lYIedicated AriShtas :— Now we shall describe the mode of preparing Arishtas (applicable in cases of Kushtha). Six Pala weight of each of the following drugs, viz., Putika, Chavya, Chiiraka, Deva-ddru^ Sdrivd^ Danti diXid Trikatti, 3.r\d one Kudava weight of Vadara and Triphald should be powdered. An earthen jar or pitcher, which formerly contained clarified butter, should be purified]: and plastered inside with a compound
* Gayadasa reads Chilra (a kind of soup) before " Utkarika.'
t Dallana does not read *'Konali" but says that some read **Konalika'
in place of "Kunari" both of which are synonyms. We have, however,
both the terms in our text.
X The jar should be purified or disinfected by fumigation with the
medicinal drugs such as Nimba-leaves, Guggulu, etc.
364 TriE SUSHRUtA SAMHITA. [Chap. X.
of honey, clarified butter and powdered Pippali. Then
the pulverised compound, mentioned above, together
with seven Kudava measures of water* half a Kudava
measure of iron-powder, and half a Tuli weight of treacle,
should be poured into the said jar which should then be
tightly covered with a lid and placed under a heap of
barley for seven days (for fermentation). After this
period, it should be taken out and the patient should be
made to take some of it (every day) according to his
physical capacity. This Arishta (fermented liquor) cures
Kushtha, obesity, urinary complaints (Meha), jaundice
and cedima. Arishtas may also be similarly perpared
from the drugs included in the S'dla-sdradi, the Nya-
grodhddi or the Aragvadhddi group. 6.
Medicated AsavaS :— Now we shall describe the mode of preparing Asavas. The ashes of burnt Palds'a should be dissolved in hot water and duly filtered. Three parts of this (alkaline) water, subsequently cooled, and two parts of Phanita (molasses) should be mix^ed together and fermented in the manner of pre- paring Arishtat- Asavas may be similarly prepared with the alkali made of the ashes of sesamum plants (described in connection with the treatment of As'mari — Chapter. VII), or with the drugs constituting the S'dla- sdrddiy the Nyagrodhddi, or the Aragvadhddi groups, or with cow's urine as in the preceeding manner. 7-
Medicated Suras :— Now we shall describe
the process of preparing Surds (wines). A decoction
should be duly made of S'ims'pd and Khadira woods
with JJttamdrmi^ Brdhmi and Kos'dtaki boiled together
* Jejjata recommends twenty-eight Pala weight of water, but Gaya^ dasa does not support this.
t Powders of Putika, Chiiraka, etc., mentioned in connection wiih the preparation of Arishtas should be likewise added to it, — Dallana.
Chap. X.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 365
in water*. Then Surd-kin va (the dru^ which is used to
cause the fermentation in the manufacture of spirits)
should be mixed with the above decoction and the
compound distilled in the usual officinial method. The
liquor thus prepared is called Sara'. Suras may be
similarly prepared, from the drugs of the S' dla-sdrddU
the Aragvadhadi, or the Nyngrodhddi groups. 8.
lYIedicated Avalehas (lambatives) —Now
we shall describe (the method of preparing) medicated
Avalehas (lambatives). A decoction should be prepared
with the Sara (essential parts^ oi Khadira, Asana, Nimba,
Rdfavriksha and S'dla. -f Fine powders of the same
dru^s should be mixed with the above (decoction) and
boiled again. The compound should be removed from
the fire neither thick nor thin. The patient should
be made to lick a handful I of the compound mixed
with honey and be made to abstain from taking any meal
in the morning. Similar preparations may be made
(Avaleha) from the drugs of the S'dla-sdrddi, the Arag-
vadhddi, or the Nyngrodhddi groups. 9.
Medicinal Churnas:-Now we shall de-
scribe the process of preparing pulverised compounds.
A Prashtha measure of the powdered Sara of the
trees belonging to the S'dla-sdrddi group should be
* One part of S'irns'apa', one of Khadira and a third of Uttamarani, Btahnii and Kos'aiaki should be taken. Tula weight of the drugs and four Drona measures of water should be boiled and reduced to one Drona. — Dallana,
t Gayalasa does not read *'S'ala" in the list.
X Though the word "Panitala" means a "Karsha" i.e.y two Tol£s, yet as there is the word "Purnam" inserted after it, so a handful should be understood here by this term.— Dallana. It should be observed, however, that the difference in the two interpretations is uhimaiely immaterial. —Ed.
366 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. X.
many times (i. e,, seven days) saturated with the decoc-
tion of the drugs of the Arogvadhddi group (and dried).
Then the prepared compound should be taken with the
- vehicle of the decoction of the drugs of the said S'dla- sdrddi group. A pulverised compound {Churna) may be as well prepared in the above manner from the fruits of the Nyagrodddhi group or from the flowers of the A ragvadhddi group, i o . P~~^IYIeClicinaI Ayaskriti : — Nowwe shall de- scribe the process of preparing an Ayaskriti (iron com- pound). Thin leaves of steel should be plastered with the (five officinal kinds of) salts and heated in fire a of dried cow-dung. When red-hot, they should be immersed in a decoction of Triphald and the drugs of the S' dla-sdrddi group. The above process should be repeated sixteen times in succession after which they should be heated and burnt in a fire of Khadira wood. When cooled down, the iron foils should be pounded into fine powder and passed through a piece of thick linen. The patient should be made to take this powder with honey and clarified butter in an adequate dose suiting his capacity. Af;er
. the digestion of the medicine, he should take such a meal as is not hostile to hisparticular disease and is devoid of salt and acid articles. The use of a Tula measure of this medicinal iron preparation in the above manner leads to the recovery of Kushtha, Meha (urinary com- plaints), obesity, oedima, jaundice, insanity and epilepsy and makes the patient live for one hundred years. The use of each additional Tuld weight of the preparation adds a century to the duration of the user's life. This is the mode of medically preparing all kinds of Loha (zinc, copper, lead and gold). 11-12.
Aushadha Ayaskriti :— A ball of iron
(weighing fifty Palas) heated and made red-hot in a
Chap. X.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 367
fire of Khadira wood should be cooled by immersing it
in a cauldran (Droni), made of (green) Palds'a wood
and containing (five-hundred Palas of) Svarasa (expressed
juice*yof Trivit, S'y^ma, Agnimantha, Samkhini, Kevuka,
Lodhra,Triphala, Palas'a and Sims'apA. The iron mass
should be thus heated and cooled twenty one times
in succession ; finally the iron ball should be immersed
and boiled in the expressed juice of the foregoing drugs
over a fire of cow-dungs. It should be removed from
the fire when only a quarter part of the liquid would
remain. It should now be filtered and the mass of
iron should be again heated in the fire mixed with the
same liquid and boiled again ; when the cooking is
nearly complete, (it should be removed from the fire
and) a pulverised compound of the drugs included in the
Pippalyddigvow^ together with honey and clarified butter
each weighing double the quantity of the iron mass or
ball should be mixed with the same. When cooled down,
this preparation should be preserved in a well-sealed
iron-pitcher. The medicine, thus prepared, should be
given to the patient according to his capacity but not
less than a Sukti (.half a Pala) or a Prakuncha measure
(one Pala). After the digestion of this medicine, a diet
should be given to the patient determined by the nature
of his disease. This is called the Aushadha Ayaskriti
and it cures even the incurable types of Kushtha and
urinary complaints (Meha\ reduces obesity, impairs
oedima and improves the impaired digestive functions.
* Old and experienced physicians explain ^'Svaraswu" to be the decoction as well. Gaya< asa says that a decoction of one Drona weight of the drugs, boiled in four Drona weight of water and reduced to its quarter part should be taken. Dallana says that if the expressed juice of the drugs be not available, then a cold infusion of one Adhaka weight of the powdered drugs should be taken,
368 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. X.
It is specially efficacious in cases of phthisis
(Rdja-Yakshmd). A proper and regular use of this
remedy increases the duration of life to a hundred
years. 13.
IVIahaushaclha-Ayaskriti :— A decoction
of the drugs of the S'dla-sdrddi group should be poured
in a Droni (vessel) made of Palds'a wood. Sheets of
iron should be made red-hot and cooled down
(twenty one times) by immersing them into the said
decoction of the drugs of the .5 dia-sdrddi group. The
interior part of an earthen pitcher should be disinfected
(with' fumigation). Then the iron foils and the powder
of the drugs of the Pippalyddi group together with
treacle and honey should be added and preserved
in the earthen pitcher with its mouth well-covered
with a lid for a period of one month (in winter) or a
fortnight (in summer). This preparation is called the
Mahaushadha-Ayaskriti and an adequate quantity of
it should be given to the patient after the lapse of the
said period. Similar preparations of (iron) may be
made with a decoction of the drugs of the Nyagro-
dhddi or Arevatddi (Aragvadhddi) group. 14.
— ^Thc Khadira Vidhana :— Now we shall
describe the Khadira preparations. The earth around
the central root of a middle-aged Khadira tree, grown
in a commendable soil and not worm-eaten, should
be dug out and the central and principal root of the
tree should be cut open. An iron pitcher should be
placed under the tree so that the secreted juice may
collect into it through the main root. The outer surface
of the tree should be completely plastered with a
paste of clay and cow-dung (mixed together). It should
then be treated with a fire fed with faggots mixed
with cow-dung so that the glutinous secretions of
Chap. X.] CHIKITSA STHANAM. 369
the Khadira tree would naturally settle down into the
pitcher (through the principal root). When the pitcher
is filled up, the juice should be collected and
filtered and then kept in another vessel with its lid
carefully closed and sealed. The extract so pre-
served should be taken in proper doses with honey, clari-
fied butter and the expressed juice of Amalaka. The
patient should be made to take such diet and observe
such regimen of conduct, as has been prescribed in
connection with the use of Bhallaitaka compounds, after
the digestion of the medicine. A Prastha measure of
this remedy gradually taken by a man enables him to
live a hundred summers. 15.
Khadira-Sara-Kalpa :— A decoction made
by boiling a Tula weight of the essential part (Sdra)of the
Khadira tree with a Drona measure of water and boiled
down to a sixteenth part of its original quantity should
be kept in a vessel with its mouth tightly closed.
An adequate quantity of this decoction should be taken
every day with honey, clarified butter and the expressed
juice of Amalaka. The present method should be
adopted with the extract from the essential parts (Sdra)
of all other medicinal trees. 16.
Every morning the patient should be made to take
an adequate dose of the powders of Khadira-satra,
or its decoction, until a Tula weight is consumed, or
he should be made to take a potion of the clarified
butter churned from the milk of a ewe and cooked in
a decoction of Khadira-sara. As an alternative
the expressed juice or a decoction of Amrita-valH, or
clarified butter cooked with that juice or decoction,
should be taken every morning. The patient should
every afternoon take a meal of boiled rice with clari-
fied butter and Amalaka-^ow"^. A constant use of this
THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. X.
remedy and a conformity to the foregoing diet for a
month would lead to a radical cure of any type of
Kushtha. 17.
