The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c5.s12.t1: Benincasa Cerifera, Savi.

The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c5.s12.t1

Language: English

Benincasa Cerifera, Savi.

c5.s12.t1.2

*Sans.* कुष्माण्ड, *Kushmánda. Vern. Kumrá, Beng. Pethá, Hind.*

The large fruit or gourd of *Benincasa cerifera* is eaten by the natives in their curries, and is extensively cultivated all over India. It is considered tonic, nutritive and diuretic, and a specific for hæmoptysis and other hæmorrhages from internal organs. It would appear that the older Sanskrit writers were not acquainted with its peculiar action on the circulatory system by which it rapidly puts a check to hæmorrhage from the lungs. The Rája Nirghantu, the oldest work on therapeutics, gives a long account of its virtues, but does not allude to its use in phthisis or hæmoptysis. Neither does Susruta mention it in his chapters on the treatment of hæmorrhage and phthisis, though the plant is alluded to by him elsewhere. The more recent compilations, such as Chakradatta Sangraha, Sárangadhara etc. give numerous preparations of the article and detail its uses.

c5.s12.t1.4

*Khaṇḍa kushmándaka*,¹ or confection of squash. In preparing this medicine, old ripe gourds are selected. Those not at least a year old, are not approved. They are longitudinally divided into two halves and the pulp scraped out in thin flakes by an iron comb or scratcher. The watery juice that oozes out abundantly during this process is preserved, the seeds being rejected. The pulp is boiled in the above mentioned juice, till softened. It is then tied up tightly in a cloth, and the fluid portion allowed to strain through it. The softened and drained pulp is dried in the sun and the watery portion preserved for future use. Fifty tolás of the prepared pulp are fried in sixteen tolás of clarified butter, and again boiled in the juice of the fruit, till reduced to the consistence of honey. To this are added fifty tolás of refined sugar, and the whole is heated over a gentle fire, till the mass assumes such a consistence as to adhere to the ladle. The pot is now removed from the fire, and the following substances, namely, long pepper and ginger, each two tolás, cumin seeds, cardamoms, cinnamon, leaves called tejapatra, black pepper and coriander, each half a tolás in fine powder, are aded to the syrup and stirred briskly with a ladle, till the mass is cool. Eight tolás of honey are now added to the confection which is preserved in a new earthen pot. The dose of this medicine is from one to two tolás, according to the age and strength of the patient. It is useful in hæmoptysis, phthisis, marasmus, cough, asthma, ulceration of the lungs, hoarseness, etc.

c5.s12.t1.5

¹ खण्डकुष्माण्डकः। कुष्माण्डकात्पलशतं सुस्विन्नं निष्कुलीकृतम् । पचेत्तप्ते घृतप्रस्थे शनैस्ताम्रसमे दृढे । यदा मधुनिभः पाकस्तदाखण्डशतं न्यसेत् । पिप्पली शृङ्गवेराभ्यां द्वे पले जीरकस्य च । त्वगेलापत्रमरिचधान्यानां पलाईकम् । न्यसेच्चूर्णितं तत्र द्रव्यांसघट्टयेन्मृदुः । तत्पकां स्थापयेद्भाण्डे दत्वाक्षौद्रं घृताष्टकम् । तद्यथाग्निबलं खादेद्रक्तपित्तजित्तक्षयी । कासश्वासतमस्कर्हि तृष्णाज्वरनिपीडितः । वृष्यं पुनर्नवकरं बलवर्णप्रसाधनम् । उरः सन्धानकरणं हृद्यं स्वरशोधनम् । आभ्यां निर्मितं सिद्धं कुष्माण्डकरसाय-नम् । खण्डामलक्रमानानुसारत्कुष्माण्डकत्वात् । पात्रं पाकाय दातव्यं यावान्वातरसो भवेत् । अत्रापि सुद्रयापाको निस्त्वचं निष्कुलीकृतम् ।

c5.s12.t1.6

Vásá kushmánda khanda.¹ Take of the root of Justicia Adhatoda (vásaka), one seer, water eight seers; boil together till reduced to one-fourth and strain. Then take of the pulp of Benincasa cerifera, prepared as above described, fifty tolás; fry it in thirty-two tolás of clarified butter, and boil in the decoction of vásaka till the whole is reduced to the consistence of honey. Add to it sugar, one hundred tolás, and apply heat till the mass thickens to the proper consistence. Remove from the fire, add the following substances in fine powder, namely, tubers of Cyperus rotundus, (mustaka), dried emblic myrobalan, bamboo manna, root of Clerodendron Siphonanthus (brahmayasti), a fragrant substance called elabáluka, cinnamon, cardamom, tejapatra, each quarter of a tolá, ginger, coriander, and black pepper each one tolá, long pepper, four tolás, stir well till the confection cools, and lastly add eight tolás of honey. This preparation is used in cough, asthma, phthisis, hæmoptysis, heart disease, and catarrh.

c5.s12.t1.7

¹ वासाखण्डकुष्माण्डकः। पञ्चाशत्पलं स्विन्नं कुष्माण्डात्प्रस्थमाज्यतः। पाद्यं पलशतं खण्डं वासाकायाढके पचेत्। सुगन्धावी शुभाभार्गी त्रिसुग- न्धैश्च कार्षिकैः। ऐलेय विश्वधन्वाकभरिचैश्च पलांशकैः। पिप्पलीकुडवैश्चैव मधु- मानीं प्रदापयेत्। कासं श्वासं क्षयं हिक्कां रक्तपित्तं ह्यभीभकम्। हृद्रोगम- म्लपित्तञ्च पीनसञ्च व्यपोहति।

c5.s12.t1.8

In insanity, epilepsy and other nervous diseases, the fresh juice of the squash is given either with sugar or as an adjunct to other medicines for these diseases. A ghrita for use in these diseases is also prepared as follows.

c5.s12.t1.9

Kushmándaka ghrita.¹ Take of the juice of Benincasa cerifera eighteen seers, clarified butter, one seer, liquorice root beaten into a paste with water, quarter of a seer. Boil them together and prepare a ghrita in the usual way. Dose, one to two tolás.

c5.s12.t1.10

¹ कुष्माण्डकघृतम् । कुष्माण्डकरसे सर्पिराद्यगुणे पचेत् । यद्वाङ्ग- कल्कं तत्पानमपस्मारविनाशनम् । चक्रदत्तः ।

Linked texts (3)

Suśrutasaṃhitā — Suśruta & Nāgārjuna (siddha/alchemist), Sanskrit
Cakradatta (Cikitsāsaṅgraha) — Cakrapāṇidatta, Sanskrit
Śārṅgadharasaṃhitā — Śārṅgadhara (physician), Sanskrit