Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c12.19

c12.19

§ 52. Diarrhoea, Dysentary and Cholera :—The common designation of diarrhoea, *atisāra* (cf. Vedie *āsrāva*) which, even at present, is a frequent cause of death in Bengal (*morbus Bengalensis*) is etymologically so explained that the water-element in the body which is driven out by the deranged *vāta*, extinguishes the digestive fire, is mixed with faeces, loosens the same and flows excessively (*ativa sarati*, Su 6.40.4 = MN 65; cf. AHr 3.8.3 f. = AS 3.8.279 ). The following are the causes of such derangement : food that is pungent, heavy, excessively fat, dry, hot, liquid or cold, unsuitable to each other (like milk and fish ) or injurious, if one eats too much or before digestion or drinks too much or drinks spoilt water or spirituous drink, poisoning, anxiety, grief, bathing for a long time, suppression of natural excretions, worms, haemorrhoids etc. Its signs are : pricking pain in heart, navel, anus, lower abdomen and the intestines, fatigue in the limbs, suppression of wind passing downwards, constipation, flatulence and indigestion. Further symptoms vary according to the kind of diarrhoea of which six kinds are commonly distinguished : 1. On account of the deranged *vāta* the stools are brown (MN) or dark (Su ), sparing but frequent, phlegmatic, frothy, hard, noisy and painful, the urine is retained, there is restlessness in the intestines, hips and thighs are indolent, the rectum is prolapsed. 2. If deranged by *pitta*, the stools are yellow, green, watery, thin, bad smelling, hot, and are under pressure, the patient also suffers from thirst, fainting, fits, heat and perspiration in the body, fever and inflammation of the anus. 3. In the case of the derangement of *kapha* the stools are white, sticky, covered with phlegm, tough, slow, noiseless, frequent, cold, the patient is weary and sleepy, is without hunger, does not know when he has had a stool, the stomach, the anus and the bladder are heavy. 4. In the derangement of *tridoṣas* the stools are of different kinds (Su, MN, AHr ), e. g. having the colour of whey, ghee, marrow, oil, fat or milk, or clear as water, or quite blue, red or black, smelling like carcass, pus or raw fish (Car). This form is particularly dangerous i. e. incurable. 5. If the cause is grief accompanied by insufficient feeding, the heat caused by the tears enters the bowels and disturbs the blood which then comes out with or without faeces. This kind is also scarcely curable. 6a. In indigestion (*āma*, *āmājīrṇa*) the tridoṣas trouble the intestines and cause painful stools of manifoldly different colours (Su, MN). 6 b. The vāta is deranged by agony and causes quick, warm, watery and liquid stools. According to another division dysentary is to be divided as unripe or acute (*āma*) and ripe or chronic (*pakva*), similar to fever (Car 6. 19.4-16; Su 6.40.1-18; AS 3.8.279 f.; AHr 3.8.1-14; MN 64 ff.).