Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Mons; A. Barth., Paris : — Your efforts to place within reach of the readers of ancient literature a work of so interesting a nature both to the Oriental scholars and to the men of medicine, are very praiseworthy, and I shall be happy to bring the work to the notice of the French public, or, at least, of th03e-whcr take an interest in these researches.

Mons; B; St; Hailaire, Paris : — I praise you on your undertaking and wish you all success. The work is of interest to all learned men and to medical men, and the commentaries written on it prove its value and utility. I will put in a notice in the Journal des Savants as soon as I can and shall be happy to do you justice.

Professor H. Jacobi, Bonn University , Germany : — The work you have Undertaken Will interest Sanskritists as well as medical men who care for the history of their science. I shall not fail to draw the attention of some eminent physicians whom I know personally, to the ancient work of Charaka.

Herr. R. Garbe, Prinzenstram Konigsbunh, Germany : — English translation of Charaka Samhita is, perhaps, at least from an historical point of View, the most important work of the medical literature of your country.

Sir Alfred Croft, M; A;, C. I. E., Director of Public iustnictionj Bengal : — I have been greatly entertained as well as edified by the examination, in part IV, of all the things which.a man shall not do. A layman can understand the precepts and such a guide to life, cannot be other than valuable.

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For the next three months he should take the rice of such paddy as ‘£yamaka’ and ‘Koradushaka,’ with milk, but devoid of salt.

Conducting himself thus for one year, one may conquer abdominal dropsy characterised by accumulation of water, even when it has manifested itself in a pronounced way. 192-193

After administering the several kinds of medicines laid down for abdominal dropsy, the physician should give the patient milk in order to keep up the proportion between the ‘doshas’, as also for maintaining his strength and the compactness of his body.* 194

This is to be done (/. e.> milk given) since, unto dropsical patients weakened by administration of medicines and afflicted by the waste of all the ‘dhâtus’, milk is as beneficial as nectar to the deities. 195

( Here are two verses containing a summary .)

The causes, the incubatory symptoms, the symptoms, both in brief and extenso, the supervening ailments, violence, or intensity, curability and incurablity, the indications of the accumulation or otherwise of water, and treatment of the eight varieties of abdominal dropsy, in brief and in extenso, have been laid down by the Rishi in this Lesson on the treatment of Abdominal dropsy. 1-2

Thus ends Lesson XIII, called ‘the Treatment of dropsy,’ in the Division called ‘Chikitsita’ of Agnivega’s treatise as revised by Charaka.

* ‘Doshanubandha’ means the relation or proportion between the ‘doshas.’ In the constitution of the patient there is a certain proportion of the ‘doshas.’ That proportion should be maintained ; i. e., no particular ‘dosha’ should be allowed to predominate over the others. ‘Dosha’ here may be taken to mean not simply wind, bile, and phlegm, but all the ingredients of the body.— T.

p. 173

LESSON XIV.

TREATMENT OF PILES.

Now we shall expound the treatment of Piles.

Thus said the illustrious son of Atri. 1

Agnivega asked the ascetic Punarvasu when he was seated with collected mind after having gone through his silent recitation (of holy texts) and when he was prepared to answer the questions put to him, about the treatment of Piles for their cure. 2

The ascetic then declared unto him the causes that provoke the disease, the seat of the ailment, its symptoms, its treatment, and the distinctions that determine its curability and incurability. 3

In this connection, O Agnivega, it is said that Piles are of two kinds, viz., those that are congenital, and those that appear in a person sometime after his birth. 4

Of these, the cause of congenital piles is the vitiation of both the menstrual blood (of the mother) and the vital seed (of the father). 5

As in the case of all other congenital diseases, the causes are two¬ fold of the vitiation of the vital seed and the menstrual blood, viz., transgressions on the part of the mother and the father, and the (immoral or wicked) acts (of the patient himself) of former lives. 6

Those piles are called ‘congenital’ because they are born with the birth of the body.

The class of ailments to which Piles belong is that which consists of the growth of superfluous flesh. 7

The seat of all kinds of Piles (i. e., both congenital and non-congenital) is within a distance measured by the width of four fingers and a half inwards from the mouth of the rectum.

There are three rings in the rectum. (These are called Valis). The innermost one is of the width of a finger and a half ; the next is of the same width ; the third is of the width of one finger, The

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remaining space is of the width of half a finger. (This is called the1 mouth of ttie rectum}.* 8