Symptoms Of Pravahika

The Vayu in the organism of a person addicted to the use of unwholesome food, is deranged and aggravated. It carries down the accumulations of Valasa (mucus) into the lower part of the body, whence, mixed with stools, they are constantly passed off with tenesmus. The disease is called Pravahika (mucous diarrhoa). The motions are attended with Sula (pain) in the Vataja type of the disease, with burning sensation in the Pittaja one, with mucus in the Kaphaja one and with blood (blood-streaked mucus) in the Raktaja (blood-origined type). Excessive use of dry (Ruksha) or of fatty articles of food may be regarded as the exciting-factor of these cases. The specific indications of Pravahika as well as its Ama or acute and Pakva or mature stage are respectively identical with those of the several types of Atisara. 82-83.

Treatment: - In the event of fasting and other digestive (Pachana) compounds (of Pravahika) producing no beneficial effect in serious cases they are found to readily yield to the use of boiled milk, oil, Tila (sesamum) or Pichchhila Vasti. The green stems of S'almali well covered with green Kus'a-blades, should be scorched in the fire in the manner of Puta-paka.

The juice should be squeezed out thereof and mixed with boiled milk, oil, clarified butter and powdered

Yashti-madhu, and should be carefully injected into the rectum in the manner of Vasti application in cases of Pravahika marked with the retention of stool and urine. Similar injections of a decoction of Dasa-mula duly cooked in milk and mixed with honey and applied in the manner of an Asthapana-Vasti as well as the application of oil in the manner of an Anuva'sana

Vasti would prove highly efficacious in cases marked with painful tenesmus. 84 - 86.

Diet: - Oil duly cooked with the drugs of the Vayu-subduing (Vidari-gandhadi) group ami with (the five officinal kinds of) salt should be used in (the preparation of) food and drink. A compound consisting of Lodhra, Bit-salt and dried unripe Vilva-fruit pasted with oil and mixed with Tri-katu should be given to be licked *. The food (boiled rice) of a diar-rhcetic patient should be taken with honey and curd from which the cream has not been removed ; or with milk warmed by a piece of red-hot metal † (other than gold and silver) and mixed when cold with a profuse quantity of honey. The use of milk duly boiled and cooked with the admixture of Tri-katu and Vidari-gandha, with the food would prove curative in a case attended with Sula. He should also be given soups (Rasa) prepared with the drugs of appetising, astringent (Grahi) and Vayu-subduing virtues. Fish he may take and his soup should be prepared with oil and clarified butter with the admixture of Vayu-subduing drugs. The diet in this disease should consist of venison, mutton or goat's flesh cooked with the tender sprouts of a Vata tree or of blood of a fatty goat duly cooked with curd (Dadhi), oil and clarified butter. He may take his food with an unsalted soup (Yusha) of a peacock or of a Lava bird, or with well prepared curd. He may take (with benefit) well cooked Masha-pulse mixed with the transparent upper part of clarified butter (Ghrita-manda) and with curd, while chewing at intervals (with his teeth) the unpowdered Maricha (black pepper). 87 - 89.

A compound of milk, honey and clarified butter mixed with the decoction of Yashti-madhu and Utpala should be applied in the manner of Vasti-application in (a case of Pravahika, marked by) excessive pain and painful micturation (Mutra-Krichchhra). The application of this Vasti would alleviate the burning sensation,

* According to some variants this compound should be taken thrice daily.

† In place ofSymptoms Of Pravahika 30087 - Kupya (any metal other than gold and silver) some read - Kurpa which is explained to mean a kind of stone.

allay the the accompanying fever and remove the blood (in the stool). Injections of the decoction (of the drugs) of Madhura group (such as Kakoli, etc.) in the manner of an Anuvasana Vasti, should also be applied every day - at daytime or in the night, if the patient be feeling any pain. 90.

A Vasti applied with the admixture of oil would pacify the aggravated bodily Vayu and Pravahika, would be removed with the pacification of the deranged bodily Vayu. The main treatment, therefore, in a case of Pravahika is to restore the deranged local Vayu to its normal condition, (which is identical with a cure). 91.

Medical Treatment

The drugs known as Patha, Ajamoda, Kutaja-sccds, S'unthi and Maga-dhikd taken in equal parts, pasted together and dissolved in tepid water or milk duly boiled with the testicles of a goat and mixed with clarified butter would prove efficacious in a case of Pravahika. Clarified butter mixed with oil and duly cooked with S'unthi and Kshavaka would give instantaneous relief, if licked. Yavagu duly prepared with the admixture of Viha and the expressed juice of Gajas'ana (Sallaki), Kum-bhika and Dadima and with curd, oil and clarified butter would prove highly beneficial. The use of milk just drawn would similarly prove beneficial in the case. 92.

A wise and experienced physician should employ the foregoing medicinal compounds and decotions in the complaints of the bowels and of the stomach (Udara-maya) as well as light, appetising and emulsive (Snigdha) articles of fare and other articles of food prescribed before as diet in the cases. 93.

Yavagu: - Yavagu (gruel) is always efficacious in cases of fever and Atisara in as much as it allays thirst, is light in digestion and appetising, and acts as a cleanser of the bladder (diuretic). 94.