A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c24.226

Language: English

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The subjects dealt with are: kīṭas originate from the excrements, urine, seed, eggs, and decomposing dead bodies of snakes; they are of four types, when classified according to their relationship to the doṣas (37.1);¹⁰⁷⁸ the symptoms caused by the bites of kīṭas mainly associated with vāta, pitta or kapha singly, and with all three doṣas jointly (37.2–4ab);¹⁰⁷⁹ the stages of poisoning are like those caused by a snake-bite; the general symptoms caused by the bite of a kīṭa (37.4cd–5);¹⁰⁸⁰ the local symptoms of a bite by a scorpion (vṛścika) (37.6–7ab);¹⁰⁸¹ the poison of scorpions arising from the putrefying dung of cattle, etc., objects besmeared with a poisonous substance, and decomposing dead bodies of snakes, is mild, moderate, and strong respectively (37.7cd–8ab);¹⁰⁸² the distinctive morphological characteristics of these three groups of scorpions (37.8cd–10);¹⁰⁸³ the general effects of the bite of a scorpion with a strong poison (37.11–12);¹⁰⁸⁴ the symptoms produced by the bite of an ucciṭinga, a small animal, also called uṣṭradhūma and rātricāra (37.13–14);¹⁰⁸⁵ vāta and pitta predominate in kīṭas;

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kapha predominates in kaṇabhas and unduras, vāta in scorpions and uṣṭradhūmakas (37.15);¹⁰⁸⁶ determination of the main doṣa(s) involved is decisive for the treatment to be followed (37.16);¹⁰⁸⁷ the symptoms of poisoning with a predominance of vāta, pitta and kapha (37.17–19);¹⁰⁸⁸ the treatment of these three conditions (37.20–21);¹⁰⁸⁹ rules for the general treatment of kīṭa-bites (37.22–23ab);¹⁰⁹⁰ the recipe for a fumigation, taught by Kāśyapa, useful in all poisonous bites (37.23cd–24ab); any anti poison measure should be tried, including those against snake-bites (37.24cd–25ab);¹⁰⁹¹ prescriptions against kīṭa-bites (37.25cd–27ab);¹⁰⁹² the formula of daśāṅgāgada against kīṭa-bites, devised by Kāśyapa (37.27cd–28); prescriptions against a scorpion-bite (37.29–42);¹⁰⁹³ a formula against the bites of kīṭas, snakes, spiders, unduras, and scorpions (37.43); a prescription, taught by Jina, against the bites of rātrikas¹⁰⁹⁴ and scorpions (37.44); more dangerous than kīṭas are spiders; these are of sixteen kinds,¹⁰⁹⁵ although others distinguish twenty-eight, others again even more kinds; some regard them as attendants of Sahasrarasmi (= Sūrya) and declare that they are of thousand different kinds (37.45–46ab);¹⁰⁹⁶ spiders, however, are all the same in being able to cause numerous complications (37.46cd); spiders are classified according to their relationship with the doṣas, because it is troublesome to distinguish and name them (37.47);

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the bites in which one doṣa predominates are difficult to cure; the bites associated with all the doṣas are incurable (37.48ab);¹⁰⁹⁷ the local and general symptoms of a spider bite with a predominance of pitta, kapha and vāta (37.48cd–50); the signs belonging to each of the doṣas are also to be taken into consideration (37.51ab); the local and general symptoms of an incurable bite (37.51cd–53);¹⁰⁹⁸ usually, all three doṣas are (more or less) involved in a spider bite (37.54ab); three degrees of toxicity are distinguished; when the bite is neglected, death occurs within a week, ten days, or a fortnight respectively (37.54cd–55ab);¹⁰⁹⁹ the local and general symptoms caused by the bite of a poisonous spider (37.55cd–58ab);¹¹⁰⁰ a spider emits its poison in eight ways: by means of its breath (śvāsa), fangs (damṣṭrā), excrements, urine, seed, saliva, claws, and oestrous discharge (ārtava); chiefly, it does so by means of its mouth parts (37.58cd–59ab);¹¹⁰¹ spiders bite in the region above the navel, kīṭas do so above and below that region (37.59cd); pieces of clothing which have been corrupted by their poison cause disorders through their contact with the body (37.60ab); the bite of a poisonous spider produces slight symptoms during the second half of the first day; the symptoms that appear during the second to seventh days; this mode of action is typical of a poison with the highest degree of toxicity;

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the mode of action of less toxic poisons can be deduced (37.60cd–65);¹¹⁰² the effects of the poison subside after three weeks (37.66ab); the treatment should begin with excision, followed by cauterization,¹¹⁰³ unless the spider belongs to those with a predominance of pitta (37.66cd–67ab);¹¹⁰⁴ contra-indications for excision and cauterization (37.67cd–68ab); 1105 the course of treatment after cauterization (37.68cd–70ab); 1106 the formula of padmakāgada, useful in all spider- and kīṭa-bites (37.70cd–71ab), and the even more efficacious campakāgada (37.71cd–72ab); another, related prescription (37.72cd); the formulae of the antidotes (agada) called mandara and gandhamādana (37.73–74); purgatives to be prescribed to patients with an abundance of doṣas (37.75–77ab); when the burning sensation and swelling have disappeared, measures should be taken which make the karṇikā 1107 fall off (37.77cd); 1108 prescriptions that promote this falling off (37.78–80ab); 1109 the treatment to be adopted when the karṇikā is falling off (37.80cd); all fatty drugs should be prepared with ghee, for oils would increase the effects of a poison (37.81); drugs active against all spider-bites (37.82–86). 1110