This section is from the book "The Sushruta Samhita", by Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna. Also available from Amazon: The Sushruta Samhita.
A case of Gambhira fever is characterised by a feeling of internal burning sensation in the body (which is not complained of in the surface), thirst, suppression of the stool, laboured or painful breathing and cough. Paleness of the complexion, dulness of the sense-organs, emaciation of the body, depression of the mind † and presence of supervening symptoms (e. g. hard breathing, cough, etc.) in cases of both Gambhira (inward or latent) and
* "Abhichar,' means incantations or Atharvan rites by which disease, death and any other injuries are brought about.
"Abhis'apa" means the curse pronounced by Brahmins, preceptors, seniors and alters possesed of puissance.
† Dallana says in his commentary that some read a few additional lines after this. He, however, does not comment on those lines and further adds that Jejjala does not read them. So we, loo, refrain from translating those lines.
Tikshna (high) fever are the indications which point to the hopeless nature of the case. 37 - 38.
A slightly, middling or excessively aggravated condition of the deranged Doshas of the body forebodes the continuace of fever for three, seven and twelve days respectively, each succeeding one being more difficult to cure than the one immediately preceding it in order of enumeration. Thus we have done with the description of (the nature, causes and symptoms of) the different types of fever. We shall now deal with the remedial measures or therapeutic agents to be employed in these cases, 39.
Treatment: - Draughts of filtered (matured but non-medicated) clarified butter should be given as soon as the premonitory symptoms would make their appearance and the patient would get relief thereby. This is applicable only in a case of the Vataja type of fever while purgatives should be administered in a case of the Pittaja and mild emetics, in a case of the Kap-haja type under similar conditions. In cases of Dwi-doshaja and Tri-doshaja fevers, the foregoing measures should be adopted according to the Doshas involved in each case. In the cases in which emulsive measures (Sneha-Karma) and exhibition of purgatives and emetics are forbidden, such measures should be employed as would tend to lighten the system such as fasting, (Langhana) etc. 40.
Fasting: - The premonitory and the actual stages of fever are of various forms like those of fire and its fume. Fasting is pre-eminently the best remedy as soon as the characteristic symptoms of the disease make their appearance distinctly and vomiting is most efficacious in a case marked by the presence of the deranged bodily Dosha in the Amas'aya (stomach) and attended with nausea, thirst, water-brash.
Fasting should be continued as long as the least quantity of the deranged Dosha or Doshas would remain intact in the organism, and light food should then be given with discretion after the Doshas have been fully assimilated in (to) the sysmtem. 41.
 
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