Chapter CXCIII - Medical treatment of fever etc

Dhanvantaki said:—There are eight forms of fever, in consideration of their Dosha-born or traumatic nature, as well as of cases in which the deranged Vayu, Pitiam and Kaphah act in couples or in entire concert. Water cooked with Musta, Parpata, Ushira, Chandana, Udichi and Nagara and subsequently cooled down should be given to a fever-patient for the alleviation of heat and thirst.

A febrifuge decoction of Nagaram, Devadaru, Dhanyakam, Vrihati and Kantakari should be given to a fever patient.

A decoction (Pachanam) of the Aragvadha, Musta, Tikta, and Granthika proves efficacious during the immature stage of fever attended with colic.

A compound of Madhuka pith, Sindhuttha, Vacha, Usana, and Kana taken in equal parts and pounded together should be given as an errhine for rousing up tire patient from an unconscious state.

A purgative decoction of Trivrid, Vishala, Triphala, Katuka and Aragvadha, saturated will) an alkali, proves curative in all types of fever.

A decoction of Mahaushadha, Amrita, Musta, Chandana, Ushira, and Dhanyakam, administered with the addition of sugar and honey, cures tertian ague. Clusters of Aparmarga flowers tied with seven strings of red thread round the waist of a patient on a Sunday, cures tertian ague (Tritiyakam.)

A recitation of the Mantra, “a sonless ascetic died on the north bank of the Ganges, I offer libations of water with sesame seeds unto him,” proves curative in Aikahika form of intermittent fever.

A Ghritam properly cooked with the expressed juice and paste of Guduchi, Triphala, Vrisha, Mridvika and Vala acts as a good febrifuge. Similarly, a decoction of Dhatri, Shiva, Kana and Vanhi cures all forms of fever. Now hear me discourse on the drug-compounds, which prove remedial to Jvaratisara (fever with dysentery).

A decoction of Prishni-parni, Vala, Vilva, Nagaram, Utpalam, Dhanyakam, Patha, Indrayava, Bhunimva, Musta, Parpata and Mahaushadham cures fever with mucous dysentery.

A decoction of Nagaram Ativisha, Musta, Bhunimva, and Vatsaka proves curative in all forms of fever and dysentery. Water boiled and cooked with Musta, Parpataka, Udichya, and Shringavera, and subsequently cooled down, may be advantageously given as a drink in all forms of dysentery. Similarly, Shalaparni, Prishniparni, the two kinds of Vrihati, Kantakarika, Vala, Shvadanstra, Vilva, Patha, Nagara, and Dhanyakam may be administered with diet in all forms of the same disease. Bela fruits or the inner pulps of mango-stones, taken with treacle or honey, or Kutaja bark taken with Kana proves beneficial in dysentery.

A decoction of Vatsaka, Ativisha, Vilva, Kana and Kashayaka cures dysentery with bloody mucous stool, attended with an extreme griping pain.

Now hear me discourse on the therapeutics of Grahant (lienteric diarrhœa) Grahini results from the impairment of the digestive faculty.

A medicated Ghritam cooked with the paste and decoction of Chitrakam is appetising, and proves curative in intestinal glands, œdema, Ascites, splenic enlargement, colic and hæmorrhoids. The five kinds of salt such as the Sauvarchala, Saindhavam, Vid, Audbhidam, and Samudram should be added to the foregoing medicine. Medicines, surgical operations, and potential and actual cauteries are the four remedies to be resorted to for the purposes of curing piles. Newly made Takram (a kind of whey) proves remedial to piles. Pippali taken with treacle, Haritakis fried with clarified butter, or Trivrit with acid Lonika may be used with advantage in piles.

A compound of sugar-cane juice and sesame proves beneficial in piles and cutaneous affections.

A decoction of the Panchakola group of drugs with Maricha and Tryashunam improves the digestive faculty. Haritakis, taken with Nagaram, treacle or rock-salt, are extremely appetising and stomachic.

A decoction of Triphala, Amrita, Vasa, Tikta, Bhunimva, and Nimvaja taken with honey cures Jaundice and Chlorosis.

A confection prepared with Trivrit, Triphala, Shyama, Pippali, sugar and honey cures hæmoptisis and Sannipatika forms of fever. As long as there exists a Vasa plant in this word, why should a hæmoptisis, bronchitis, cough or pthisis patient despair of his life.

A decoction of Atarushaka, Mridvika, and Pathya taken with sugar and honey proves remedial to cough, bronchitis, and hæmoptisis. The expressed juice of Vasa, taken with sugar and honey arrests hæmorrhage. The expressed juice of Sallaki, Vadari, Jamvu, Piyala, Amra, Arjunam, and Dhava, severally taken with honey and alkali, exercises a styptic virtue.

A patient suffering from ulcerative endocarditis, by taking a Ghritam, cooked and medicated with the expressed juice of the bark and leaves of Nirgundi, gets rid of the disease and acquires a godly health.

A confection made of Haritaki, Kana, Shunthi, Maricha and treacle, removes cough, thirst and a distaste for food.

A Prastha measure of Ghritam cooked with a thirty Pala weight each of the expressed juice of Kantakari and Guduchi cures cough and improves the digestive faculty.

A decoction of Krishna, Dhatri, Sita and Shunthi, taken with honey, cures hic-cough, whereas a patient suffering from asthma should take Bhargi and Vishva through the medium of warm water.

A person suffering from hoarseness should keep catechu soaked in oil, or powdered Pippali and Pathya, or Pathya and Nagaram in his mouth.

A powdered compound of Vidanga, Triphala and Vishva taken with honey arrests vomiting, or a decoction of Amra or Jambu may be taken with Makshikam for that end. The last named compound allays thirst and arrests vomiting.

Triphala taken with honey or milk conquers vertigo, epileptic fits, etc. Potions of Panchagavyam are remedial to hysteria and diseases due to the influences of malignant planets. Ghritam medicated with the expressed juice of Kushmanda and Yashthikam possesses the same efficacy. Old Ghritam medicated with the addition of Vacha, Kushtham, Shankhapushpi, and the expressed juice of Brahmi cures insanity and the nervous diseases known as Grahapsmara.

A medicinal Ghritam cooked with the expressed juice of Ashvagandha and four times as much milk is constructive, aphrodisiac, and remedial to nervous diseases and sterility. Powders of Nili and Mundarika taken with honey and clarified butter, as well as the decoction of Chhinna creeper proves curative in the worst type of Vataraktam. Five Haritakis taken with treacle cure nervous diseases and cutaneous affections; the paste, powder, or decoction of Guduchi possesses the same efficacy.

A medicinal Ghritam cooked with the expressed juice of Kala, Guduchi and milk cures cutaneous affections, heat in the body and diseases of the deranged Vayu. Triphala taken with Guggula cures epilepsy and Vataraktam, Guggulu taken with cow’s urine conquers that form of nervous disease which is known as Urustambha.

A decoction of Dashamula, Gokshura, Shunthi, Eranda, Rasna and Nagara proves curative in Rheumatism and an aching pain in the limbs.

A decoction of Vala, Punarnava, Eranda, Vrihati, Kantakari and Gokshura, taken with castor-oil, subdues even the most vilurent cases of nervous disorders.

A solution of common salt, taken with asafœtida, proves curative in flatulent colic.

An infusion of Triphala, Nimva, Yashtika, Katuka and aragvadha should be given with honey for the alleviation of colic, or of a burning sensation in the body. Triphala-water taken with Yashthikam cures the type of colic known as Parinama Shula.

A lambative made of iron-rust purified with cow’s urine and Triphala-powder, honey, and clarified butter proves curative in all types of Shula (Gastralgia.)

A pill consisting of two parts of Trivrit, four parts of Krishna, and five parts of Haritaki, taken with an equal quantity of treacle, removes constipation of the bowels.

A compound consisting of powdered Haritaki, Yavakshara, Pippali and Trivrit taken with clarified butter proves curative in Udavarta (tympanites with suppression of the stool and urine). Pills consisting of Trivrit, powders of Haritaki and Shyama soaked with the expressed juice of Snuhi and then dried in the sun (Bhavita), and taken with cow’s urine, forms the best purgative and cures even the worst cases of anaha.

A medicinal Ghritam, duly prepared with a paste of Tryashunam, Triphala, Dhanya, Vidanga, Chavya and Chitrakam, and taken with alkali, proves curative in the Vataja form of Gulma. Roots of Nagavala taken with milk, as well as Sauvarchala salt taken with half as much of Shiva-Ghritam should be regarded as a potent cure for all forms of diseases of the heart.

A compound consisting of powdered Kana, Pashanabheda, Ela and Shilajatu taken with treacle and washings of rice is a potent remedy for all forms of strangury.

A decoction of Amrita, Nagara, Dhatri, Vajigandha and Trikantakam may be given with advantage to patients suffering from strangurv (strangury?), colic, or any disease of the deranged Vayu. Yavakshara (impure carbonate of potash) taken with an equal quantity of sugar is almost a specific for all forms of strangury, in which the expressed juice of Nidigdhika may be also advantageously taken in combination with honey.

Triphala-paste taken with rock-salt removes the suppression of urine in which disease a stick of camphor may be introduced into the urethra for inducing the flow. Decoctions of Shigru-roots administered lukewarm lead to the disintegration and falling off of stones in the bladder, or of urinary concretions The expressed juice of Dhatri and Nisha taken with honey is almost a specific remedy for all forms of urinary complaints (Mehas).

A decoction of Triphala, Daru, Darvi, and Avja taken with honey proves beneficial in all types of Meha. Wishing to be stout a person should renounce late hours, sexual congress, physical exercise, and anxiety. Food into the composition of which barley or Shyamaka grains largely enter, as well as sweet drinks contribute to the stoutness of the body. Hot food or hot Mandas, or fried barley-powder taken with honey, or compounds made of Chavya, Jiraka, Vyosha, Hingu, Sauvarchala salt and Amala are anti-corpulent in their effects.

A medicinal Ghritam duly cooked with four times as much water, twice as much Chitrakam and Utpalam, and cow’s urine should be internally administered to an Ascites-patient. Ten Haritakis, successively increased, each day, and taken for ten days with milk, prove curative in Ascites. Use of such a thousand Haritakis while living on a milk, Yashthika, or rice diet prove curative in dropsy due to splenic enlargement. They are extremely constructive and lifeprolonging in their efficacy.

A medicinal Ghritam cooked with the admixture of the expressed juice of Punarnava should be regarded as a potent cure for œdema and anasarca.

An œdema or Anasarca-patient should do well to take Pippali through the vehicle of milk or cow’s urine, or Abhyaya and treacle. Castor oü, taken with a decoction of Vala cures hernia, attended with distension of the abdomen and an aching pain. Oil of black Uravaka cooked with the paste of Pathya and taken with Krishna and rock salt proves efficacious in Vriddhi Roga.

The expressed juice of Nirg-undi roots used as an errhine cures Scrofula; fomentations with decoctions of Snuhi and Gambhirika leads to the resolution of tumours. Plasters of pasted Hasti-Karna and Palasha prove curative in scrofula; plasters composed of Dhushra, Eranda, Nirgundhi, Varshabhu, Shigru and Sarshapa pasted together are known to cure cases of long-standing Elephantiasis.

Plasters of Hingu, Shobhanjana and Sindhuttha cure Vidradhis (abcesses). Plasters of Sharapunkha made with honey bring about the healing of an ulcer; plasters of Nimva leaves help its asepcision.

A wise physician should employ a decoction of Triphala, Khadira, Darvi, and Nyagrodha for washing all cuts, ulcers or Sadyao Vranas attended with an aching pain. Plasters of Yashthimadhu mixed with warm clarified butter would prove efficacious in all forms of traumatic ulcers. In all traumatic ulcers (cuts, wounds, etc.) cooling measures should be at once resorted to for alleviating the heat of the enraged blood and deranged Pittam of the locality, for which purpose the part may be washed with a decoction of Bamboo-bark, Eranda and Shvadanstra, mixed with honey; a solution of Hingu with rocksalt, or a decoction of Yava, Kola, and Kulatha pulse without the addition of Ghritam, internally administered, lets out the blood incarcerated in any of the wounded Kosthas (chambers) or viscera of the body.

Arishta (medicated wine) of Karanja, or the expressed juice of Nirgundi proves curative in ulcers and worms in the intestines. Pills made of powdered Triphala and Guggulu remove constipation of the bowels and cure ulcers.

A medicated oil cooked with the expressed juice of Durva grass, Kampilla, and the paste of Darvitvacha is one of the most potent healing remedies in ulcer cases.