A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c25.852

v1.c25.852

The chapter proceeds with: the substances for feeding the child during the first three days (1.14);¹² feeding it on the fourth day; the beginning of breast-feeding on this day (1.15);¹³ the ears of the child should be covered daily with a piece of cloth (plota) soaked in a fatty substance (1.16);¹⁴ the bedding of the child; a water jar (udakumbha), over which a mantra has been muttered, should be placed near the door of the bedroom (1.17);¹⁵ the child should be fanned with the branches of particular trees;¹⁶ the same branches are to be placed all around the room;¹⁷ grains should be scattered on the floor of the room and outside;¹⁸ a bali should be offered twice daily (1.18);¹⁹ substances for fumigation; a brāhmaṇa, versed in the Atharvaveda, should perform a śāntikarman during ten successive days; the Māyūrī, Mahāmāyūrī and Āryāratnaketudhāriṇī should be recited twice daily (1.19);²⁰ a bag with magical herbs should be attached to the beam above the door, to the child's neck and that of its mother, and to the pillow of the bed;²¹ the mantras of Āryāparṇaśabarī and Āryāparājita should be written down with gorocanā (on a piece of bark or paper) (1.20);²² a pestle should be laid across the threshold of the door; a fire has to be kept burning day and night; devoted women and female friends should remain awake; the house should be full of rejoicing people (1.21);²³ the selection of a wet-nurse (1.22);²⁴ testing the breastmilk of a wet-nurse (1.23);²⁵ the way in which the wet-nurse should begin breastfeeding the child (1.24);²⁶ disorders arising in the child when the breasts of the wet-nurse are filled with too much milk (1.25);²⁷ causes leading to an insufficient secretion of milk or its absence; galactagogues (1.26);²⁸ women whose milk is unsuitable (1.27).²⁹