A cutaneous disease (Twag-dosha) originates through injudicious conduct of life such as, partaking of large quantities of unwholesome food, or taking it before the previously eaten one is digested (i. e, eating too often), indulgence in incompatible articles of fare, voluntary suppression of the natural urgings- of the body, and improper application of medicated oil, clarified butter, or other lardacious articles. It is attributed even to the dynamics of sinful acts done by a man in this or in some prior existence. 2.

Conduct Of Diet And Regimen

A person afflicted with any kind of skin disease should refrain from taking meat, lard, milk, curd, oil, Kulattha pulse, Másha pulse,Nishpáva, preparations and modifications of sugarcane juice, acid substances, incompatible food, meals taken before the complete digestion of the preceding one, unwholesome and indigestible food, or food causing a burning sensation and some kind of internal secretion, day-sleep and sexual intercourse. 3.

Regulation of diet and conduct: of either Mudga pulse or Adhaki pulse mixed with Nimba leaves and Arushkara are wholesome in a case of Kushtha. Preparations of any of the aforesaid grains may be taken with Manduka-parni, Avalguja, Atarushaka and Rupiká flowers cooked in mustard oil or clarified butter, or with the soup prepared of the articles of the Tikta-varga (bitter group, mentioned in the Sutra-sthánam). The cooked flesh of Jángala animals, devoid of all fatty matter, should be given to a patient, habituated to the use of meat diet. The medicated oil, known as the Vajraka-Taila should be used for anointing the body. A decoction of the drugs of the Arag-vadhádi group should be used for rubbing (Utsádana) purposes. Decoctions of Khadira should be employed in drinks, baths, washes, etc. The preceding rules are intended to regulate the diet and regimen of one suffering from Kushtha (cutaneous affections). 4.

The old and matured grain of S'áli, Shashtika, barley, wheat, Koradusha, S'yámáka, Uddálaka, etc., boiled and taken along with the soup (Supa) or a decoction * (Yusha)

* An unsalted decoction of any substance not seasoned with any spices whatever is called Yusha, while the one salted and seasoned with spices is called Supa. In preparing the soup of any pulse, all husks should be carefully thrashed out and the grain should be slightly fried before boiling.

Preliminary Treatment

In the premonitary stages of the disease the system should be cleansed by the application of both emetics and purgatives. When the disease is found to invade the Tvak * only, a plaster prepared of the purifying drugs should be. applied to the affected parts; blood-letting and the use of medicinal decoctions and purifying and disinfecting plasters are the remedies to be employed when the desease would appear. to infect the blood. The same remedies and Arishta, Mantha, Prása, etc. should be employed when the disease would be found to have invaded the principle of the Mámsa (muscles). Palliation and temporary respite arc the only cure that can be offered in a case of the sin-begotten type † of the disease which is the fourth (in order of enumeration) and that even is purely contingent on the willingness and capacity of the patient to conform to a strict regimen of diet, conduct and dress. Blood-letting and purifying measures (emetics and purgatives) should be resorted to in such a case and then the special medicinal remedies prepared from Bhallataka †, Silájatu, Guggulu, Aguru, Tuvaraka, Khadira, and Asaua and the Ayaskriti should be used in accordance with the prescribed rules. The disease in its fifth form (is found to invade the bones and) should be given up as incurable. 3-6.

* Tvak here means Rasa or serum, † The type of Kushtha affecting the principle of Medas (fat) is generally supposed to be sin-begotten.