The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c6.s8: Animal Flesh
The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c6.s8
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Animal Flesh
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In describing the properties of the flesh of various animals, Sanskrit writers divide them into two classes, namely जाङ्गल Jángala or land, and अनूप Anupa or water animals : Animals living on land are sub-divided into eight orders as follows :—जाङ्गल Jángala or animals living in the wilderness as deers, antelopes, etc.
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बिलशयाः, Vilasthá, or animals living in holes under ground, as serpents, lizards, porcupines, etc.
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गुहाशयाः, Guhásayá or animals living in caverns, as tigers, lions, bears, etc.
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पर्णमृगाः, Parnamrigá or animals living on trees, as monkeys, squirrels, etc.
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विष्किराः, Vishkirá or birds which take their food after tearing or scattering it, as peacocks, quails, partridges, etc.
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प्रतुदाः, Pratudá or birds which strike with their beaks, as pigeons, wag-tails, cuckoos, etc.
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प्रसहाः, Prasahá or birds of prey, as the hawk, falcon, etc.
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ग्राम्याः, Grámyá or domestic animals, as ox, goat, horse, sheep, etc.
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Animals living in water or marshy lands are sub-divided into five classes as follows :—
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कुलेचराः, Kulechará, or animals grazing in marshes, as buffalos, yak, rhinoceros, etc.
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प्लवाः, Plavá, or birds which swim in water, as geese, ducks, cranes, etc.
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कोशस्थाः, Kosasthá, or animals enclosed in shells, as conch-shells, bivalve-shells, etc.
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पादिनाः, Pádina, or footed aquatic animals as tortoise, crocodile, porpoise, etc.
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मतस्य Matsya or fishes.
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Of these classes, Jángalá 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.
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The flesh of various animals is used in medicine chiefly in the form of ghrita or taila páka. The following is a list of the more important and commonly used ghritas and oils made with the flesh of different animals.
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Hansádi ghrita, prepared with the flesh of geese, and used in cephalalgia and nervous diseases.
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Kukkutádi ghrita, prepared with the flesh of fowls, and used in chronic cough.
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Sivá ghrita, prepared with jackal's flesh and used in insanity.
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Chhágaládi ghrita, prepared with goat's meat, and used in nervous diseases.
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Sámbukáditaila, is an oil prepared with the flesh of snails and used externally in ear diseases.
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Nakuládya ghrita is prepared with the flesh of the mungoose and used in nervous diseases.
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The following are two illustrations of preparations with animal flesh.
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Chhágaládya 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 sixty-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* (*asvagandhá*), *Hemidesmus Indicus* (*sárivá*), berries called *kákoli*, bulbs called *kshira-kákali*, pulse of *Phaseolus trilobus* (*mugáni*), and of *Glycine debilis* (*masháni*), *Cœlogyne 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.
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¹ छागलाद्यं घृतम् । आजं चर्मविनिर्मुक्तं त्यक्तष्टङ्खनखादिकम् । पञ्च मूलोदयञ्चैव जलद्रोणे विपाचयेत् । तेन पादावशेषेण घृत प्रस्थं विपाचयेत् । जीवनीयेः सयष्ट्याहैः क्षीरञ्चैव शतावरी । छागलाद्यमिदं नाम्ना सर्ववात विकारनुत् । अर्दिते कर्णमूले च बाधिर्ये मूकमिन्निने । जड़गद्गद पङ्गुनां खञ्जे गृध्रसिकुजयोः । अपतानेऽपतन्त्रे च सर्पिरेतत् प्रशस्यते । कलयाष्ट मधु भागद्वयमिति शिवदासः । भैषज्यरत्नावली ।
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*Máshataila.*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* (*másha*), linseed, barley, root of *Barleria Prionites* (*kuranṭaka*), of *Solanum Jacquinii*, (*kanṭakári*), *Tribulus terrestris* (*gokshura*), bark of *Calosanthes Indica* (*syonáka*), *jaṭámánsi* root, seeds of *Mucuna pruriens* (*kapikvachchhu*), 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 *Ricinus communis* (*eranḍa*), of *Bœrhaavia diffusa* (*punarnavá*), *Pœderia fœtida* (*prasárani*), *Vanda Roxburghii* (*rásná*), *Sida cordifolia* (*berelá*), *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.
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¹ माषतैलम् । माषसर्षप यवककण्टक कण्टकारी गोकण्ट दुरालु क जटा कपिकच्छुतोयैः । कार्पासस्थि शणबीज कुलत्थकोलकाथेन वस्तपशितस्य रसेन चापि । गुडूचा समाधिकया शतपुष्पा च सैरण्डमूल सपुनर्नवया सरव्या । रास्ना बलाश्वत लता कटुकैर्विपक्कं माषाख्यमेतदवबाहुहृदङ्गतैैलम् । अङ्गङ्गशोष मपतानक माढ्यवातमाक्षेपकं सभुजकम्पशिरः प्रकम्पम् । नखेन वस्तविधिना परिषेचनेन हन्यात् कटीजघन जानुरुजः समीरात् । भेषज्यरत्नावली ।
Linked texts (1)
- Bhaiṣajyaratnāvalī — Govindadāsa, Sanskrit