A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c13.69

v1.c13.69

The subjects dealt with are: the aetiology of kuṣṭha (7.4–8); 185 the seven and eleven forms of kuṣṭha are always brought about by all three doṣas, which corrupt the skin, blood, muscular tissue and watery element (ambu) (7.9–10); 186 the prodromes (7.11–12); 187 an enumeration of the eighteen varieties of kuṣṭha (7.13); 188 the description of the seven major varieties (mahākuṣṭha): kāpāla, audumbara, maṇḍala, ṛṣyajihva, puṇḍarīka, sidhma 189, and kākaṇa (7.14–20); 190 the description of the eleven minor varieties (kṣudrakuṣṭha): 191 ekakuṣṭha, 192 carmākhya, 193 kiṭima, 194 vaipādika, 195 alasaka, 196 dadrumaṇḍala, 197 carmadala, 198 pāmā, 199 visphoṭa, 200 śatārus, 201 and vicarcikā 202 (7.21–26); the doṣas preponderantly excited in these varieties: vāta in kāpāla, kapha in maṇḍala, pitta in audumbara, all three doṣas in kākaṇa, vāta and pitta in ṛṣyajihva, kapha and pitta in puṇḍarīka, vāta and kapha in sidhakuṣṭha, vāta and kapha usually in carmākhya, ekakuṣṭha, kiṭima, vipādikā and alasaka, pitta and kapha usually in pāmā, śatārus, visphoṭa, dadru and carmadala, kapha usually in vicarcikā (7.27–30); 203 all the varieties of kuṣṭha are, however, essentially brought about by the three doṣas; their relative strength (balābala) should be ascertained before beginning treatment; the predominant doṣa is to be counteracted first, the secondary one (anubandha) subsequently (7.31–32); the doṣas can be determined from the type of kuṣṭha present and the other way round (7.33); the signs which are characteristic for each doṣa in cases of kuṣṭha are enumerated (7.34–36); 204 a physician should refuse treating a patient presenting all the symptoms; cases of kuṣṭha in which one doṣa predominates or a combination of vāta and kapha are not difficult to cure, in contrast with cases with a predominance of kapha and pitta or vāta and pitta (7.37–38). 205