A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c13.151.4

v1.c13.151.4

a disorder caused by a particular alcoholic beverage is alleviated by the administration of the same drink⁶³⁹ (24.107–111);640 alcoholic drinks lead to an impaired digestion; the rasa derived from the food (annarasa) acquires for that reason alkalinity (kṣāratā); the symptoms of this disorder are relieved by the consumption of alcohol, since alkalinity is quickly overcome by acidity,641 profusely present in alcoholic drinks; alcoholic drinks, which are sour in nature, possess four secondary tastes (anurasa): sweet, astringent, bitter and pungent; their total number of properties is therefore fourteen (24.112–116); the treatment of madātyaya caused by vāta (24.117–135),642 pitta (24.136–163),643 kapha (24.164–188);644 the ten kinds of saṃnipāta (24.189);645 treatment in general (24.191–198);646 two disorders, called dhvaṃsaka and vikṣaya, caused by excessive drinking after a period of abstinence; the symptoms and treatment of these disorders, which are curable with difficulty (24.199–205ab);647 the praise of the proper use of alcohol (24.205cd); the advice to remain abstinent (24.206).