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 those who 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 Konigsbnreh, 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 Affred Croft, M. A., C. L E., Director of Public Instruction , Bengal:- 1 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.

CHA RARA-SAMHITA,

*399

Hence, keeping an eye upon this, the physician should begin 'his treatment of these two varieties of blood-discharging Piles. 204

If the physician marks a predominance of bile and phlegm,. he should administer correctives (such as purgatives, emetics, &c.), or, disregarding the discharge of blood, he should cause the patient to observe fasts. 2°5„

If the physician, unendowed with wisdom, seelcs at the outset to check the fault-vitiated blood, he causes many diseases to set in. 206

The ailments thus generated are blood-bile, fever, thirst, loss of digestion, disgust for food, anaemia, dropsical swellings, cutting pains In the anus and the groins ; 2°7

Itching, abscesses, urticaria evariida, small boils, leucoderma, and the disease known as chlorosis ; suppression of the (downward) wind, of the urine, and of the stools, head-ache ; 208

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The sensation of the body being covered with a wet blanket,' heaviness of the body, and other diseases having vitiated blood fojd: their cause.

Hence, the stoppage of blood is regarded as beneficial only after the vitiated blood has been fully discharged. 2°9

'A

The physician conversant with the originating causes of disease, symptoms, and .the characteristics of season and age, and acquainted also with the strength (or weakness) of the patient and the colour of (healthy and unhealthy) blood, should delay in stopping the dis¬ charge of blood till he sees signs of actual danger to life. 210

For kindling the digestive fire, for stopping the discharge of blood, for digestion of the faults, the physician, when the time comes, should treat the patient with bitters. 211

Of one whose faults have been attenuated, or of one in whom the wind alone is predominant, the blood that is discharged (from the Piles) should be stopped by administration of oils in the form of •drinks, ointments for rubbing the body with, and enemata. 212

The discharge, in the season of sweat, of that blood which is characterised by predominance of bile alone and which is unasso177

p. 1400

CHARARA-SAMHITA.

dated with excited wind and phlegm, should certainly be stopped without any delay. 213

.The expressed’ juice of the bark of Kutaja (Holarrhena untidy - senterica), mixed with the pulv of ginger, and a little ghee , operates as a styptic. The bark (pulverised) of Dadima (Punka Granatum ), mixed with the pulv of ginger, as also the decoption of (red) sandal wood, mixed with the same pulv, has the same virtue. 214

The decoction of (red) sandal wood, Kiratatiktaka (Agathotes Cherayta), DhanyayavSsa (otherwise called Duralabha, i. e., Hedysarum Alhagi), mixed with the pulv of ginger, is an alleviative of blood-discharging Piles. The decoction of Darbi ( Berberis Asiatica ), the bark of Cinnamomum Zeylanicum , Ushira (the roots of Andropogon Muricatum ), and Nimba ( Melia Azadirachta ), possesses the same virtue. 215

Ativisha (Aconitum heterophyllum ), the bark of Kutaja ( Holar¬ rhena antidy senterica ), Phala (the seeds of Holarrhe?ia antidy sen¬ terica), and Rasanjana (galena, or, as some physicians take it, the extract of Berberis Asiatica), mixed with honey, and dissolved in water in which rice has been washed, is another combination that stops the discharge of blood. The physician may also give it to the patient that is thirsty.* 216

KUTAJADI-RASAKRIYA.

A hundred ‘palas’ (equal to twelve and a half seers) of the raw bark of Kutaja ( Holarrhena antidysenterica ) are boiled in rain-water (of the measure of 64 seers).

When half the measure of water remains in the vessel, it should be strained through a piece of clean cloth.