Other causes of Sosha and their Symptoms

Sexual excess, grief, old age, over-fatiguing physical exercise, toils of journey, fasting, ulcers and ulceration of the Urah (lungs) are included by certain authorities within the exciting factors of this disease, Sosha. A case of Sosha due to sexual excess is attended with all the symptoms due to loss of semen and is marked by palour or yellowness of the complexion, the vital organic principles beginning with semen being wasted up in succession in their inverse order of enumeration. Constant brooding over the departed person, looseness of the limbs and all the symptoms of sexual excess other than the actual discharge of semen mark a case due to grief. A general cachectic condition of the body accompanied by imbecility of the mind, diminution of bodily strength, impaired functions of the sense-organs, laboured or difficult breathing (D. R. shivering of the limbs), aversion to food, a gong-like voice, expectorations marked by the absence of mucus (A. R. heaviness of the limbs), a general apathy to the concerns of life and (constant mucus) secretions from the cars, nose, eyes and mouth arc the symptoms which indicate the origin of the disease iin the natural and spontaneous waste of an extreme old age. 9 - 12.

A case due to the toils of journey or travel develops such symptoms as looseness of the limbs, flabbiness of the muscles, scorched or burntness of complexion, a haggard and cadaverous look, a gone-feeling in the limbs, the absence of natural gloss of the body and dryness of the mouth, throat and of the Kloma. These symptoms in addition to those of the ulcerated lungs (Urah-Kshata) without actual ulceration, characterise the type due to over-fatiguing physical exercise. 13-14

If a case of ulcer is attended by loss of blood, pain and difficulty in eating, it is turned to a case of Sosha and is pre-eminently the most uncurable type of the desease. Rupture or ulceration in the lungs (Urah-kshata) is caused by physical exercises, lifting up heavy loads, excessive and loud reading, a hurt or a blow, or excessive sexual congress and such other acts as require the active co-operation and entail excessive straining of the chest (Urah). They ultimately discharge blood and pusy secretions. Yellowish, black or purple coloured blood is expectorated or hawked out by coughing. A burning sensation is felt inside the region of the chest. A fetid smell is felt in the mouth and in the breath. The complexion of the body and the tone of the voice is changed and the patient becomes senseless from the excessive pain he suffers from. In certain cases the symptoms vary according to the varied natures of their exciting factors, and all the specific symptoms arc not fully exhibited. Nevertheless these diseases also go under the denomination of Kshaya (consumption) owing to the fundamental vital principles of the body being equally consumed or withered up in them, and the specific mode of their treatment has already been explained before (Chapter XV (Surgical And Medical Treatment Of The Cases Of Difficult Malpresentation Of The Foetus And Of Difficult Labour (Mudha-Garbha)), Sutra-Sthana). 15-17.

Premonitory Symptoms

Laboured or difficult breathing, a gone-feeling in the limbs and a sense of physical lassitude, secretion of mucus, dryness of the palate, vomiting, duiness of appetite, vertigo or fainting fits, nasal catarrh, cough, somnolence, whiteness of the eyes, desire for meat, and increased sexual propensities are the symptoms which mark the advent of the dreadful disease - Sosha. The patient dreams that he has been borne on the wings of a crow or a parrot or a vulture or a pea-cock or has been riding a porcupine or a lizard or a monkey or sees in dreams river-beds dried up and trees dried up or fanned by gales of wind or surrounded by flames or fumes of fire. 18.

Prognosis: - A gradual wasting of the body inspite of sufficient food, presence of Atisara (diarrhoea) and swelling of the abdomen and scrotum are the symptoms of a comsumptive patient who should be given up. The treatment, however, of a patient temperate in his habits and strictly conforming to the instructions of the physician and possessed of a good digestive fire and not much reduced in body may be taken in hand provided the disease be an acute one. 19-20.

Treatment: - The patient should be made first to use the medicated clarified butter prepared from the milk of a ewe or a she-goat and duly cooked with the drugs of the Sthiradi (Vidari-gandhadi) group and then mild emetics and purgatives. Intestinal injections after the manner of an Asthapana Vasti should follow the preceding medicinal measures and head-purgative (Siro-vireka) should be applied. The diet should then be given consisting of (cooked) wheat, barley S'ali-rice together with meat-essence. Constructive tonics or tissue-builders (Vrimhana) should be given to a patient with a good digestion and relieved of all distressing symptoms or concomitants. Complica-tions peculiar to the action of the deranged bodily Vayu generally mark a case due to sexual excess, wherein constructive tonics and remedial agents of Vayu-subduing virtue would be found to be extremely efficacious. 21 - 22.