A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c24.33

v1.c24.33

The subjects are: the seats (sthāna) of vāta, pitta and kapha (12.1–3); 135 the seats and functions of the five kinds of vāta (12.4–9), 136 pitta (12.10–14) 137 and kapha (12. 15–18ab); 138 the qualities of substances leading to caya (accumulation), kopa (excitation) and śama (pacification) of vāta, pitta and kapha (12.19–22ab); 139 the characteristic features of caya, kopa and śama (12.22cd–24ab); 140 the three seasons in which caya, prakopa and praśama of vāta, pitta and kapha occur (12.24cd–25ab); 141 caya of vāta occurs in grīṣma (summer), of pitta in varṣāḥ (the rainy season), of kapha in śiśira (the cool season) (12.25cd–29ab); the doṣas spread over the whole body quickly, but, once excited, disappear again slowly (12.29cd–30ab); an endless number of disorders is brought about by the excited doṣas, which are their only causes (12.30cd–34c); the causes of excitement of the doṣas consist of wrong contact of the senses with their objects (asātmyārthasaṃyoga), seasonal abnormalities, and wrong conduct; each of these is of three types: deficient, excessive and improper (12.34d–35); these nine varieties are explained and illustrated by means of examples (12.36–44ab); 142 the three pathways of diseases: bahirmārga, antarmārga and madhyamamārga; examples of diseases taking one of these pathways (12.44cd–49ab); 143 signs indicating a disorder of vāta (12.49cd–51c), 144 pitta (12.51d–52) 145 and kapha (12.53–54ab); 146 the importance of these signs for a physician (12.54cd–56); diseases are of three kinds: arising from bad acts committed in the present life (dṛṣṭāpacāraja), committed in a former existence (pūrvāparādhaja), or arising from a combination of both (12.57); 147 a disease arising from the doṣas is brought about by specific aetiological factors (yathānidānam), a disease arising from one’s karman manifests itself without these causative factors (hetu), an illness arising from both doṣas and karman is powerful in its effects (mahārambha), even when the hetu is weak (12.58); the course of these types of diseases and their cure (12.59); diseases are either independent (svatantra) or subordinate (paratantra); the latter are divided into prodromes (pūrvarūpa) and complications (upadrava) (12. 60); 148 the characteristic features of these two groups (12.61a–c); the doṣas are also either svatantra or paratantra (12.61d); a subordinate disease or doṣa subsides together with the chief one, but, in case this does not happen, a powerful and afflicting complication arises which requires separate treatment (12.62–63); general rules for treating a disorder that cannot be labelled (12.64–66); any disorder can be treated adaequately by taking into consideration the corruptible constituents (dūṣya) of the body, the habitat (deśa) of the patient, his strength, the time of appearance of the disorder, the digestive fire of the patient, his constitution, age, character (sattva), sātmya, dietary habits, and the stage (avasthā) of the disease, thus determining which doṣas are involved and which treatment should be applied (12.67–68); 149 pitfalls to be avoided by a physician (12.69–73); the number of varieties of increase and decrease of one doṣa and combinations of two or three doṣas, to equal or inequal degrees; the total number is sixty-two; the sixty-third variety is the balanced state of the doṣas which is equivalent to health (12.74–78ab); 150 the number of varieties becomes exceedingly large when the bodily elements are also taken into consideration (12.7cd–ef).