

CH ARAKA-S AM H IT A.

p. 1323

Priyangu ( Aglaia Roxburghiana ), Thauneyaka (otherwise called Granthiparna, i. e., a sort of gall caused by some insects on trees), Hema (otherwise called Nfigakegara, i. e., Mesua ferrea ), Mansi ( Nardostachys Jatamansi), Talisapatra (. Pinus Webbiana ), Plava (otherwise called Kaivartamustaka, i. e., a large variety of Cyperus rotundus ), Patra (the leaves of Cinnamomum Tamala ), Dhanya (coriander seeds), Sriveshtaka (fermented cheese), Dhyamaka (powdered sulphur), Pippali ( Piper longuni), Sprikka ( Trigonella corniculata ), and Nakha (tiger’s nail).

As many of these as are obtainable, should be taken for boiling with oil. The oil thus prepared is beneficial for persons afflicted with swellings, if used for rubbing the body with, and if the patients have constitutions characterised by predominance of wind. 6a-63

Even this is the composition of the oil called ‘^aileyadya.’

Eranda (Ricinus communis ), Vrisha (otherwise called Vfisaka, i. <?., Justicia Adhatoda ), Arka ( Calatropis giganted), Sigru ( Moringa pterygosperma ), Kasmaryya (otherwise called GSmbhari, 2. e., Gmelina arborea ), and Arjjaka-patra (leaves of Ocimum sanctum ) ;