Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c9.58

c9.58

Cupping of blood is similarly a mild form of treatment. A cow-horn is used for this purpose, at the pointed end of which a small piece of cloth is bound; or a hollow calabash is used in which a burning wick is placed. First of all, the skin is cut in many places (pracchāna), then the broad end of the horn is placed on it and the pointed end of the horn is sucked in order to rarefy the air, and then it is covered with cloth. In the case of calabash, the rarefying of air takes place before applying the burning wick (Su.1.13; AHr l.c.). Mention is also made of mere scarification (lekhana, pracchāna) without the use of sucking instrument, with regard to the diseases to be cured thereby. See § 27.