A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c23.471

Language: English

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The subjects dealt with are: the enumeration of therapeutic measures and preparations employed in eye diseases: tarpaṇa,285 puṭapāka,286 seka (irrigation), āścyotana (eyedrops),287 and añjana (collyrium) (18.4); the technique of tarpaṇa; rules for various groups of diseases (18.5–12ab); the signs of proper, deficient and excessive tarpaṇa (18.12cd–15); treatment in cases of deficient and excessive tarpaṇa (18.16); indications and contra-indications for tarpaṇa (18.17–19ab); indications for puṭapāka (18.19cd–20ab); puṭapāka should be employed when the doṣas have been pacified and when the eyes can tolerate this type of preparation; puṭapāka is of three varieties: snehana (oleating), lekhana (scarifying) and ropaṇa (healing) (18.20cd–21); indications for each of these three varieties (18.22); the ingredients of a snehana puṭapāka and the period of time during which the fluid should be retained (18.23); the same particulars with regard to a lekhana (18.24–25) and ropaṇa (18.26) puṭapāka; procedures to be associated with puṭapāka of the snehana and lekhana types are fumigation, oleation and sudation (18.27); puṭapāka should be employed for one, two or three days; the period during which a particular regimen should be observed (yantraṇā) is twice as long (18.28); rules for the period after treatment with tarpaṇa and puṭapāka (18.29); the treatment of complications due to improper application of tarpaṇa and puṭapāka (18.30);

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signs indicating proper, deficient and excessive treatment with puṭapāka288 and the way of application (18.33–38); the bad effects of improper administration of tarpaṇa and puṭapāka (18.39–40); the merits of proper tarpaṇa and puṭapāka (18.41–42ab); the treatment of disorders due to improper use (18.42cd); particularities with regard to sudation and fumigation before and after tarpaṇa and puṭapāka (18.43); āścyotana (the application of eyedrops) is indicated when the disease is not very grave; seka (irrigation) is indicated in more serious cases (18.44); āścyotana and seka are of the same three varieties as puṭapāka (18.45ab);289 the proper dosages of the three varieties of āścyotana (18.45cd–46ab); seka should be applied for a period twice as long as that for puṭapāka (18.46cd–47ab); the parts of the day suitable to the application of āścyotana and seka (18.47cd); the signs of proper and improper application of seka are like those of tarpaṇa (18.48ab); śirobasti cures very serious diseases and has the same effects as mūrdhataila290 (18.48cd–49ab); the technique of applying a śirobasti: a bladder filled with medicated oil or ghee is tightly fastened over the scalp of the patient; it should be kept there for a period ten times as long as has been prescribed for tarpaṇa (18.49cd–51ab); the stage of the disease in which a collyrium (añjana) should be applied (18.51cd–52ab);291 the three varieties of collyrium are: lekhana, ropaṇa and prasādana292 (18.52cd);

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the tastes to be employed against the doṣas in a lekhana collyrium (18.53); the effects of a lekhana collyrium (18.54); a ropaṇa collyrium should consist of drugs with an astringent or bitter taste and some oil; it restores the colour and invigorates the eyes (18.55); a prasādana collyrium should consist of drugs with a sweet taste and (much) oil; it soothes (prasādana) the doṣas affecting vision and is also beneficial as an oleating agent (18.56); these collyria should be employed in the morning, evening or night, dependent on the doṣa involved (18.57);293 the three forms of collyrium: guṭikā (pill), rasa (= rasakriyā: inspissated juice) and cūrṇa (powder);294 their strength decreases in the mentioned order (18.58); the sizes of lekhana, ropaṇa and prasādana guṭikās (18.59); the dose of a rasāñjana295 is the same as that of a varti²⁹⁶ (18.60ab); the doses of a collyrium in the form of a powder are two, three or four śalākās, for the lekhana, ropaṇa and prasādana varieties respectively (18.60cd); the materials for the containers (bhājana)²⁹⁷ and the rods (śalāka) (for applying a collyrium)²⁹⁸ (18.61–62ab);²⁹⁹ requirements as to the form, measurements, etc., of a śalākā (18.62cd–63); the technique of applying a collyrium (18.64–65); technical errors to be avoided (18.66–67ab); after observing the proper action of a collyrium, the eye should be washed (prakṣālana) with water, and a pratyañjana applied (18.67cd–68ab);

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contra-indications for a collyrium and the disorders resulting from neglect of these rules (8.68cd–69); complications (vyāpad) brought about by improper application of collyria (18.70–74ab); the treatment of these complications (18.74cd–75ab); signs indicating an adequate, excessive and deficient application of a lekhana collyrium; treatment in cases of excessive or deficient application (18.75cd–78); signs indicating an adequate or excessive application of prasādana and ropaṇa collyria; treatment in cases of excessive application (18.79–81); deficient application of snehana (= prasādana) and ropaṇa collyria produces no effect at all (18.82); the preparation of a cūrṇañjana for royal use, which makes a king dear to all his subjects, invincible, and free from eye diseases (18.84–93);³⁰⁰ another collyrium, called bhadrodaya, fit for royal use (18.94–97);³⁰¹ some more recipes for collyria (18.98–102); an analgesic collyrium (18.103–104); a collyrium for general use (18.105); piṇḍañjanas³⁰² should be prepared in the same way as rasakriyāñjanas (18.106).