A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c23.450

v1.c23.450

The subjects dealt with are: the dṛṣṭi as described by ophthalmologists (nayanacintaka): its size is like that of a split lentil (masūradala); it is composed of pure parts (prasāda) of the five mahābhūtas, glows like a firefly (khadyota) or spark of fire, is covered by the outer paṭala, has the form of a hole, and has a tolerance for cold (7.3–4); the two groups of six diseases of the dṛṣṭi, including timira, which affect the paṭalas successively, will now be described (7.5); symptoms arising when the paṭalas are affected by the doṣas: affection of the first paṭala gives rise to blurred (avyakta) vision (7.6–7ab); 222 the disorders of vision by affection of the second paṭala (7.7cd–10); 223 the disorders of vision caused by affection of the third paṭala; these disorders, the details of which depend on the location of the doṣa(s) in the dṛṣṭi, are collectively called timira 224 (7.11–15c); 225 the gradual development of liṅganāśa, 226 also called nīlikā and kāca, 227 which results from an affection of the fourth paṭala (7.15d–18ab); 228 the characteristics of timira due to vāta (7.18cd–19ab), pitta (7.19cd–20ab), kapha (7.20cd–22ab), 229 blood (7.22cd–23ab), and concerted action of the doṣas (7.23cd–24); 230 the characteristics of the sixth type of timira, 231 called parimlāyin, caused by pitta in combination with (mūrchita) the fiery energy (tejas) of blood (7.25–26ab); 232 the colours of the six types of liṅganāśa: ruddy (aruṇa) due to vāta, parimlāyin 233 or dark blue (nīla) due to pitta, white (sita) due to kapha, red (rakta) due to blood, and variegated (vicitra) due to all the doṣas together (7.26cd–27); 234 a round patch (maṇḍala), arising from blood, resembling thick glass and glowing like fire, of a faint (mlāyin), bluish (ānīla) colour, occurs in the disease called parimlāyin; it sometimes happens that vision is (partly) restored thanks to a decrease in the amount of (excited) doṣas (7.28–29ab); 235 features of the round patch (maṇḍala) in liṅganāśa due to vāta, pitta, kapha, blood, and all three doṣas together (7.29cd–33); 236 the other six diseases pertaining to the dṛṣṭi (7.34–35ab); the characteristic features of pittavidgadhadr̥ṣṭi 237 (7.35cd–37ab) 238 and kaphavidgadhadr̥ṣṭi 239 (7.37cd–38); 240 the aetiology and characteristics of dhūmadarśin 241 (7.39); 242 the characteristics of hrasvajāḍya 243 (7.40ab), 244 nakulāndhya 245 (7.40cd–41ab), 246 and gambhīrikā 247 (7.41cd–42ab); 248 out of the two exogenous (types of liṅganāśa), nimittaja and animittaja, the former is caused by too much heat (abhitāpa) in the head 249 and characterized by the same features as abhiṣyanda (7.42cd–43ab); 250 the animitta type is the result of seeing gods, sages, gandharvas, celestial serpents (mahoraga), and other very bright (bhāsvara) objects; in this disorder, the dṛṣṭi is transparent and clear, with the colour of vaidūrya (7.43cd–44); 251 traumatic disorders of the dṛṣṭi (abhighātahata-dr̥ṣṭi) are described (7.45).