A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c13.144.2

v1.c13.144.2

(23.11–13);544 a third type of poisonous substance, called gara, which results from a mixture of substances; it is not instantly lethal, because its activation (vipākitva) takes time (23.14);545 the effects of poisons of animal and vegetable origin; animal poisons (jāṅgama, damṣṭrāviṣa) affect the lower, vegetable poisons (sthāvara, maulaviṣa) the lower part of the body, which makes the two types antagonistic (23.15–17); the signs of the eight stages of action (vega) in human beings;546 these stages, four in number, as occurring in quadrupeds; the three stages occurring in birds547 (23.18–23); the ten properties of poison: laghu (light), rūkṣa (dry), āśu (quickly acting), viśada (clear), vyavāyin (diffusive),548 tīkṣṇa (sharp), vikāsin (relaxation promoting),549 sūkṣma (subtle), uṣṇa (hot), of undefined taste (anirdeśyarasa) (23.24);550 poison excites vāta by its dryness, pitta by its heat, blood by its subtlety, kapha by its undefined taste; it quickly pervades (anuvartate)551 the annarasa (rasa derived from the food); due to its vyavāyin and āśu character, it quickly penetrates into the whole body; it damages the vital organs (marman) due to its sharpness and the prāṇa(s) because it is vikāsin; its lightness makes treatment difficult;