Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c12.64

c12.64

§ 62. Cough, Asthma and Hiccup :— Cough (*kāsa*) and difficult breathing (*śvāsa*) appear very often as symptoms of a disease either combined or separately, e. g. in consumption (cf. § 61); however, both are considered and described as independent diseases. Of *kāsa* there are five kinds, worse in sequence : 1-3 caused by the derangement of the dosas, 4th by (internal) ulcers (*kṣata*) and 5th by consumption (*kṣaya*), and they lead to tuberculosis if neglected. Signs of cough are : itching in the throat, a feeling as if the throat and the mouth were full of pricking insects (*śūka*), sticking of the food (in throat), hoarseness, loss of appetite, weak digestion. The ulcerative variety is defined as similar to the consumptive variety. The former is caused by internal ulcers of the chest, physical exercise, carrying load, shock and strokes and the like. The patient first coughs dry, then spits blood, the throat aches acutely, the chest is as if cut, he has a feeling as if he were pricked with sharp needles, fever, difficult breathing, thirst, hoarseness, his voice sounds like the cooing of a pigeon, his strength, appetite, digestion gradually relax, he becomes pale, waned, suffers from blood-urine, pain in the back and hips. The cough due to consumption (*kṣayaja*) is evidently a form of consumption : the discharge is bloody, suppurated, bad smelling, yellow, greenish or red, while coughing the patient has a feeling as if the heart had sunk to the bottom, suffers from fever, pain in sides, cold, hoarseness, eats much, but still becomes weak and pale; all signs of consumption then develop. This disease is incurable in the case of weak persons, otherwise and in other forms of *kāsa* nourishing and perspiring remedies, linctus remedy, enemata, emetics etc. are recommended (Car 6.18; Su 6.52; AS 3.3; 4.4; AHr 3.3;4.3; MN 120-4; Vr 11).