Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

the semblance of the abdomen to a leathern bag filled with water and yielding to, touch (pressure). 47

At this stage the patient is afflicted by the following symptoms :

Vomiting, diarrhoea, malignant asthma, thirst, hard breathing, bronchitis, hiccup, prostration, pains in the sides, disgust for food, hoarseness of voice, suppression of urine, and other supervening ailments.

Disease of the stomach, when characterised by such symptoms, should be regarded as beyond treatment. 48

( Here occur some verses’).

Diseases of the stomach (dropsy) arise from wind, bile, phlegm, spleen, the union of three faults, and also from (accumulation of) water.

CHA RAKA-SA MHITA.

p. 1343

The physician should explain that each successive one is more difficult to cure than each preceding one : (that is, dropsy born of bile is more difficult than that born of wind ; that born of phlegm is more difficult than that born of bile ; and so on).

That variety of stomachic or abdominal disease (dropsy) which is known by the name of ‘Vaddhagudam’ is generally seen to bring about dissolution within a fortnight The same is the case with two other varieties of dropsy, viz., that in which water is accumulated, and that which ends in the intestines being pierced (by bones or prickly substances introduced into the system with food or drink).* so

One whose eyes have become swollen like a dog’s, one whose genital organ has become curved, one whose outer skin has become thin and is always wet with perspiration, as also one whose strength, blood, flesh, and digestion have beome exceedingly weakened, the physician should avoid. S*

The following ailments, viz., swellings in vital parts, difficulty of breathing, hiccup, disgust for food, swoons, vomiting, and diarrhoea, kill a person afflicted with abdominal dropsy .+ 5*

Abdominal dropsy of all varieties, is, from the very outset, regarded as exceedingly difficult of cure.

But that which is newly born and which afflicts a person who is possessed of strength, and which is not characterised by the accumu¬ lation of water, may be cured by careful treatment. S3

The following are the symptoms of those varieties of abdominal dropsy. which are not characterised by the accumulation of water.

Absence of swellings, redness of colour (of the skin), presence of noise (in the abdomen), absence of a sensation of weight or heaviness (of the abdomen), rumbling noise (in the intestines), appearance of veins (on the abdomen) in the form of bovine eyes ; 54 f The fact is, these supervening symptoms arise and bring about the dissolution of a person afflicted by dropsy.— T.

* “Generally ends in dissolution within a fortnight.” This is taken as meaning that cases occur in which dissolution is delayed beyond a fortnight.— T.

?344

CHAR A KA-SA MHITA.

The wind, paralysing the region about the navel, and discovering po signs of escape (by the downward outlet), disappears of itself.

The dropsy also of a person who has ‘£ula’ pains in the heart, the groins, the waist, the navel, and the anus, should be known as not characterised by accumulation of water. The dropsy also of a person who passes the downward wind with harsh sound when his digestive fire has not become very much weakened, should also be known to be of the same description.

When also one’s mouth is tasteless from accumulation of saliva, when one’s urine is scanty, and one’s stools are constipated, one’s dropsy should be known as not characterised by the accumulation of water.

Ascertaining by these symptoms that there is no accumulation of water, the physician should proceed to the treatment of abdominal dropsy, guided by distinctions in respect of faults, strength, and time (including both season and age). 55-57

Abdominal dropsy, characterised by wind, of a person possessed of strength, the physcian should, at the outset, treat by means of oils.

Unto a person to whom oils have been administered, and unto whom the proper methods of ‘svveda’ (fomentation for inducing perspiration) have been applied, the physician should give oily pur¬ gatives. 58

When the faults have been removed (or checked) by means of purgatives, the reduced abdomen should be wrapped round (bandaged) with a piece of cloth. By this, the wind, deprived of space for moving about, will fail to cause flatulence.* 59

From excessive increase of faults, as also from obstruction of the ducts, there is likelihood of the re-appearance of dropsy. Hence, continued purgation is necessary in treating the disease. 60 '

* What is said here seems to be this r when; the stomach and abdomen are properly bandaged, the hollow space within them will be considerably lessened. The result will be that the wind, not having space to move about, will no longer cause flatulence of the stomach or abdomen,— T.

CHA RAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1345