Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The physician possessed of thorough knowledge should, carefully considering all things, cause the person ailing under abdominal dropsy to eat that fruit into which a snake in wrath has cast its venom. *79

By means of such poison, the aggregate of excited faults which have become immobile, which have penetrated particular parts of the • body, or which, deviating from their respective courses have begun to move along other roads, soon becomes separated, and the faults

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

13 65 begin to move in their own courses, in consequence of. the agitating property of poison. 180

When his faults have been allayed by such poison, the physician should cause him to be bathed by pouring cold water upon him, and also cause him to drink milk or gruel of barley the measure of which: should be determined by the strength of the patient. 181

The physician should also cause him to eat the leaves (as pot¬ herbs) of Trivrit ( Convolvulus Turpetkum ), of Mandukaparni {Hydrocotyle Asiatica), of Yava (barley), of Vastuka {Chenopo dinin'), or the pot-herb called KalasSka (otherwise named Kulattha, that is Dolichos biflora). Each of these should be boiled in the decoction of SurasS (■ Ocimunt sanctum). 182

Nothing sour or saline should be added while these pot-herbs are boiled ; nor should oil or ghee should be added. The pot-herbs may or may not be properly boiled. The patient should take these pot¬ herbs for a month, abstaining all this time from rice (or other subs¬ tantial food). When he feels thirsty, he should drink the decoction of Surasa {Ocimunt sactum). 183

When the excited faults have thus been allayed by means of these pot-h^rbs given for a month, after the expiration of this period the physician should give to the exhausted patient elephant’s milk which is highly strength-giving. 184

In cases of abdominal dropsy, the following should be the treat¬ ment adopted by surgeons of experience :

The left part of the abdomen, four fingers below the navel, the physician of intelligence should open by means of a lancet of the same length (i. e., the width of four fingers).

Having opened the entrail (z. e., caused the incision'1, the physician should look carefully into the entrail that has been stopped as also that which may be affected by sores ; he should then rub the afflicted entrail with ghee , and carefully feeling (with his fingers) take out the hairs or other foreign articles (that have .produced the sore).*

* ‘Vaddha antra’ evidently implies an entrail that has been stopped up or closed ; ‘kshata antra’ implies one that is affected with sores. Vipaty antram,’ literally ‘opening the entrail,’ I think, means ‘having caused the incision.’

Charaka is silent about surgical treatment. This passage may be an interpolation. — T.

L36 6

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

The particular entrail which happens to be obstructed in conse¬ quence of the attachment thereto of hairs and other foreign matter,, should be cleased of the obstruction. 185-187

(In case of ‘Cchidrodara’) the ‘cchidrodara’ (or holes) in the entrail should be caused to be bitten by many large ants.

When the holes are seen to be bitten by the ants, the ants should be cut off (their mouths sticking to the entrails). 188

The entrail should then be thrust back (i. e., restored to its place) by proper means, and the incision made sewed up with a needle*

As regards all those varieties of ‘Udara’ (abdominal dropsy) in which water has been accumulated, the physician should have recourse to the operation called tapping. 189

In the case of tapping also, it should be done on the left side of of the abdomen, below the navel. The water should be let out by ■means of a tube.

Letting the water out and pressing the abdomen (so that no water may remain within it), the physician should bandage the abdomen by means of cloths. *9°

So also the entire abdomen of a person which has been reduced •by means of enemata and purgatives, should be bandaged with cloths.

When the water has been let out, the patient should first observe fasts and then take ‘peyS’ (thin gruel of rice or other corn) without ■any kind of oily substance and salt. 191

After this, the patient should for six months live upon milk only, Tor the next three months he should live on ‘peya’ mixed with milk.

* It is curious to see how Gangadhara misunderstands the whole -passage beginning with 185. The fact is, the surgical treatment of two different varieties of ‘•Udara,’ viz., ‘Vaddhodara’ and ‘Cchidrodara,’ is laid down in this passage.

Partially following Gangadhara, one-of the Bengali translators 'has made a mess of the ■passage. He misunderstands it so far as to say that the ‘cchidras’ or holes are to fee •made by the physician himself. Hindu surgeons used large ants (those of a black colour, called ‘deo’ in Bengali) for the purpose of stopping arteries, &c., and preventing the discharge of blood. If the ants, after they have bitten, are divided in the middle, their mortis continue biting. It seems that ants were used in stopping holes as well.— T.