Education And Marriage

The education of a child should be commenced at a suitable age and with subjects proper to the particular social Varna or order it belongs to. On attaining the twenty-fifth year he should marry a girl of twelve. A conformity to these rules, is sure to crown him with health, satisfaction, progeny and a capacity for fully discharging the religious rites and paying off his parental debts. 42.

Metrical Texts

An offspring of a girl below the age of sixteen by a man below twenty-five is usually found to die in the womb. Such a child, in the event of its being born alive, dies a premature death or else becomes weak in organs (Indriyas). Hence a girl of extremely tender age should not be fecundated at all. An extremely old woman, or one suffering from a chronic affection (of the generative organ), or afflicted with any other disease, should not be likewise impregnated. A man with similar disabilities should be held likewise unfit. 40-44.

A foetus, on the point of being miscarried on account of the above-mentioned causes, produces pain in the uterus, bladder, waist (Kati), and the inguinal regions (Vamkshana) and bleeding. In such a case, the patient should be treated with cold baths, sprays of cold water and medicated plaster (Pradeha) etc. at the time, and milk * boiled with drugs constituting the Jivaniya group, should be given to her for drink. In case of unusual movements of the foetus in the womb, the enciente should be given a drink of milk boiled with the drugs of Utpaládi Gana, for soothing and making it steady in its place. 45.

A foetus being displaced from its normal position produces the following symptoms, viz , pain or spasms in the back and the sides (Pars'va), burning sensation, excessive discharge of blood and retention of urine and foeces A foetus changing place or shifting from one place to another, swells up the abdomen (Koshtha). Cooling and soothing measures should be adopted in such cases. 46.

* Jivaniya drugs two Tolas, milk sixteen Tolas and water sixty-four Tolas, to be boiled and reduced to sixteen Tolas, i e., to weight of the milk.

Medical Treatment

In a case of pain under the circumstances, the enciente should be made to drink a potion consisting of milk boiled with Mahá-sa/ia, Kshudrasahá, Madhuka flower, S'vadanstrá and Kantakári, mixed with sugar and honey. In the case of retention of urine, the patient should be made to drink a potion of milk boiled with drugs known as the Dárvádi Gana (mixed with sugar and honey). In the case of A'náha (retention of stool attended with distention of the abdomen), a potion consisting of milk boiled with asafetida, Sauvarchala salt,garlic and Vacha (mixed with honey and sugar) should be given. In cases of excessive bleeding, linctus made of the powdered chamber of a Koshthágáriká insect *, Samangá Dhátaki flowers, Navamáliká, Gairika, resin and Rasán-jana, or of as many of them as would be available, mixed with honey, should be licked. In the alternative, the bark and sprouts of the drugs known as the Nya-grodhádi Gana mixed with boiled milk should be administered, or a Kalka of the drugs of the Utpaládi group mixed with boiled milk should be used, or a Kalka of S'áluka, S'ringataka and Kas'eru mixed with boiled milk should be given. As a further alternative, the enciente may be made to eat cakes made of powdered Sáli rice with the decoction of Udumbara fruit and Audaka-kanda, mixed with honey and sugar. A piece of linen or a plug soaked in the expressed juice of the drugs of the Nyagrodhádi group should be inserted into the passage of the vagina. 47.

In a case of pain unattended with bleeding, the enciente should be made to drink a potion composed of milk-boiled with Madhuka (Yashtimadhu), Devaddru and Payasyá; or with As'mantaka, Satávari and Payasyá; or with the drugs of the group of Vidárigandhádi Gana; or with Vriháti, Kantakári, Utpala, S'atávari, Sárivá, Payasyá and Madhuka (Yashtimadhu). These remedies speedily applied tend to alleviate the pain and make the foetus steady in the womb. 48.

* There is a kind of insect which makes its chamber with earth generally under the ceiling or on the walls, This earth should be used.

After the foetus has been steadied by the aforesaid mesaures, a diet consisting of (boiled rice and) cow's milk, boiled with the dried tender fruits of Udumvara, should be prescribed for the patient. In the event of miscarriage, the patient should be made to drink a Yavágu (gruel) of the Uddálaka rice, etc. cooked with the decoction of the Páchaniya group (Pippalyádi) and devoid of all saline and fatty matter, for a number of days corresponding to that of the month of gestation. Old treacle mixed with the powdered drugs of the Dipaniya group (Pancha-kola), or simply some Arishta (Abhayárishta, etc.), should be given, in the event of there being pain in the pelvis, bladder and abdomen. 49.

The internal ducts and channels (Srotas) stuffed with aggravated Váyu lead to the weakening (Laya) of the foetus and, if the state continues, it leads even to its death. Hence the case should be treated with mild anointing measures, etc., (Sneha-karma, etc.) and gruels made of the flesh of the birds of the Utkros'a species and mixed with a sufficient quantity of clarified butter, should be given to her. As an alternative, Kulmasha * boiled with Másha, sesamum and pieces of dried (tender) Vilva fruit should be given her, after which she should be made to drink, for a week, honey and Máddhvika (a kind of weak wine). At the non-delivery of the child even after the lapse of the full term of gestation, the enciente should be made to thrash corn with a pestle in an Udukhala or mortar (husking apparatus) or should be made to|sit or move (on legs or by conveyance), on an uneven ground. 50.

* "Kulmasha" may mean either Kulattha pulse or half boiled wheat, barley, etc.

Atrophy of a foetus in the womb should be ascribed to the action of the deranged Váyu. This is detected by the comparatively lesser fulness of the abdomen of the enciente and slow movement of the foetus in the womb. In such a case, the enciente should be treated with milk, with the Vrimhaniya (of restorative and constructive properties) drugs, and with meat-soup.* 51.

A combination of ovum and semen affected by the deranged Váyu in the womb, may not give rise to a successful fecundation (living impregnated matter), but leads to a distention of the abdomen (as in pregnancy), which again, at any time, may disappear of itself. And this is ascribed by the ignorant to the malignant influence of Naigamesha (spirits). Such an impregnated matter, sometimes lying concealed in the uterus, is called Nágodara, which should be treated with the remedies laid down under the head of Lina-Garbha (weak foetus). 52.

Now we shall discourse on the management of pregnancy according to the months (period) of gestation. Metrical Texts: - The following receipes, such as, (1) Madhuka (Yashtimadhu), S'ákavija, Payasyá, and Devadáru; (2) As'mantaka, black sesamum, pippali, Manjishthá, Támra-valli and Satávari; (3) Vrikshádani, Payasyá, Latá, (Durvá), Utpala and Sárivá; (4) Anantá, Sárivá, Rásná, Padma, and Madhuka (Yashtimadhu); (5) Vrihati, Kantakári, Kas'mari, sprouts (Sunga) and barks of milk-exuding trees (as, Vata, etc.), and clarified butter†; (6) Pris'ni-parni, Valá, Sigru, S'vadanshtrá and Madhuparnika; and (7) S'ring'taka, Visa (stalks of lotus), Drákshá, Kas'aru, Madhuka (Yashtimadhu), and sugar; should successively be given with milk * to an enciente, from the first to the seventh month of her gestation, in the case of a threatened miscarraige or abortion. 53.

* The particle "cha" in the text signifies the use of any other constructive tonic,

An enciente should be made to drink milk boiled with the roots of Kapittha, Vrihati, Vilva, Patola, Ikshu and Kantakári, (in case of impending or threatened miscarraige) in the eighth month of her pregnancy. In the ninth month (and under similar conditions), the potion should be made up of Madhuka (Yashtimadhu), Ananta-mula, Payashá and Sárivá. In the tenth month (and under similar conditions), a potion consisting of milk boiled with Sunthi and Payasyá is beneficial,or, in the alternative, may be given a potion made up of milk with Sunthi, Madhuka (Liquorice; and Devadáru. The severe pain would vanish and the foetus would continue to develop safely in the womb, under the aforesaid mode of treatment. 54 - 57.

A child born of a woman, who had remained sterile (not-conceived) for a period of six years (Niviitta-prasavá) * after a previous child-birth, becomes a shortlived one. 58.

* Chakradatta reads "Visam" (stalks of lotus) instead of "Ghritam" (clarified butter).

† If a conception does not, occur in a woman for a period of more than five years after a child-birth, she is called Nivritta-prasavsá.

* Sivadása also says that powders of these drugs should be given with boiled milk, but he adds that some authorities recommend theae drugs to be boiled in milk according to Kshira-páka-vidhi.

Application of mild emetic medicines, (though forbidden in the case of a pregnant woman), may be resorted to, in the case of a fatal disease, (even in that stage). A diet consisting of sweet and acid things should be prescribed for her, so as to bring the deranged Doshas to the normal state; mild Sams'amaniya (soothing and pacifying) medicines should be applied and food and drink consisting of articles mild in their potency, predominently sweet-tasting and not injurious to the foetus, should be advised and mild (external) measures not baneful to the foetus should be resorted to, according to the requirements of the case. 59,

Memorable Verses

The growth, memory, strength and intellect of a child are improved by the use of the four following medicinal compounds, used as linctus (Prás'a) viz., (1) well-powdered gold, Kushtha, honey, clarified butter and Vacha; (2) Matsyákshaka * (Bráhmi), Sankha-puspi, powdered gold, clarified butter and honey; (3) Arkapuspi, honey, clarified butter powdered gold and Vacha; and (4) powdered gold, Kaitaryyah (Mahá-Nimba), white Durbá, † clarified butter and honey. 60.

Thus ends the tenth Chapter of the S'árira Sthánam in the Sus'iuta Samhitá, which treats of the nursing and management etc. of pregnant women.

* Some, however, explain Matsyákshaka to be Dhuslura; others again say it is a kind of red-flowered shrub grown in the Anupa country.

† The word "5'veta," in the Text, may either be adjective to "Durva" and mean "white" or it may mean white Vacha or white Aparajitá or white Durvá.

Here ends the Sárira Sthánam.