Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c13.51

c13.51

§ 76. Haemorrhoids :—The *arśas* mentioned heretofore in the sex-diseases, originally connected with *ἄκος*, ulcus, denoted certain knots or growths of every kind. Thus Car 6.14.6 (cf. Su 2.2.17) says that some consider, beside the anus, also the vagina, penis, throat, palate, mouth, nose, ears, eye-lids and the skin as the seats of *arśas*. However, in his work this denotation is confined to the *arśas* in the anus. The haemorrhoidal growths which are common everywhere in the Orient (also in Veda, cf. Zimmer, p. 393) and are denoted as fleshy outgrowths, tumours (*māṃsāṅkura*, *māṃsakīlaka*- AHr 3.7.1 f.), are generally connected with diarrhoea and dysentery (*atisāra*, *grahaṇī*), because these three ailments are brought about mutually and are due to disorder of digestion (Car 6.14). Therefore, the following appear as the causes of *arśas* :—unsuitable feeding, excess in eating, pungent, sour, salt or hot food, fasts, want of movement, sleep by day, riding, squatting, alchoholism, sexual extravagance, suppression of excretions, grief, anger etc. The preliminary signs are : weak digestion, diarrhoea or constipation, flatulence, fre-