A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c24.176

Language: English

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The subjects dealt with are: the terrible disease called timira should quickly be treated, because, on neglect, it develops into kāca, and, kāca, in its turn, into blindness (āndhya) (13.1); a recipe against timira (13.2–4ab); a recipe against timira, kāca, raktarājī,330 and headache (13.4cd–6ab); a formula against various disorders, also effective against the eye diseases called śukra, timira, naktāndhya,331 uṣṇadāha,332 and amladāha (13.6cd–10ab);333 a recipe against timira (13.10cd–12ab);334 the formula of mahātraiphalaghṛta, useful in all eye diseases (13.12cd–14ab);335 the way to use this ghee; when taken properly, it confers, as Nimi assures, an eyesight like that of Suparṇa336 (13.14cd–16ab); a series of recipes against timira, containing triphalā as their main ingredient (13.16cd–19);337 a recipe against timira, containing many inorganic substances;338 its preparation requires an andhamūṣā339 (13.20–22); a recipe against various eye diseases, to be used during the conjunction of the moon with Aśvinī340 (13.23–24); the recipe of a cūrṇa that cures all kapha disorders, to be prepared under the nakṣatra Citrā341 (13.25);342 the recipe for an añjana with eighty qualities; the ingredients of this collyrium should be crushed under the nakṣatras Citrā, Aśvinī or Puṣya; it cures all six kinds of timira and was proclaimed by Cakṣuṣeṇa (two additional verses); the recipe for an añjana against all eye diseases, ascribed to Videhapati343 (13.26–27);

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the recipe of bhāskaracūrṇa, effective against many eye diseases344 (13.28–31ab);345 an añjana against timira (13.31cd–33ab);346 a recipe conferring a vision as sharp as that of Garuḍa (13.33c–f); a recipe against many eye diseases; one of the ingredients is lead (sīsa) (13.34–35); a recipe against timira that contains mercury (rasendra) and lead (bhujaga) (13.36); a recipe, prepared with the burnt head of a vulture (gṛdhra); it confers the same sharp vision as that bird possesses (13.37); a recipe, to be prepared within the mouth of a black snake, that is effective even when the pupil (tāra) has been torn (13.38);347 a recipe, prepared from mainly animal substances, that cures blindness (13.39–40);348 another preparation, made with the fat (vasā) of a black snake, that cures blindness (13.41);349 the añjana called apratisāra, to be employed in timira (13.42);350 a pill against timira (13.43); the recipe called ṣaṇmākṣikayoga, to be used in various eye diseases (13.44); the recipe of an añjana against all diseases of the dṛṣṭi (dṛgāmaya); this collyrium consists mainly of inorganic substances (13.45); a recipe increasing the acuity of vision (13.46);351 general measures against eye diseases, to be selected according to the main doṣa involved (13.47); the treatment of timira in general has been discussed now; its treatment according to the doṣa(s) will be the next subject (13.48); the treatment of timira due to vāta (13.49–50);

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the treatment of diseases of the supraclavicular region, in particular those of the dṛṣṭi, due to vāta and pitta (13.51–54ab); the treatment of supraclavicular diseases due to vāta and kapha (13.54cd–55); an añjana, and a pratyañjana352 to be administered subsequently, against timira (13.56–57); more prescriptions against timira caused by vāta (13.58–62);353 the treatment of timira due to pitta (13.63–67)354 and kapha (13.68–70ab);355 the vartis called vimalā and kokilā, which clear the dṛṣṭi from impurities (dṛgvaimalya) (13.70cd–71);356 a varti against timira and śukra (13.72–73ab); the treatment of timira due to blood (13.73cd–74)357 and to a combination of two or three doṣas (13.73cd–81ab);358 the treatment of kāca (13.81cd–83ab), nakulāndha (13.83cd), doṣāndha, also called niśāndha or rātryandha (13.84–90),359 dhūmara, amla-, pitta- and uṣṇavidāha360 (13.91–94ab);361 these conditions leading to a disorder of sight similar to that in timira (13.94cd–96ab);362 these conditions should be treated after ascertaining which doṣa is involved, (13.96cd); the treatment of persons whose eyesight has been damaged by looking at lightning, etc.363 (13.97);364 the importance of protecting one’s eyes (13.98); the things most suitable to protect them (13.99);365 things which, according to Nimi, should be avoided in order to protect one’s eyesight (13.100).