Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

KAVIRAJ AVINASH CHANDRA KAYIRATNA,

EDITOR OF CHARAKA-SAMHITA AND OF SUSRUTA-SAMHITA (in Original) WITH COMMENT¬ ARIES ; BENGALI AND HINDI TRANSLATOR OF CHARAKA-SAMHITA AND OF SDSRUTA-SAMIfITA ; EDITOR OF CHIKITSA-SAMMILANI (Medical journal in Bengali) ; practitioner OF the HINDU

SYSTFM OF MEDICINE, &C., &C,, &C.

CALCUTTA:

200, Cornwallis Street,

PRINTED BY B. N. NANDI AT THE KAVIRATNA PRESS, 12, SIMLA STREET, BYE-LANE.

. 1908.

( The right of reproduction is reserved.- )

OPINION OF EMINENT MEN.

( Extracts from their Letters.)

Professor Max Muller I have no doubt you ought to publish an English transla : tion of Charaka. The book is of great importance. I shall be very glad to help you in any way you may wish. — -Writing again in November 1893, he' says, — . /.. I am surprised that your excellent and most useful translation has not attracted more attention . Our Regius Professor of Medicine, Sir Henry Edward, was much interested

Sir Monier Williams, K. C. I. E. : — I have received your kind gift of the successive parts of the Charaka and Susruta Samhita. I regard them as a valuable addition to my' library. No doubt, an English translation would be very interesting.

Dr. Reinhold Rost, C. I. E. late Librarian to the India Office — . Your excellent translation . . a most valuable and praiseworthy work which will not fail to make ancient Hindu medicine better understood and appreciated in the West .

I shall draw the attention of Oriental scholars to your difficult and meritorious work

.„ . Many important additions to your Sanskrit dictionaries will be gleaned from your translation.

Austin Flint, Esq., New York , U. S A. I have read with much pleasure the first fasciculus of your translation of Charaka Samhita and shall be very glad to receive the rest of the work, it cannot fail to be of great interest to the medical profession, which will be under great obligations to you.

A. H. Edgren, Esq., Gothenburgh, Sweden I am deeply interested in anything Indian, and I need not say that I shall consider it as a gain to obtain whatever insight I may into the subject treated of in your valuable translation.

Professor A. V. Williams Jackson., Columbia College , New York, U. S. A. — I must congratulate you, with true appreciation of your efforts. I should very much like to make a little note, in one of our papers, of the praiseworthy work you are doing. Be assured, Sir, of my hearty thanks and appreciation and of my deep interest in India and antique lore.

Mons. A. Barth., Paris : — Your efforts to place within reach of the readers of ancient literature a work of so interesting a nature both of 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 Konigsburgh, 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 Instruction, 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.

CHAR A KA-SA MHIT A. >

p. 1527

Boil all these on a mild fire (till the contents assume some measure of consistency).

Make a linctus of the boiled product. Adding ghee and honey to it, this linctus should be licked.

It cures sore-born cough, as also asthma, chest-disease, and emaciation.

It is beneficial to old men whose semen has decreased.* 134-136

Of persons afflicted with sore-born cough, the regimen should be the same as that of persons afflicted with bile-born cough.

Such regimen should consist mostly of milk, ghee, and honey.

When, however, this variety of cough co-exists with some other ailment or ailments, the regimen should be different. i37

When one having sore-born cough is afflicted with wind and bile, and when his limbs are languid, rubbing the body with ghee is beneficial,

When, however, such a person is afflicted by the wind, rubbing the body with such oils as are alleviative of the wind, is beneficial. >38