Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Reduce all these to a fin.e pulv, and administer it (with water agreeably hot).

This medicine is beneficial when the ‘Graham’ is overwhelmed by excited wind, as also in disgust for food. 107-109

THE FIVE GRUELS.

One ‘prastha’ (equal to 2 seers) of the four ‘Amlas’ (viz., Amla¬ vetasa,’ i. e., Rumex vesicarius'), ‘Vrikshamla,’ i. e., tamarind, Kola,’ i. e., jujubes, and ‘Dadima,’ i. e., pomegranates), and three ‘palas of ‘Tryushana’ (viz., the three acrids), four palas of the salts (four salts are taken, viz., ‘Sauvarchala,’ ‘Saindhava,’ ‘Vit,’ and ‘Audbhida’) and eight palas of sugar :

Reducing all these to pulv administer it by mixing it with pothersb, soups, boiled rice, and curries.

This pulv is alleviative of cough, indigestion, disgust for food, asthma, diseases of the chest, chlorosis, and ‘£ula’ pains, no-111

Chavya (Piper Chaba), Tvach (the bark of Cinnamomum Zeylanicum ), Pippalimula (the roots of Piper longum J, Dhâtaki ( Woodfordia floribunda ), Vyosha (the three acrids), Chitraka (the roots of Plum¬ bago Zeylanica ), Kapittha (the fruits of Feronia elephanta ), Amvashtha (otherwise called Patha i. e., Cissampelos hernandifolia ), Hastipippali (Pothos officinalis ), £almala (Bombax Malabaricum, its exudation, called ‘Mocharasa’ being taken), £ilodbheda (otherwise called

p. 1428

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

£alincha, i. e., Achyranthes triandra), and Ajsji (the seeds of Nigelta sativa) :

These should be pounded together, the measure of each being equal to that of a ‘Vadara’ (jujube). Fry the paste, in ghee, and make a gruel of the same by adding 1. curds, 2. the juice of Kapittha (fruits of Feronia elephanta ), 3. that of Chukri ( Rumex vesicarius ), 4. that of Vrikshamla (fruits of tamarind), and 5. that of Daclima (pomegranate fruits).

The five gruels, thus prepared, are alieviative of all kinds of diarrhoea, disease of the ‘Grahani,’ piles, and enlargement of the spleen. 112-114

TAKRARISHTA.

The soup of Munga (seeds of Pkaseolus Mungo ) and the other pulses, mixed with the decoction or the paste of the five Kolas (long pepper, its roots, Piper Chaba , Plumbago Zeylanica , and dry ginger), or with the decoction or paste of (dry) radishes, the pulv of black pepper being added to each, should be given to one afflicted with disease of ‘Grahani.’

Or, the meat-juice prepared from the flesh of wild animals (such as deer, &c.,), rendered oily by adding ghee, and sour by adding whey and the juice of pomegranates, may also be given ;

Or, meat-juice prepared from the flesh of carnivorous animals, may also be given :

These are well-proved as food (for such patients). These varieties of food kindle the digestive fire.

For drink, whey, ‘SranSla’ (Kanji), wine, and ‘arishtas’ (vinous spirits), should be given. ”5-116

Of persons afflicted with ‘Graham-disease,’ whey is a kindler of the digestive fire, and also an inspissant, in consequence of its light¬ ness. In consequence also of its conversion into sweet taste when it undergoes digestion, whey is a beneficial diet. It does not excite the bile. ”7

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1429

Whey is beneficial in (excited) phlegm also, in consequence of its astringent taste, its heating virtue, its capacity of loosening paralysed joints, as also in consequence of its dryness.*

In wind also it is beneficial in consequence of its sweetness of taste, its sourness, and its consistency (absence of liquid character). Whey that is new (not older than 12 hours) does not cause a burning sensation, n8

For these reasons, those applications of whey which are ordained in abdominal diseases and piles, should, by all means, be administered in ‘Grahani-disease.’ 11 9

Yamani (seeds of Ptychotis Ajowan), Amlaka (fruits of Pliylianthus Emblicci), Pathyfi (Chebulic myrobalans), and Maricha (black pepper) :

Three palas of each of these should be taken ; also one pala of each of the five salts. All thse should be ponuded together into a pulv. (This pulv is thrown into 16 seers of whey).

When the whey, after a time, begins to ferment, it is transformed into an ‘arishta’ (vinous spirit).

One afflicted with ‘Grahani-disease’ should drink this ‘arishta.’

This ‘arishta’ kindles the digestive fire. It is also alleviative of dropsical swellings, abdominal tumours, piles, worms in the intestines, gonorrhoea, and diseases of abdomen. 120-121

Even this is how ‘Takrarishta’ is prepared.

Ascertaining that the bile is stationed in its own place {i. e., the ‘Grahani’), that there is presence of nausea, and that it has extingu¬ ished the digestive fire, the physician should expel it by administer¬ ing purgatives or emetics. 123

With food that does not cause a burning sensation in the stomach and that is light (or easy of digestion), mixed with bitters, with meat-juice prepared from the flesh of wild animals (such as deer and the rest), jVikaji’ is explained by GangS dhara as ‘Sandhibandham Nimokshayati.’— T.

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CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

With soups, rendered sour by adding the proper ingredients, of Mudga (seeds of Phaseolus Mungo) and the other pulses,

With food mixed with the expressed juice, that is sour, of pome¬ granates, fried in ghee, and mixed with such ingredients as are capable of kindling the digestive fire and as are inspissants, and