This section is from the book "The Sushruta Samhita", by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna. Also available from Amazon: The Sushruta Samhita.
Preparations of potherbs, soups, boiled rice and cooked meat are instantaneously decomposed, and become putrid, tasteless and omit little odour when in contact with poison. All kinds of food become tasteless, smellless and colourless when in contact with poison. Ripe fruit, under such conditions, is speedily decomposed and the unripe ones are found to get prematurely ripe. 17 - 18.
If the tooth-twig be anyway charged with poison its brush-like end is withered and shattered and if used gives rise to a swelling of the lips and the tongue and about the gums. In such a case, the swollen part should be first rubbed (with any leaf of rough fibre) and then gently rubbed with a plaster composed of Dhátaki flowers, Pathyá, stones of Jambuline (black-berry) and honey pasted together. As an alternative, the part should be gently rubbed and dusted over with a plaster of powdered Amkotha roots or Sapta-chchada bark or seeds of S'iriska, pasted together with honey. The same remedies should be applied in the cases of affections due to the use of a poisoned tongue-cleanser or a poisoned gargle (Kavala). 12 - 20.
Poisoned articles for Abhyanga (oils and unguents) look thick, slimy or discoloured and produce, when used, eruptions on the skin which suppurate and exude a characteristic secretion attended with pain, perspiration, fever and bursting of the flesh. The remedy in such a case consists in sprinkling cold water over the body of the patient and in applying a plaster of sandal wood, Tagara, Kushtha, Us'ira, Venu-patriká (leaves of bamboo), Soma-valli, Amritá, S'veta-pad?na (lotus), Káliyaka and cardamom pasted together (with cold water), A potion of the same drugs mixed with the urine of a cow and the expressed juice of Kapittha is equally commended in the present instance. Symptoms which mark the use of poisoned armour, garments, bedding, cosmetic, washes, infusions, anointments, etc. and the remedies for these arc identical with those consequent upon the use of poisoned unguents. 21-22.
A poisoned plaster (if applied to the head) leads to the falling off of the hair and to violent headache, bleeding through the mouth and the nostrils, etc., and the appearance of glands on the head. The remedy in such a case consists in the application of a plaster made of black earth treated (Bhávita) several times with the bile of a Rishya (a species of deer), clarified butter and the expressed juice of S'yámá, Pálindi (Trivrit; and Tandu-liyaka (in succession). The expressed juice of Málati (flower) or of Mushika-parni, fluid-secretions of fresh cow-dung and house-soot as external applications are also beneficial in such cases. 23.
In cases of poisoning through head-unguents or through a poisoned turban, cap garland of fllowers, or bathing water, measures and remedies as laid down in connection with a case of poisoned Anulepana should be adopted and applied. In a case of poisoning through cosmetics applied to the face,the local skin assumes a bluish or tawny brown colour covered with eruptions like those in cases of Padmini-kantaka and the symptoms peculiar to a case of using a poisoned unguent become manifest. The remedy in such a case consists in the application of a plaster composed of (white) sandal wood, clarified butter, Payasyá, Yashti madhu, Phanji, (Bhárgi), Vandhujiva and Panamavá. A potion of honey and clarified butter is also beneficial in this case. 24-25.
A poisoned elephant usually exhibits such symptoms as restlessness, copious salivation and redness of the eyes. The buttocks, the penis, the anal region and the scrotum of its rider coming in contact with the body of such an elephant are marked by eruptions. Under such conditions both the animal and its rider should be medically treated with the remedies laid down in the treatment of poisoning through an unguent. 26.
A poisoned snuff(Nasya) or poisoned smoke (Dhuma) produces bleeding from the mouth and nose, etc., pain in the head, a discharge of mucus and a derangement of the functions of the sense-organs. The remedy in such cases consists in drinking and snuffing * a potion of clarified butter duly cooked with the milk of a cow or such other animal together with Ativishá, Vacha and Mallikâ flower (as Kalka). A poisoned garland ( of flowers) is characterised by the loss of odour and by the fading and discolouring of its natural colour, and when smelt produces headache and lachrymation. Remedies laid down under the heads of poisoning through vapour (Dhuma) and through cosmetics for the face (Mukha-lepa) should be used and applied. 27-28.
The act of applying poisoned oil into the cavity of the ears impairs the faculty of hearing and gives rise to swelling and pain in that locality and to the secretion (of pus) from the affected organs. The filling up of the cavity of the ears with a compound of clarified butter, honey and the expressed juice of Vahuputrá (Satávari) †
* Dallana explains this couplet to mean that clarified butter cooked with milk and Ativishá should be given for drink, and that cooked with Vacha and Málati flower as an errhine.
† Dallana says that some read
and explain
to mean
or with the juice of Soma-valka in a cold state prove curative in such cases. 29.
The use of a poisoned Anjana (collyrium) to the eyes is attended with copious lachrymation, deposit of an increased quantity of waxy mucus (in the corners of the eyes), a burning sensation, pain (in the affected organs), impairment of the sight and even blindness. In such a case the patient should be made to drink a potion of fresh clarified butter (Sadyo-ghrita) * alone or with pasted Pippali which would act as a Tarpana (soother). Anjana prepared with the expressed juice of Mesha s'ringi, Varuna-bark, Mushkaka or Ajakarna or with Samudra-phena pasted with the bile (Pittai of a cow should be applied to the eyes, or the one prepared with the (expressed juice of the) flower of Kapittha, Mesha-s'ringi, Bhallátaka, Bandhuka and Atnkotha separately. 30.
The case which is incidental to the use of a paste of poisoned sandals, is marked by a swelling in the legs, secretion from the affected organs, complete anesthesia of the diseased locality and the appearance of vesciles thereon. Those due to the use of poisoned shoes or foot-stools exhibit symptoms identical with those of the above case and the medical treatment in all of these cases should be one and the same. Ornaments charged with poison lose their former lustre and give rise to swelling, suppuration and the cracking of the parts they are worn on. The treatment in these cases due to the use of poisoned sandals and ornaments should be similar to the one advised in connection
with that due to the use of poisoned unguents (Abhyanga). 31-32.
* Some are inclined to take
as an adverb meaning "instantly" and modifying
meaning thereby that clarified butter should be instantly taken.
The symptoms which characterise cases of poisoning commencing with "poisoning through poisoned smoke" and ending with that due to the use of "poisoned ornaments" should be remedied with an eye to each of the specific and characteristic indications, and the medicine known as the Mahá-sugandhi Agada to be described hereafter should be administered as drink, unguent, snuff and Anjana. Purgatives or emetics should be exhibited and even strong venesection should be speedily resorted to in cases where bleeding would be beneficial. 33-34.
The drugs known as Mushiká and Ajaruhá should be tied round the wrists of a king as prophylactics to guard against the effects of poisoned food, since either of these two drugs (in virtue of their specific properties) tends to neutralise the operativeness of the poison. A king surrounded by his devoted friends shall cover his chest (with drugs of heart-protecting virtues) and shall drink those preparations of clarified butter, which are respectively known as the Ajeya and the Amrita Ghritas *. He should drink regularly every day such wholesome cordials as honey, clarified butter, curd, milk and cold water and use in his food the meat and soup of the flesh of a peacock, mungoose, Godha (a species of lizard), or Prishata deer. 35 - A.
 
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