The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c15.42

c15.42

The third chapter concerns the information of prognostics furnished by palpating various parts of the body enumerated from the feet to the head (III, 5), the observable symptoms (III, 4) being: inertia (*stambha*) of the parts of the body, normally ever vibrant (*spandamāna*), the coldness of those which are normally hot, the stiffness (*dāruṇa*) of the supple, the rugosity of the smooth, the absence of the normally existing parts, such as the testicles, the relaxation, the rupture and the dislocation of the articulations, the diminution of flesh and blood, the (general?) stiffness (*dāruṇa*), the non-interruption of perspiration or its stoppage and all other abnormal symptoms. Thus are described the signs to be recognised by various sensorial faculties (*indriyas*, wherefrom the name of the section) of the doctor, those of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.