Garuda Mahā Purana - Achara Khaṇḍa
150 - Diseases
Dhanvantari said:
1. I shall now mention the pathology of Shvasa Roga (Dyspnea) or difficulty in breathing. When cough becomes chronic it becomes dyspnea or it may be due to those factors that aggravate the humours.
2. It may result from Amatisara (mucous dysentery), vomiting, toxins, and jaundice fever. Exposure to dust, smoke, gusts of wind and snow melted water and violent attack on vulnerable joints may also cause dyspnea.
3-4. Shvasa roga is of five types (1) Kshudraka (minor) (2) Tamaka (3) Chinna (4) Mahan and (5) Urdhva. Vayu that spreads all round when prevented by Kapha turns round and courses through the passages of vital airs, water ducts and food canals spoiling them. It comes to the cardiac region and produces the illness of breath in the abdomen.
5-8. Its premonitory symptoms are pain in the chest and sides, the adverse direction of the breath, constipation, splitting of the temples and exhaustion due to overeating. The aggravated wind turns back through the ducts aggravating the kapha and produces the difficult breathing called Kshudra. It grips the head, neck and cardiac region and produces pain at the sides. It generates hiccough with a wheezing round attended with chatarrhal paroxysm. It makes the breath speedily taken distress the vital breath but the patient gets slight relief after spitting it out.
9. Lying down he feels difficulty in breathing but in sitting he feels relief. If he looks up he finds the forehead perspire and he suffers acute pain.
10. Gasping frequently and finding the lips parched the patient longs for hot drink with slight shivering. This (Tamaka) Shvasa becomes aggravated when it rains or when chill cast wind flows or Kapha-producing food is taken.
11. Tamaka type of dyspnea is curable only in a strong person. If there is acute fever and fainting it will never subside by cold application.
12. The patient of Maha Shvasa breathes hard and feels pain due to the splitting of the vulnerable joints. He perspires and swoons. He has constipation. Burning sensation is felt in the abdomen.
13. He keeps the eyes facing down. The eyes seem to rove. One of the eyes appears tinged with glossy red glitter. The mouth is dry. He prattles dejectedly. He is unconscious and there is pallor in the face.
14. He breathes hard with great noise if lifted up bodily, like an ox in rut.
15. He has no sensation or awareness. The eyes and face wear a confused look. Urine and faeces do not pass out. He is speechless.
16. The patient of Urdhvashvasa is unable to breathe out though he takes in long drawn breaths. He has acute pain at the temples and the head. His throat is parched.
17. The mouth and ears appear to be stuffed with mucous Kapha matter. Distressed by the aggravated Vayu he looks up rolling it all round as if in confusion.
18. When the vulnerable joints are being split he groans with his speech checked (unable to speak). All these ailments can be cured if the symptoms are not very manifest or pronounced. If they are pronounced they are fatal indeed.
Summary of chapter 150 of the Garuda Mahā Purana - Achara Khaṇḍa is as follows:
The Divine Master outlines comprehensive treatment for fevers, prescribing herbal decoctions, fasting, therapeutic diets, and mineral formulations. As it happens, these natural remedies restore normal body temperature and kindle digestive fire.