279 - The description of the potent remedies

 Agni said: 

1. Ishall describe the science of medicine, that was propounded by lord Dhanvantari to Suśhruta, the essence that would revive the dead. 

Sushruta said: 

2. Describe to me the science of medicine that would cure the diseases of men, horses and elephants and also the potent combinations and potent charms that would revive the dead. Dhanvantari said: 

3-7. One that is having fevershould be made to fast by the physician protecting his strength and then feed him with gruel made of fried paddy and dry ginger. The patient having thirst at the end of the fever (should be given) water boiled with musta (cyprerus rotundus), parpata (oldenlandia), ušira (the fragrant root of a plant), sandal, udichya (a kind of perfume) and dry ginger. After six days, (the patient) may be made to drink pungent food certainly. After the disorder has subsided, (medicated) oilshould be rubbed (on the body). Then purgativeshould be given. Old nivara (rice grown without cultivation), shashţika (a kind of rice), red paddy and pramodaka (a kind of rice) and similar things and barley converted into any form are the favourite (food) at (the time of) fever. Green gram, masūra (a kind of pulse), chick-pea, horse-gram, saussurea, adhaka (a kind of pulse), naraka (?), karkotaka (a kind of paddy), katolbaka (?), snake-gourd, neem together with the fruits, parpața and pomegranates (could safely be used by a patient) having fever. 

8. An emetic is commended in the case of downward hemorrhage and a purgative in upward (hemorrhage). The six constituents¹ except the dry ginger (should be given) as the drink. 

1. These are musta, parpajaka etc. noticed in verse 4 above. 

9-10. Flour of barley, wheat, fried paddy, barley, Śhali (a kind of rice), masüra, makushtha (a kind of rice), chick-pea, green-gram and eatables (made) of wheat mixed with ghee and milk are beneficial. Honey and the juice of vrusha (a kind of drug) are good. Eating old Śhali rice is beneficial in dysentry. 

11. The food that does not cause excessive (motion), and that mixed with the barks of lodhra (a kind of tree) are commended. Oneshould avoid taking food that causes excess of wind. Oneshould always make (extra) efforts in (treating) the enlargement of spleen. 

12. (Those suffering from dropsy)should take fried barley with milk. Vastaka (chenopodium album) mixed with ghee, wheat, Śhāli rice and bitter things are beneficial for those having dropsy. 

13-14a. Wheat, Śhäli rice, green gram, cow's urine, ruksha, khadira, abhaya, pañchakola (the five spices-long pepper etc.), venison, neem, dhatri (a varicty of myrobalan), snake-gourd, the juice of citron, nutmeg, dried radish and saindhava (a kind of rock-salt) (are good for dropsy). 

14b-16. Water (boiled) withi khadira is commended as a drink for those affected with leprosy. (Similarly) mashūra (a kind of pulse) and green-gram (with watershould be given) for drinking. Old  Śhali rice may be eaten. The juice of venison (mixed) with neem and parpațaka and vegetables, vidanga (embelia ribes), black pepper, musta, kushtha, lodhra, natron (are also good). Paste of red arsenic and vachā (a kind of aromatic root) with (cow's) urine cures leprosy. 

17-19a. Cakes, kushtha, kulmāsha (black barley) and barley etc. are beneficial for diabetes. Things made out of cooked barley, green gram, horse-gram, oldshāli ricc, vegetables that are bitter and astringent, bitter green things, oils (extracted) from sesamum, sigru (the leaves of a kind of trec), vibhitaka (a kind of myrobalan) and ingudi and greengram, barley, wheat and grains stored for a year (are also good). 

196-21. The juice of venison is commended as food for those suffering from pulmonary consumption. Horse-gram, green-gram, black pepper etc. and dry radish compounded with venison or cakes or bird's flesh or compounded with curd and pomegranate juice, dressed with the juice of citron, honey, grapes and vyosha (dried ginger, long and black pepper) and cooked barley, wheat and Śhāli riceshould be given as food to an asthma patient. 

22. Decoction made of the ten kinds of drugs (such as bruhati etc.), bala, rasna and horse-gramshould be drunk with cakes in order to get relief from breathing (difficulty) and hiccough. 

23. Oneshould take dry radish, horse-gram, müla (the root of long pepper) and juice of venison mixed with cooked barley, wheat and Śhali rice and old ušira. 

24. One who is having a swellingshould eat molasses together with pathyå (the long pepper) or molasses with dry ginger. Both buttermilk and chitraka (a kind of root) are excellent remedies for diarrhoea. 

25-26. Old barley, wheat, Śhāli rice, juice of venison, green gram, āmalaka (one variety of myrobalan), dates, grapes, jujube fruits, honey, clarified butter, milk, sakra, neem, parpataka, vrusa, buttermilk and arishta are always commended for rheumatic patients. 

27-28a. Purgativesshould be given to those having heart discase. Long pepper is beneficial for those having hiccough. Buttermilk, gruel made from the fermentation of boiled rice, spirit distilled from molasses together with cold water (are also beneficial). Muktas, natron and wine are commended in any distemper due to drunkeness. 

28b-30a. A person who has been injured (on the chest)should drink lac together with honey and milk. Wasting diseases could be cured by eating the essence of meat and by protecting the digestive power. Oneshould cat red Śhali, nivara and kalama varieties of rice, cooked barley, meat, vegetables, natrum and sati. 

306-31. In the same way pathya (is beneficial) for piles. Its scum (should be used) with buttermilk and water. Mustashould be repeatedly used. Ointment with turmeric and chitrakashould be applied. Modified forms of boiled barley, Śhalia li rice, vastuka (chenopodium album) and natrum (are also beneficial). 

32. Water-melon, cucumber, and wheat mixed with milk, (juice of) sugarcane and ghee are commendable for painful discharge of urine. Scum and wine etc. (are commended) for drinking. 

33-34. Fried paddy, flours of fried barley, honey, flesh roasted on a stick, brinjal and gourd are drinks for remedying vomitting. Cooked Śhali rice, water and milk simply heated or boiled (would be beneficial for the same). Pills of musta and molasses held in the mouth would remove thirst. 

35-37a. Modified forms of cooked barley, cakes made of dried radish, vegetables, snake-gourd and tendershoots of cane would remedy the stiffness of thigh. Oneshould take food consisting of old wheat, barley, Śhali rice together with soup made of green-gram adhaka and masura (different kinds of pulses), sesamum, juice of venison, saindhava (a kind of rock salt), ghee, grapes, dried ginger, ainalaka (a kind of myrobalan) and black pepper. 

37b-38. One who is having a dry spreading itch (should use) juice of pomegranate together with candied sugar, honey and grapes. Red paddy, wheat, barley, green-gram and other such light (eatables are also beneficial). Kakamari,shoots of cane, vastuka and natrum (may also be used). 

39. Water, candied sugar and honey are commended for remedying acute gout. Dūrvā (a kind of grass) soaked in ghee is beneficial in nasal diseases. 

40. Oil made up of the juice of brungarāja (a kind ofshrub) or the juice of dhatri (a variety of myrobalan) (may bc uscd) as sternutatory in all diseases relating to the head. 

41-42. O Brahmin! The eating of sesamum and drinking cold water and eating cold food are said to strengthen teeth and also give supreme satisfaction. Gargling with sesamum oil would also strengthen teeth. The powdered vidanga (mixed with) goat's urine is used in destroying all worms. 

43. The fruits of dhatri (a variety of myrobalan) and clarified butter are excellent as an ointment for head for the destruction of all diseases relating to head. The foodshould consist of oily and hot things. 

44. Filling car with oil or the urine of goat is excellent for the destruction of pain in ear. O Brahmin! All kinds of oysters (may also be used). 

45-48. A wick made by compounding red chalk, sandal, lac and buds of målati (a kind of jasmine flower) would cure the whiteness in eye. Vyosa (dried ginger), long pepper and black pepper) mixed with the triphala (the three myrobalans taken collectively), and water with blue vitriol would cure all eye diseases. The collyrium of blue vitriol will also produce the same result. (If collyrium) fried in ghee, ground on a stone together with lodhra, sour gruel and natrum is sprinkled, it would be beneficial in all the diseases of eyes. Application of ointment of red chalk and sandal is commended for the external eye. Oneshould always use triphala (the three kinds of myrobalans) for curing the diseases of the eyes. 

49-51a. One who desires to have a long lifeshould take (a mixture of) honey and clarified butter cvery night. Milk and ghee boiled with the juice ofshatāvari are known to be the givers of vitality. Similarly kalambikās, black-gram, milk and ghee increase vitality. Triphala is known to be the giver of long life (when used) with madhuka as before. ('The same) together with the juice of madhuka would arrest all senile degeneration. 

51b-52. O Brahmin! Ghce heated with vachā would destroy the defects due to goblins. Food offered to manes would give intellect and secure all objects. A decoction made of the paste of bala is beneficial when besmcared. 

53. Oil together with rasnā and sahachaya (is good) for deranged wind. Food that does not cause excessive phlegm is commended for abscess. 

54. Flours of fried barley made into balls as well as amla are commended (for making the abscess) to ripen. The pulverised neem (is used) to make (the ripened abscess to) open and for healing. 

55. The treatment of woinen after delivery consists mainly of offering oblations to all the creatures. The usc of amulet for women after the delivery as well as for animals is always beneficial. 

56-60a. Chewing the leaves of neem is the remedy for one bitten by a snake. The (shoots of) palmyrah, keshya, old oil, old barley and old ghee (are also good for the same). A fumigation with the plumes of peocock with ghee (is good) for one bitten by a scorpion. A plaster of the seeds of palāśa ground with the juice of arka (plant) (is also beneficial). Black pepper or yellow myrobalan with the three kinds of myrobalans (is beneficial) for one bitten by a scorpion. If the juice of arka (plant), gingelly oil, flesh and molasses in equal proportion is drunk, it would at once destroy the poison due to (the biting of) a dog that is difficult to cure. The root of rice (if ground) with equal part of trivrt (three kinds of myrobalans) and clarified butter and drunk, it would destroy quickly the poisons due to snakes, and other insects even if they are very powerful. 

60b-61. (A mixture of) sandal, padmaka, kushtha, latambu (?), usira, patala, nirgundi, Säriva and selu (?) would destroy the poison due to spiders. O Brahmin! Molasses and dried ginger are commended as eliminator (of toxic matter) from head. 

62. Nothing excels oil or ghee for anointing, as a drink or as diuretic. Fire is the best sweating agent. Cold water is the best astringent. 

63. The trivrut (the three myrobalans) is the best purgative. So also madana is the best emetic. Oil, clarified butter, and honey are the best remedy for (deranged) wind, biles and phlegm, as diuretic, and emetic.