Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Erysepelas, abscesses, tumours (in the stomach and the arms), piles, deep-seated abscesses, and similar other maladies are diseases that appertain to External seats.49

Hemiplegia, pains (in different limbs), spasmodic contractions, facial paralysis, pulmonary consumption, phthisis, pains in bones

* The word ‘ Marga ’ literally means path or way. In medical treatises, as applied to disease, it implies seat or the parts subject to disease. ‘ Cakha ’ literally means branch. As a techinacal word in medical science, it implies, as explained in the text.iblood and the like, the humours and the skin. Of course, it includes flesh, marrow, fat, bones, and seminal fluid. The humours are wind, bile, and phlegm. Skin is included within it and implies, in this connection, the liquids or juices that appertain to it. The Commentator observes that 9akha is used to indicate these constituent elements of the body because of their analogy to the similar constituents of vegetables. The analogy, however, is not obvious. ‘ Asthi-sandhi ’ is, literally, bone-joints. As a technical word in medicine, it implies the parts mentioned in the text. ‘ Snayu ’ is, as some suppose, the sinews. The Commentator explains that it means the minuter arteries and veins running through every part of the body. ‘ Kandara ’ implies the grosser arteries and veins. In fact, these two words imply all the channels or ducts through which blood and the other liquid substances flow. ‘ Maha-ijrota ’ I have rendered ‘the great Stream.’ Mahanimnam ’ is the great cavity below, evidently the stomach. The stomach consists of various parts or subdivisions. These are the ‘ Amacaya’ or that part where undigested food finds its place ; the ‘Agnyacya’ or that part where the digestive fire (gastric juice) exists ; the ‘Pakkaijaya’ or that part where the digested food remains ; the bladder which contains urine ; the chief duct (aorta) leading to the heart ; and the lungs. Koshtha besides these, includes the juices flowing from the liver and the spleen. — T

CHRA'RA-SA ma HIT A. 129

&nd bone-joints, prolapsus ani, and other diseases of the head* <af the heart, and of the arms, all appertain to the Second seat.49

Fever with diarrhcea, nausea, tympanitis, cholera and choleraic diarrhoea, asthma, consumption, hiccup, epistisis (sup¬ pression of urine), spleen, and other diseases of the stomach appertain to that which has been called the Internal seat. Besides these, erysipelas, intumescence, internal tumours, piles, all deepseated abscesses, and other diseases of a similar kind, are said to appertain to the seat known by the name of Koshtka (as explained before).60

Physicians are of three kinds : hypocrites or quacks dressed &s physicians form one class ; physicians by common report form the second class, and physicians that really possess the accom¬ plishments which such men should possess, form the third class. These ate the three classes of physicians that practice on Earth.* 5 1

Those ignorant persons who, having equipt themselves with the utensils, the medicines, the books, and the bracelets of physi¬ cians and assumed their manners and conduct, acquire the title of physicians, are said to be hypocrites or quacks in the guise of physicians.6 2

Those persons who without really possessing them pretend to prosperity, fame, knowledge, and success such as true physicians have, and acquire the title of physicians, are said to be physicians by report.’j*33

The true accomplishments of a physician are said to reside in those persons that have a practical knowledge of the application of drugs, and acquaintance with the medical scriptures and the affairs.

* The Commentator points out that ‘ bhuvi’. or ‘ on Earth is used by way of dis¬ tinction from heaven, where there is only one kind of physician, viz. , the true ones in the two Agwinikumars. — 71