Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c13.47

c13.47

A disease coming in MN, Bhāv, Vang is liṅgavarti or liṅgārśas ("Penis-abscess"), a growth on the genital that resembles a cock's comb, with abscesses that are oblong, occurring on one another, phlegmatic and painful and is scarcely curable. The tumour is to be completely cut out and branded, or it is to be rubbed with an extract of *Berberis asiatica*, realgar and other medicines (MN 288 ff.; Bhāv 2.4; Vang 639-43). According to Dutt, *Nidāna* 169 f., *liṅgavarti* is syphilis and *liṅgārśas* is warts. Häser has identified *arśas* coming in Su 2.2 with syphilis. It is caused by foul flesh and blood in the penis, begins with itch, then a wound occurs on it if it is scraped, puffed outgrowths caused by foul flesh and discharging phlegmatic blood are formed within (in the glands-Ḍallaṇa) or on the external skin, and they demolish the penis and potency. Similar bad smelling outgrowths in the vagina stop menstruation. Apparently the same disease is meant by *arśas*, *liṅgārśas*, and *liṅgavarti*, but whether syphilis is meant is equally doubtful even though in the Vedic names of the disease which Bloomfield¹ relates to syphilis, the above symptoms (cock's comblike etc.) could be related to syphilitic Condylomata.