Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c13.13.2

c13.13.2

Usually 18 forms of kuṣṭha are distinguished, and are divided into 7 major and 11 minor forms; in particulars, however, the enumerations differ. According to Mādhava the following are the major forms : 1. kāpāla — with black or reddish, dry and rough spots like potsherd (kapāla), acute pain, very dangerous. 2. audumbara — the spots or boils are like a fig (udumbara) are accompanied by pain, heat, redness and itching, the hair on the body become brown. 3. maṇḍala — the spots are white or red, hard, wet, glittering, circular, coherent, scarcely curable. 4. *ṛkṣajihva*— the spots are rough, red on the edges, dark in the middle, painful, formed like the tongue of a bear (*Ṛkṣajihva*). 5. *puṇḍarīka*— the spots are bright red on the edges red in the middle, elevated, like a red lotus-flower. 6. *sidhma*— the spots are white or coppercoloured, small, giving dust if rubbed, appear mostly on the chest and resemble the blossom of gourd. According to Dutt, Pytiriasis, a kind of Herpes with dustlike scales is meant. 7. *Kākaṇa*— resembles in colour the seed of *Kākaṇantikā* (*Abrus precatorius* that is black in the middle, red at the edges), suppurates and aches violently. This form is incurable. While these seven major forms can at least be related for the most part to real leprosy, the eleven minor ones are apparently related to the most varied other skin-diseases. 8a. *ekakuṣṭha*— the skin is sweatless, the spots are big and appear like scales. 8b.