Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c13.28

c13.28

The visphota, visphoṭaka "boils" are already referred to as a form of leprosy (kuṣṭha, § 67). They are also mentioned under kṣudra-roga (§ 67) in AS 6.36, AHr 6.31 as very painful pustules which are even worse than small-pox. According to Madhava, they resemble the blisters, are related to fever, proceed from blood and pitta and appear either only on one place or all over the body. By all dosas they are pressed in the middle, elevated on the edges, hard, without much pus, there is burning, redness, thirst, semi-consciousness, vomiting, faint, pain, fever, delirium, shivering and sleepiness. This form is incurable. Red pustules that appear like guñjā seeds, i. e. red with a black spot or like corals, are also incurable. The treatment is, as in the case of visarpa, first internal, then external. In recipes also visarpa and visphoṭa are frequently mentioned together ( MN 314-16; Vr 55; Vāng 695-99; Bhāv 2.4 ).