Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c13.1

c13.1

§ 66. Small-pox¹:— Small-pox does not occur in the Atharvaveda and the Bower MS. Su, AS, AHr and even Sārngadhara mention it only under smaller ailments (kṣudraroga) which are mostly skin-diseases. Caraka passes it over in his enumeration of diseases (1. 19) and mentions it only briefly along with measles as an eruption on the whole body that is to be treated like St. Anthony's fire and leprosy (6.12). It is called masūrikā, masūri, "lentil-disease" of the form of pustules. Thus Vāgbhaṭa says (AS 6.36; 3.15 = AHr 6.31.8) : "( Small-pox is ) hard pustules on the limbs and in the mouth, of the size and colour of a lentil (masūra) and is named thereafter (and is) connected with heat, fever and pain"; similarly Su 2. 13.38. Small-pox is to be treated like other skin-diseases, chiefly with ointments (Su 4.20.31). AHr 2.5.111 points out the dangerousness of small-pox : one on whose body masūrikā appear like small coral balls and quickly disappear, is no more. AHr 3.10.38 also mentions it as a disease consequent to diabetes. The later works contain precise information. Small-pox originates from injurious food, particularly pungent or salt, and other defects in diet, from air and water that are corrupted (by poisonous flowers and the like), and from the appearance of an irritated planet. This last cause is related to small-pox epidemic, since the small-pox appears in those regions where the angry planets are visible (Caraka). The disease is introduced by fever, itch, tearing pain in limbs, uneasiness, giddiness, swelling of the skin, change of complexion and redness in eyes. In the case of vāta the pustules are dark-red, rough, hard, cause violent pain and become ripe slowly. This variety is incurable. In the case of pitta they are red, yellow or white, cause burning and violent pain and ripen quickly. There is pain in joints, cough, shaking, uneasiness, weakness, dryness of palate, lips and tongue, thirst and loss of appetite. In the case of blood there is diarrhoea, heat in the body, thirst, uneasiness and loss of appetite, inflammation of the mouth, redness in eyes, and especially strong fever, as well as the signs as in pitta. In the case of kapha the pustules are white, glittering, very big, cause itch, but little pain and ripen slowly. At the same time there is phlegmatic flow, paresis, headache, heaviness in limbs, nausea, loss of appetite, sleep, weakness and dislike. In the case of all doṣas they are big, blue, sunk in the middle, very painful, ripen slowly, contain stinking pus and are called carman. There is difficulty in swallowing, loss of appetite, weakness, talking astray and disgust and the disease is scarcely or not at all curable. Further varieties depend on whether the pustules invade the chyle, blood, flesh, fat, marrow, bone or the generative element. If they invade the skin (i. e. chyle) they resemble a waterdrop, are very harmless and let out water when they crack (water-pox). In blood they have the colour of blood, ripen slowly, have a thin skin, contain blood. In the remaining varieties the symptoms are worse by degrees and the pustules invading the bones or the generative element bring death quickly. The following are additional signs of incurable disease: the pustules appear like corals, Jambū fruit, iron-bullets or lentils, there is cough, hiccup, delirium, violent fever, talking astray, disgust, faint, thirst, heat and uneasiness, blood flows from the mouth, nose and eyes, a rattling is heard in the throat and the respiration is extremely painful, the patient breathes by nose only with exertion and is troubled by thirst. A swelling on the elbow, wrist or shoulder-blade arising after the small-pox is scarcely curable. Among the numerous remedies for small-pox mention may be made of the internal use of quicksilver (pārada, Cakra, 315) which is certainly not very old, and of the various recipes for mixture of medical stuffs with cold or very cold water (MN 316-21; Vr 56; Vang 700-9; W 314-8; Bhāv 2.4.53-9).