Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c11.48

c11.48

As diseases of the pregnant woman (*gurviṇīroga*) Bhav 2.4.179 mentions movements of the foetus (beginning of abortion, cf. § 45), bleeding (pradara), pain in the body, fever, chronic fever, intestinal catarrh (grahaṇī) and recommends for it various decoctions. Of these diseased conditions, the bleeding or menorrhagia, dysmenorrhoea (pradara, asṛgdara, raktayoni, cf. AS 2.1.196) is frequently mentioned and is placed mostly at the top in diseases of women (strīroga). According to Car 6.30.196-209 the cause of pradara is the excessive use of food which is saltish, sour, heavy, pungent, hot, oily, as well as flesh, fish, spirituous drinks etc. The vāta deranged hereby causes excessive collection of blood in the veins of the uterus which carry the menstrual blood in the same. The treatment chiefly consists of giving various decoctions and other medicines. Udāvarta-vibandha or udāvarta is considered as a dangerous disease of the pregnant woman, a kind of obstinate costiveness, in which all excretions are retained (Car 4.8.28; AS 2.4.216; AHr 2.2.21 f.).