Metrical Text

An intelligent physician should have recourse to the following medicinal compounds in virulent types of Kushtha, urinary complaints (Meha), di eases due to the action of the deranged and aggravated Kapha and general oedima of the body and also in respect of inordinately corpulent persons wishing to reduce their obesity. 2.

Mantha-Kalpas

Pounded barley-corn should be saturated with the urine of a cow and kept in a large bamboo basket (Kilinja) for the whole night; and should then be dried in the sun on the following day. This process should be continued for seven consecutive days. At the close of this period it should be fried in an earthen vessel (Kapála) and then ground to fine powder (Saktu). The powder, thus prepared should be given every morning to a person afflicted with Kushtha (leprosy) or any urinary complaint (Prameha) through the medium of a decoction of the drugs included within the S'álasárádi group, or of the Kantaki(thorny) † trees, and mixed with a pulverised compound of Bhallá-taka, Prapunnáda, Avalguja, Arka, Chitraka, Vidavga and Musta weighing a fourth part of the S'aktu. Barleycorn should, in the same manner, be soaked in a decoction of the drugs constituting the S'ála-sárádi or the Aragvadhádi groups, or barley-corn should be given to a cow to eat and the undigested barley-corn passed with the cow-dung should be collected. This barleycorn should then be fried and powdered in the form of Saktu. This powder should be mixed with a pulverised compound of Bhallátaka, etc., mentioned above, and given to the patient through the medium of a decoction of any one of the Khadira, Asana, Nimba, Rája-Vriksha, Rohitaka and Guduchi, sweetened with honey and sugar, and acidified with grapes, or the expressed juice of pomegranate and Amla-vetasa and then mixed with rock-salt. This is the method of preparing all kinds of Manthas. 3.

* Kushtha which affects the deeper tissues and fundamental principles of the body is called Mahá-Kushtha.

Gayi interprets the term "Mihá-Kushtha" as signifying those seven types of Kushtha which cannot be attributed to any detectable cause.

† Vadara, Khadira, Arimeda, Snuhi, etc.

Articles of food made of barley-corn in the form of Dháná, Lunchaka, Kulmásha, Apupa, Purnakosa, Utkáriká, * Sashkuliká, Kunari † and Konáli, etc., should be given as diet. Preparations of wheat and Venu-yava (seeds of bamboo) after the manner of barley preparations should also be recommended as a proper food. 4 5.

Medicated 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, Chitraka, Deva-dáru Sárivá, Danti and Trikatu,and one Kudava weight of Vadara and Triphalá should be powdered. An earthen jar or pitcher, which formerly contained clarified butter, should be purified ‡ and plastered inside with a compound 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 Tulá 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 oedima. Arishtas may also be similarly perpared from the drugs included in the S'ála-sáradi, the Nya-grodhádi or the Aragvadhádi group. 6.

* Gayadása reads Chilrá (a kind of soup) before " Uikárikaá.'

† Dallana does not read "Konáli" but says that some read "Konáliká' in place of "Kunári" both of which are synonyms. We have, however, both the terms in our text.

‡ The jar should be purified or disinfected by fumigation with the medicinal drugs such as Nimba-leaves Guggulu, etc.