The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c13.13

c13.13

“For the ailments called phlegmonous, because they provoke burning and swelling, they are, all of them, caused by bile” (85 b). When the bile goes out, it provokes tumours; retained, it provokes inflammatory diseases, mostly when it gets mixed with the blood. The blood contains fibres which prevent it from being too liquid (it is the observation of the coagulum separating itself from the serum which, apparently, has given rise to this theory of fibres). The bile which belongs to the blood become old, which is “hot and liquid”, causes by its heat, if it flows in the blood in abundance, disorder in the fibres. It can penetrate up to the marrow and burn it, provoking death. But if it is in small quantities it can be pushed back by the vessels in the thorax or in the abdomen and from there can be evacuated (85 e).