In describing the properties of the flesh of various animals,

Sanskrit writers divide them into two classes, namely

Jάngala or land, and

Anupa or water animals: Animals living on land are sub-divided into eight orders as follows: -

Jάngala or animals living in the wilderness as deers, antelopes, etc.

Vilasthά, or animals living in holes under ground, as serpents, lizards, porcupines, etc.

Guhάsayά or animals living in caverns, as tigers lions, bears, etc.

Parnamrigά or animals living on trees, as monkeys sqirrels, etc.

Vishkirά or birds which take their food after tearing or scattering it, as peacocks, quails, partridges, etc.

Pratudά or birds which strike with their beaks, as pigeons, wag-tails, cuckoos, etc,

Prasahά or birds of prey, as the hawk, falcon, etc.

Grάmyά or domestic animals, as ox,goat,horse, sheep,etc. Animals living in water or marshy lands are sub-divided into five classes as follows: -

Kulecharά or animals grazing in marshes, as buffalos, yak, rhinoceras, etc.

Plάvά, or birds which swim in water, as geese, ducks cranes, etc.

Kosasthά, or animals enclosed in shells, as conch-shells, bivalve-shells, etc.

Pάdina, or footed aquatic animals as tortoise, crocodile porpoise, etc.

Matsya or fishes.

Of these classes, Jάngalά or animals living in the wilderness, and Vishkira or birds which scatter their food are considered superior to the others in an alimentary point of view. The different properties of the meat of various animals are desribed by Sanskrit writers in great detail. The flesh of the goat, domestic fowl, peacock and partridge is said to be easily digested and suited to the sick and convalescent. The meat of the deer, sambar, hare, quail, and partridge is recommended for habitual use. Fish, beef and pork are considered hard to digest and unsuited for daily use.

The flesh of various animals is used in medicine chiefly in the form of ghrita or taila paka. The following is a list of the more important and commonly used ghritas and oils made with the flesh of different animals.

Hansάdi ghrita, prepared with the flesh of geese, and used in cephalalgia and nervous diseases.

Kukkutάdi ghrita, prepared with the flesh of fowls, and used in chronic cough.

Sivά ghrita, prepared with jackal's flesh and used in insanity.

Chhάgalάdi ghrita, prepared with goat's meat, and used in nervous diseases.

Sambukάditaila, is an oil prepared with the flesh of snails and used externally in ear diseases.

Nakulάdya ghrita is prepared with the flesh of the mungoose and used in nervous diseases.

The following are two illustrations of preparations with animal flesh.

Chhάgalάdya ghrita.1 Take of goat's meat six seers and a quarter, the ten drugs called dasamula six seers and a quarter in all, water sixtty-four seers; boil till the latter is reduced to one-fourth and strain. Take of clarified butter, milk and the juice of Asparagus racemosus (satamuli), four seers each; and the following substances in the form of a paste, namely, Tinospora cordifolia (guruchi), bamboo-manna, Withania somnifera {asvagandha), Hemi-desmus Indicus (sάrivά), berries called kάkoli, bulbs called kshira-kάkali, pulse of Phaseolus trilobus (mugάni), and of Glycine debilis (mashani), Coelogyne ovalis, (jivanti), and liquorice root (one seer in all); boil them together and prepare a ghrita. This preparation is given in facial paralysis, deafness, loss of voice or indistinct speech, convulsions, hysteria, sciatica, paralysis and other diseases of the nervous system.

Mάshataila.1 Take of goat's meat eight seers, water sixty-four seers; boil together till the latter is reduced to sixteen seers. Take of the pulse of Phaseolus Roxburghii (mάsha), linseed, barley, root of Barleria Prionites (kurantaka), of Solanum Jacquinii, (kanta-kάri), Tribulus terrestris (gokshura), bark of Calosanthes Indica syonάka), jatamansi root, seeds of Mucuna pruriens (ka-pikvachchliu), each one seer, water sixty-four seers; boil down to sixteen seers. Take of cotton seeds, seeds of Crotolaria juncea (sana), pulse of Dolichos uniflorus (kulattha), dried pulp of Ziziphus Jujuba (kola), each two seers, water sixty-four seers ; boil down to sixteen seers. Take of ginger, long pepper, dill seeds, root of Picinus communis (eranda), of Boerhaavia diffusa (punarnava), Poederia foetida (prasdrani), Vanda Roxburghii (rάsna), Sida cordifolia (berelά), Tinospora cordifolia (gulancha) and Picrorrhiza Kurroa (katuki) equal parts; in all one seer, and reduce them to a paste. Boil the above mentioned decoctions and the paste with four seers of sesamum oil in the usual way. This oil is rubbed externally in convulsions, paralysis, wasting of limbs and other diseases of the nervous system.