Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c9.52

c9.52

§ 29. Cauterisation and Branding :— The cauteries (*kṣāra*) are the best and most important of all *śastras* and *anuśastras*, because they are applicable in bad wounds or ulcers which cannot be treated by instruments; they provide for a substitute for the operations of deep and superficial cuts, intersections and scarification etc., cause branding, loosen, cleanse, appease the blood and cause cure, remove the derangement of tridosas, are advantageous particularly in excessive fatness, poisoning, haemorrhoids, skin-disease, bleeding and other diseases, and also can be taken internally¹. External application is advised in skin-diseases of all kinds, haemorrhoids, fistula of the anus and other fistula, abscesses, mouth-diseases, throat-inflammation etc.; internally they are used in poisons of lingering effect, swelling of the body, derangement of digestion, loss of appetite, calculi, internal abscesses etc. *Kṣāra* is unsuitable in fever, diarrhoea, heart-disease, head-disease, eye-inflammation, pregnancy or menstruation, faint-heartedness, infirmity, childhood, oldage etc. It mostly consists of potash. Wood, leaves, roots and fruit of certain trees are burnt, the ash is collected and comparatively larger quantity (according to Suśruta, 6 times) of water and urine of a cow or other animal is added, the