Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c12.29

c12.29

Closely connected with *agnimāndya* is *ajīrṇa* "indigestion" which is caused by excessive water-drinking, irregular meals, suppression (of hunger, impulse for stool or urine and other natural movements) and irregular sleep. Even light diet is not digested in *ajīrṇa* (MN 93). General signs : dizziness, stupifaction, distended abdomen, retention of wind, constipation or diarrhoea (ibid.). According to the deranged doṣa three forms— *āma*, *viṣṭabdha* and *vidagdha* are distinguished. *Āma* comes from kapha and causes heaviness, nausea, swelling of the cheeks and eyelids and eructation from the stomach immediately after meal. *Viṣṭabdha*, from vāta, causes colic, flatulence, manifold vāta-ailments, constipation of stools and wind, stiffness, numbness and pain in limbs. *Vidagdha*, from pitta, causes giddiness, thirst, swooning faint, manifold pains, sour eructation from stomach, sweat and heat (MN 91-93; Su 6.56.3). *Ajīrṇa* can lead to senselessness, delirium, vomiting, nausea, faintness, giddiness and even death. The following diseases are also considered as arising from *ajīrṇa* :— [1] *visūcī* (cholera nostras, cf. § 52), [2] *alasaka* (" tympany, flatulence ") characterized by inflation and tension of the abdomen, noise in intestines, obstinate constipation, thirst and eructation, colic and trembling and giddiness, [3] *vilambikā* (" constipation ") a condition scarcely curable yet without pain in which the food neither goes upwards nor downwards (Su 6.56.3-9; MN 94-96; Vang 185, 196 f.; Bhāv 2.2.24 f.). Various kinds of pepper, *Asafoetida*, dry ginger, *sauvarcala*-salt, cinnamon etc. appear as ingredients in the powders, pills etc. prescribed in the Bower MS 2.58 ff. for *ajīrṇa* and allied ailments. So also in later prescriptions. In all cases of *ajīrṇa* it is good to smear the belly with Asafoetida, pepper, ginger and stone-salt and sleep by day (Vang 186). For the treatment of *alasaka* and *vilambikā* similar rules as for *viṣūcikā* (Vang 199) are given, and so the Bower MS 2.80-84 already describes the preparation of a " Citron-pill " (*mātuluṅgagulikā*) which is equally applicable for *viṣūcikā* and *alasaka*.