A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c24.230

Language: English

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The subjects dealt with are: the general effects of a rasāyana (39.1–2ab); 1128 the etymology of rasāyana (39.2cd); 1129 a rasāyana or vājīkaraṇa should permanently be used in the first two stages of the life cycle by a self-subdued human being who has undergone sudation, bloodletting and purification (39.3–4); 1130 rasāyana treatment is of two types: kuṭīprāveśika (within an enclosed space), which is the best method, and vātātapika (in the open air) (39.5); 1131 the construction of a suitable room (kuṭī) (39.6–7); 1132 the requisites for persons wanting to submit to the treatment (39.8–10); 1133 preparatory procedures, aiming at complete bodily purification (39.11–14); 1134 a rasāyana preparation to be taken once daily, in the evening; the Vaikhānasas, Vālakhilyas, and other ascetics experienced the beneficial effects of this rasāyana, devised by Brahmā (39.15–23); 1135 another rasāyana, to be taken daily, in the morning (39.24–26); 1136 this treatment confers a life span of hundred years without disease and old age (39.27); 1137 a preparation to be taken during a month, conferring a life span of a thousand years (39.28–32); 1138 the preparation of cyavanaprāśa, which rejuvenated Cyavana; it cures many diseases, leads to a long life span, and strengthens virility (39.33–41); 1139 other rasāyanas (39.42–47);

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the formulae of the medicated ghee called pañcāravinda, which restores one’s strength and virility (39.48), and another ghee, called catuḥkuvalaya, which improves one’s mental faculties (39.49); the formula of a compound rasāyana (39.50–53); 1140 rasāyanas prepared with the plants called nāgabalā (39.54–55), 1141 gokṣuraka (39.56–57), and vārāhīkanda (39.58–59); 1142 a series of medicinal plants with the same properties: vidārī, atibalā, balā, madhuka, vāyasī, two kinds of śreyasī, yuktā, pathyā, dhātrī, sthirā, amṛtā, maṇḍūkī, śaṅkhakusumā, vājigandhā, and śatāvarī (39.60–61); 1143 another useful plant is citraka; the varieties with yellow, white and dark flowers possess a stronger action in the mentioned order (39.62); citraka preparations curing particular disorders (39.63–65); a preparation with bhallātaka fruits, to be taken first in increasing, later in decreasing fixed numbers, during fixed periods of time; this course of treatment improves digestion and cures a series of diseases (39.66–71); 1144 another bhallātaka preparation with the same effects (39.72–74); 1145 more recipes with bhallātaka fruits (39.75–81); 1146 bhallātaka fruits cure any type of kapha disease and are also effective in constipation (vibandha) (39.82); 1147 things to be avoided during all rasāyana treatments (39.83); preparations with tuvaraka oil which cure kuṣṭha (39.84–93); 1148 similar preparations having rasāyana effects (39.94–95); 1149 the use of pippalī as a rasāyana (39.96–98ab);

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1150 the pippalīvardhamāna procedure (39.98cd–102); 1151 rasāyana effects can also be obtained by drinking some water, each morning, during a year, out of an iron vessel, daubed with pippalī (39.103); a series of parts of other plants that can be employed in the same way (39.104–105); 1152 the described rasāyanas may also be used in combination with milk; drunk in that way, their effect is doubled (39.106); preparations with somarājī, which act as rasāyanas and cure kuṣṭha, as well as digestive disorders (39.107–110); 1153 the mythic origin of garlic (rasona, laśuna); brāhmaṇas do not use it, because it has arisen from the body of the Daitya called Rāhu; yet, having originated from the amṛta, it is the most excellent rasāyana (39.111–112); 1154 the way in which the expressed juice of garlic may be used (39.113–121); the suitable dosages (39.122); the articles of diet to be taken after digestion of the garlic (39.123–124); articles of diet prepared with garlic (39.125–126); garlic is the best medicine in disorders caused by vāta, either singly, or when covered (āvṛta), except when covered by pitta and rakta (39.127); contra-indications (39.128); after the use of garlic a mild purgative is recommended, in order to prevent the excitation of pitta (39.129); the origin of śilājatu, a substance of six varieties, which have the taste of one of the six metals (dhātu) (39.130); 1155 the properties of śilājatu; 1156 the lauha variety deserves particular esteem (39.131);

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1157 the characteristics of the best variety (39.132); 1158 the preparation of śilājatu for medicinal use by soaking it in water, drying it, and then steeping it in a warm inspissated decoction; when this mixture has become homogeneous and dry, it should be thrown into an amount of the decoction again; this process has to be repeated seven times (39.133–135); 1159 the way to use this śilājatu preparation (39.136–138); 1160 the dosages (39.139); 1161 when properly used, śilājatu works as a rasāyana (39.140–141ab); 1162 articles of diet to be avoided during its employment (39.141cd); 1163 śilājatu cures any curable disease; when properly employed in health, it provides a large amount of ūrjā (39.142); 1164 the kuṭīpraveśa type of rasāyana suits those with leisure who have servants; others should be satisfied with sauryamārutika methods (39.143); 1165 measures of the latter type, easy to be carried out and without the risk of complications when incorrectly applied, will be described next (39.144); a long series of this type of prescriptions (39.145–164); 1166 the rules for a rasāyana procedure including the use of 360 pills during a full year (39.165–168); the preparation, use and effects of the medicated ghee called nārasiṃhaghṛta (39.169–173); the effects of this ghee, when additional rules are observed (39.174–176); those rasāyanas have been described which can actually be prepared, which are effective and suited to the yuga we live in;

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many other rasāyanas, difficult to prepare, are omitted (39.177); when, during rasāyana treatment, a disease appears, one should employ those measures which are suitable to the case and stop the ongoing therapy (39.178); 1167 the characteristics of those who continually use a rasāyana (39.179–180); 1168 the behaviour that is equivalent to a perfect rasāyana (39.181).