Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c9.11

c9.11

Later works contain particulars of the medical examination. Thus according to Bhāv 1. 2. 162 f. the eyes are to be examined for their colour (red, yellow, white, brown etc.), further whether lustreless, sunken, watery etc., in order to know as to which of the three doṣas is affected. Similarly a rough and cracked tongue shows the derangement of wind (vāyu), a red or blackish the derangement of bile (pitta), a covered, moisty and white tongue shows the derangement of phlegm (kapha). The urine becomes whitish by vāyu, red and blue by pitta, only red by blood, white and frothy by kapha. The pulse-examination (nāḍī parīkṣā) is fully described. On this subject there exist special works under the title Nāḍīparīkṣā, Nāḍīprakāśa, Nāḍīvijñāna and the like. According to one¹ of these works, the pulse of left side in the case of women and that of right side in the case of men is to be examined, as a rule, only on the wrist; yet the pulse also in foot, neck and nose is at times examined. The physician feels the pulse by pressing the three middle fingers of his right hand. By vāyu the pulse goes like a serpent or a leech, by pitta it goes like a crow, quail or a frog, by kapha it goes like a swan, peacock, pigeons of different kinds or a cock. The condition is affected by the three Doṣas and is incurable if the pulse is sometimes slow, sometimes weak and sometimes exciting, sometimes stopped, sometimes completely lost or scarcely felt, continuously abandons its natural place and then appears again. In diarrhoea the pulse is cool and slow. In cholera it is sometimes not traceable, sometimes it remains in its place. In disease of the worms (in intestines) the pulse is slow and weak, many times irregular or weak. In jaundice it is faint or excited as if it would spring out. In hemorrhage it is weak, stiff and soft. In consumption it shows the most varied movements. In internal wounds of the breast the pulse springs high and is quick, in consumption it is quite feeble, in cough it is shaky etc. Even at present the kaviraja in Bengal considers the pulse-examination as particularly important and capability to decide the nature of an ailment from the pulse is attributed to many physicians*.The pulse-feeling perhaps originated among the Arabians or Persians.