This section is from the book "The Sushruta Samhita", by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna. Also available from Amazon: The Sushruta Samhita.
imparting stoutness to one's body). The milk, which emits a fetid smell, or has become discoloured and insipid, or has acquired an acid taste and looks shreddy and curdled, or tastes saline, should be regarded as Unwholesome and injurious.
There are three kinds of curd such as, the sweet, the acid, and the extremely acid curd. Milk curd generally leaves an astringent after-taste. It is demulcent and heat-making in its potency, as well as spermatopoietic, vitalising and auspicious. It proves curative in Pinasa (nasal catarrh), intermittent fever (Vishama J vara), dysentery, non-relish for food, difficult urination, and general cachexia.
Sweet curd greatly increases the slimy secretions of the organs and the quantity of fat and Kapham in the body. Acid curd deranges the Pittam and the Kapham, while the extremely acid curd vitiates the blood. Curd, which has been not perfectly curdled (Mandajatam) is acid in its (digestive) chemical reaction, acts as an inordinately strong purgative and diuretic agent, and deranges the three fundamental humours of the body.
Curdled cow's milk is demulcent, sweet in digestion, appetising, srength-increasing and acrid. It subdues the bodily Vayu and imparts a relish to one's food. Curd prepared with the milk of a she-goat is light, and subdues the deranged Pittam and Kapham. It proves curative in Vata and wasting diseases, and is a good appetiser. Its beneficial effect is witnessed in cases of piles, dyspnoea and cough. Curd, prepared with the milk of a she-buffalo, is sweet in digestion, and spermtopoietic. It pacifies the deranged Vayu and Pittam, and serves to augment the normal quantity of bodily Kapham. It is specifically a demulcent substance. Curd prepared with the milk of a she-camel is pungent in digestion. It is found to be charged with alkali, and is heavy and a purgative. A continued use of curdled camel's milk proves curative in Vata, piles, cutaneous affections (Kushtha), worms in the intestines, and abdomimal dropsy. Curd prepared with the milk of a ewe proves aggravating in derangements of the Vayu and Kapham, as well as in cases of piles. It is sweet in taste and its chemical reaction increases the slimy secretions of the organs, and tends to derange the bodily humours. Curd, prepared with the milk of a mare, is appetising. It proves injurious to the eyes, and tends to augment the bodily Vayu. It is parchifying and hot in its potency, and is astringent in taste. It diminishes the secretions of stool and urine. Curd prepared with the milk of a woman is demulcent, sweet in digestion, tonic, pleasant, heavy, and specially beneficial to the eyes. It subdues the deranged humours and is specially efficacious in its virtues, and is the best of all kinds of curd, and of all emollient remedies (Santarpanam). Curd prepared with the milk of a she-elephant, is light in digestion, subdues Kapham, and is heat-making in its potency. It impairs digestion, leaves an astringent after-taste and increases the quantity of fecal matter. Of all the preceding kinds of curd, the one prepared with cow's milk should be regarded as the best in virtue and quality. This curd well filtered through a piece of clean linen, imparts a relish to the food, whereas the curd, which had been prepared with boiled milk, should be deemed the most efficacious. The cloth-filtered curd subdues the deranged Vayu. It is demulcent and restorative, though it tends to increase the Kapham without bringing about a similar augmentation of the Pittam. The curd prepared with boiled milk subdues the deranged Vayu and Pittam, imparts a relish to the food, and acts as a good stomachic remedy. It increases the strength and the root principle of life. The cream of curd is heavy and spermatopoietic. It subdues the deranged Vayu, impairs digestion and is phlegma-gogic and aphrodisiac. Curd made without cream is parchifying, astringent and arrests stool and urine (Vistambhi), It increases the bodily Vayu. It is appetising and is comparatively lighter, a little astringent in taste, and imparts a relish to food.
The use of curd is generally prohibited in (Vasanta) spring, (Grishma) summer, and (Sharat) autumn, whereas it is recommended during the rains (Varsha) and in the forepart of winter (Hemanta), and in the cold season proper (Shishira). The residuary sediment of curd (Mastu) is frigorific and refrigerant, light and purifying to the internal channels of the body. It has a sweet and astringent taste and is anti-aphrodisiac. It destroys the deranged Vayu and Kapham, and is pleasant and palatable. It acts as a speedy purgative, and imparts strength to the system and relish to the food. In this group have been described the virtues of the seven kinds of curd such as, the sweet, the acid, the extremely acid, the curd of incomplete curdling, the curd of boiled milk, curd cream, and the creamless curd, as well as the residuary sediment (Mastu).
 
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