Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c9.50

c9.50

The knives or sharp instruments (*sastra*) which an expert smith should prepare from iron are divided, according to Suśruta, into 20 kinds : 1. *maṇḍalāgra*, with rounded point, according to Dallana either round or formed like a razor, 6 fingers long and, according to Suśruta, applicable for scarification and excision in diseases of eyelids. 2. *karapatra*, saw, according to AS, AHr, 10 fingers long and 2 fingers broad, finely teethed, serving to cut the bone. According to Suśruta, 1 and 2 serve for excision and scarification. 3. *vṛddhipatra*, sharp or blunt, according as it is used for a superficial or deep tumour, serving for deep or superficial excision (AS, AHr). 4. *nakhaśastra*, with straight or crooked blade for extracting thorns and other small foreign matters and for cutting or cleaving the nails (AS, AHr). 5. *mudrikā*, ring, a small knife for operation of the throat (AS, AHr). 6. *utpalapatra*, resembling a blooming leaf of blue lotus. 7. *ardhadhāra*, one-edged or *adhyardhadhāra*, one and half-edged (AS, AHr). According to AS, AHr, 6th has a long and 7th has a short point; according to Suśruta, 3-7 serve for deep and superficial excisions. 8. *Sūcī*, needle, for sewing, of 3 kinds, according as it is used for fleshy parts, for bones, joints and the like or for the dangerous places in intestines or anus (AS, AHr). 9. *kuśapatra*, bearing the form of a Kuśa-blade, according to AS, AHr, two hands long. 10. *āṭīmukha*, " Āṭī-beak " i. e. formed like the beak of *Turdus ginginianus*, also two hands long (AS). 11. *śarārimukha*, " Heron-beak " according to Dallana, a kind of scissors, according to AHr, a trocar. 12. *antarmukha* " with point in the middle", according to AS, AHr, sickle-shaped, 1½ fingers long, according to Suśruta (Hoernle) a pair of crooked scissors with straight part in the middle. 13. *trikūrcaka*, trocar. 8-13 serve, according to Suśruta, for cleansing abscesses. 14. *kuthārikā*, an axe with a ½ finger broad blade of the form of a cow-teeth. 15. *vrīhimukha*, " rice-corn-headed", the blade 1½ hands long, a pointed instrument for tapping fluid in dropsy, abscess and the like and for bleeding purposes (AS, AHr). 16. *ārā*, awl, four-cornered but furnished with a round point serving for boring through the ear-lap and for the examination of tumour (AS, AHr). 17. *vetasapatra*, i. e. cane-formed, edged and serving for boring through or puncturing (*vyadhana*), which, according to Suśruta, is the purpose of 14-17 in general. 18. *baḍiśa*, " Fish-hook ", with crooked point, for catching swollen tonsils, pterygium and the like (AS, AHr). 19. *dantaśaṅku* (*dantalekhana*) toothpicker, four-angled, serves for removing tartar. 20. *eṣaṇī*, "probe" of two kinds, viz. with earthwormlike point for probing of wounds or needlelike and furnished with a caustic thread for tearing fistula. In AS, AHr, there are 26 *śastras* among which, besides the above, there are a pair of scissors (*kartarī*) for cutting sinews, thread, hair and the like, an edged instrument (*śalākā*) of copper with a point like a grain of corn to prick the cataract, a reed-stick (*khaja*) with 8 points for effecting bleeding of the nose etc. According to Suśruta most of the *śastras* are 6 fingers long. The edges should be so sharp that one could cut the hair on body. The vicarious instruments (*anúśastra*) are leech, cautery and fire, glass, rock-crystal, ruby, adular, cutting bark, hair, finger or fresh shoots for probing, the nail for extracting or cutting, and the like.