Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c10.22

c10.22

§ 38. Pathology :— Since illness is the result of the derangement of the tridoṣas (§ 33), it gives a hint to divide from this viewpoint all the diseases which are 1120 according to Su 6.66.8 and are innumerable according to Car 3.6.5. Thus Car 1.20 counts 80 diseases proceeding from vāta, 40 from pitta and 20 from kapha, and remarks that these ailments are really speaking innumerable. To these are added the diseases that are accidental or due to external causes (āgantu) as a fourth group, viz. those caused by scratching, biting, tumbling, acts of violence, possession, enchantment, malediction, strokes, captivating, pricking, choking, squeezing, knitting, burning wounds, weapon, lightning stroke or demoniac influence. As general characteristics of vāta-diseases Caraka mentions dislocation, trembling, unrest, pain in limbs, redness of skin, astringent taste in mouth, deafness and dumbness, crookedness of limbs, lameness etc. Symptoms of pitta-diseases according to him are burning, heat, inflammation, perspiration, moistness, rotten ulcers, redness, bad smell and taste, and decolorization. Symptoms of kapha-diseases are white colour of the skin, cold, itch, stiffness, tumour, heaviness, numbness, moistness, sweet taste, slowness etc. These general symptoms undergo modifications corresponding to the individual diseases, as will be evident from their descriptions. According to Car 3.6 two doṣas in different combinations or all three doṣas can also be responsible for the origination of a disease (saṃsarga and sannipāta) which then becomes prominent in the description of the disease. The worst diseases have their origin in sannipāta which is a combination of three doṣas. Car 1.11 calls the diseases caused by the doṣas as nija, those proceeding from demons, poisoning, wind, fire, strokes and the like (cf. above) as the second group (āgantu) and the mental excitements and mental worries as the third group (mānasa). Similarly there are four groups according to Su 1.1 : āgantu i. e. proceeding from wounds, śārīra i. e. abnormal increase or decrease of vāta, pitta or kapha or blood proceeding from food or drink, mānasa i. e. anger, grief, anxiety, pleasure and other mental excitements, svābhāvika (natural) i. e. hunger, thirst, oldage, death and sleep. Inherent diseases (sahaja) like inherent blindness are also included elsewhere (Bhāv 1.1.15) among the svābhāvika which (as well as the mānasa) cannot properly be called diseases. The classification in AS 1.1, AHr 1.1 is more logical. They distinguish only two groups, nija and āgantu, with the additional remark that they have their place either in body or in mind. Aruṇadatta remarks here that in *nija* the derangement of *doṣa* occurs first and then the disease, while in *āgantu* the derangement of *doṣa* is secondary and that by mental diseases swoon, apoplexy, madness, possession, epilepsy and similar conditions are to be understood.