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A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c26.s13: Special features of the Saṃgraha

A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c26.s13

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Contents

Special features of the Saṃgraha

v1.c26.s13.1.1

The number of chapters is one hundred, without considering the fifty chapters of the Uttarasthāna.671 The addition of three characteristics (lakṣaṇa) of a season: māsa, rāśi and svarūpa (A.s.Sū.4.63cd).672 Rules for drinking water (A.s.Sū.6.27cd–28, 32–33, 35, 38–39, 43).673 The properties and actions of milk, as dependent on the food, etc., of the animal yielding it (A.s.Sū.6.60–61).674 Additional types of sugar, made from the leaves of kāśa, iṣu (= śara) and darbha (A.s.Sū.6.84cd).675 Drākṣāsava (A.s.Sū.6.126ab) may be mentioned for the first time.676 The properties and actions of the dung of various animals (A.s.Sū.6.139cd–141).677 New prepared foods678 are dakalāvaṇika,679 ghārikā,680 iṇḍarikā,681 and valla.682 A very small quantity of a poisonous substance acts like amṛta (A.s.Sū.7.211cd).683 Particular medicinal substances which cause or cure particular disorders have an opposite effect in combination with other drugs (A.s.Sū.7.215).684 Examples of changes in the properties of medicinal substances, dependent on their way of preparation (A.s.Sū.7.219–222, 225) and application (A.s.Sū.6.227).685 The vessel in which a drug is kept influences its properties (A.s.Sū.6.226cd).686 Exceptions to general rules regarding the treatment of particular disorders (A.s.Sū.6.246ab, 249ab, 250ab).687 The description of sarvārthasiddhāñjana (A.s.Sū.8.58–59).688 Foods are digested within four, drugs within two yāma in someone with a balanced digestive fire (samāgni) (A.s.Sū.11.37).689 Seven pañcamūla groups are distinguished;690 the vallī- and kaṇṭakapañcamūla groups (A.s.

v1.c26.s13.1.2

Sū.12.54cd–55ab), borrowed from Suśruta,691 are absent from the Hṛdaya. The best hiṅgu is said to come from the country called Boṣkāṇa (A.s.Sū.12.58cd–59).692 The group of three balās is mentioned (A.s.Sū.12.75ab).693 The chapter on the best (agrya) remedial measures and drugs among particular groups with a specific action,694 largely borrowed from Caraka, enumerates a number of new items: tiṇḍuka as the best annadravyārucikara drug;695 vṛṣa against raktapitta, kaṇṭakārīkā against kāsa, lākṣā against sadyalakṣata, nāgabalā against kṣatakṣaya, aruṣkara (= bhallātaka) and citraka against śuṣkārśas, kuṭaja against raktārśas, lājā against chardi, haridrā against prameha, eraṇḍataila against vardhma, gulma and vātaśūla, laśuna against gulma and among vātahara drugs, ayorajas against pāṇḍuroga, guggulu against medoroga and among vātahara drugs, triphalā against timira (A.s.Sū.13.2); several items of Caraka's list are omitted in the Saṃgraha and the order of the items differs at many places.696 The list of drugs which are useful in emetic procedures (A.s.Sū.14.2), absent from the Hṛdaya, is much longer than the corresponding ones of Caraka ((Sū.2.7–8 and 4.13) and Suśruta (Sū.39.3). New groups of drugs are those called prāyogika-, snaihika- and tīkṣṇadhūmopayogin (A.s.Sū.14.6).

v1.c26.s13.1.3

New items are the ānūpa- and jāṅgalasādhāraṇa types of country (Sū.18.29).697 A new relationship between the dhātus and malas with regard to the doṣas;698 vāta is said to stay in the bones, pitta in blood and sweat, kapha in the remaining dhātus (A.s.Sū.19.8); accordingly, increase of rasa is accompanied by kapha disorders and increase of blood by pitta disorders, but increase of muscular tissue by disorders caused by kapha and blood, and increase of fatty tissue by disorders caused by kapha, blood and muscular tissue, which disagrees (A.s.Sū.19.4). An elaborate classification of diseases is present (A.s.Sū.22).699 The roles of perception (pratyakṣa) and inference (anumāna) in the examination of a patient are elaborately discussed (A.s.Sū.22.11).700 The number of yantras is said to be indeterminable (A.s.Sū.34.2); the divergent opinion that their number is 101 (Sū.34.3), which is found in the Suśrutasaṃhitā (Sū.7.3), is obviously rejected.701 Three types of arśoyantra are described (A.s.Sū.34.10); additional yantras are the yonivraṇadarśanayantra (34.12), nāḍīvraṇaprakṣālanayantra (34.12) and abhyañjanayantra (34.12).702 Śastrakarman is of twelve kinds (A.s.Sū.34.22), while it is of eight kinds in Suśruta (Sū.8.4); added are: pāṭana, pracchāna, kuṭṭana and mathana.

v1.c26.s13.1.4

Sūryakānta and samudraphena are added to the anuśastras (A.s.Sū.34.31).703 Dissection, absent from the Hṛdaya, is described in the chapter on surgical instruments (A.s.Sū.34.38), not in the Śārīrasthāna, as in the Suśrutasaṃhitā.704 New fevers described are those called hāridraka, rātrika and pūrvarātrika (A.s.Ni.2.97cd–100ab).705

v1.c26.s13.2

New prescriptions are: parpaṭa in pittajvara (A.s.Ci.1.75); 706 ground (ślakṣṇapiṣṭa) kaṭukā with sugar (A.s.Ci.1.76cd); 707 the svarasa of the flowers and leaves of vṛṣa, together with sugar and honey, in a fever by pitta and kapha (A.s.Ci.1.92cd); 708 the preparation called candrakānta, to be employed in rājayakṣman (A.s.Ci.7.13–15ab); 709 bilvataila (A.s.U.22.30) in ear diseases; 710 khadirādigulikā in all mukharogas (A.s.U. 26.54); 711 madayantikā leaves in mukhapāka due to pitta (A.s.U.26.57); 712 the roots of nala ground in water, employed as a pāna or a lepa in cases of alarkaviṣa (A.s.U.46. 66); 713 chewed leaves of mātuluṅga, tied to the wound, in alarkaviṣa (A.s.U.46.66); 714 fruits of dhattūra, roots of dhattūra and kākoḍumbarikā, together with sīdhu or taṇḍulāmbu, in alarkaviṣa (A.s.U.46.69); crushed leaves, bark and roots of jalavetasa, boiled in water, in alarkaviṣa (A.s.U.46.72). 716

v1.c26.s13.3

The requirements for a suitable playground for children (krīḍābhūmi) are enumerated (A.s.U.1.75–76). 717 A ritual (ṣaṣṭhīpūjā) to be performed in the sixth night after birth is described (A.s.U.1.28). 718 A number of alternatives are given for the date of the name-giving ceremony (nāmakaraṇa) (A.s.U.1.29–30). Methods are described which are helpful in weaning (A.s.U.1.67). The eating of earth by children is mentioned and the disorders arising from this habit are enumerated (A.s.U.1.101cd–102). 719 New children's diseases described are pārigarbhika and parvānuplava (A.s.U.2.97–114). 720 The formula of śārīṣataila (A.s.U.10.27–37) is new. The exposition on agadatantra covers many chapters (A.s.U.40–48); 721 the viṣopayogīya chapter (A.s.U.48) is new. 722 The symptoms of poisoning by haritāla (A.s.U.40.141) 723 and by dhattūra are described (A.s.U.14.144: ghurhūraka). 724 Many new kalpas are present in the rasāyana chapter (A.s.U.49). 725 The Saṃgraha may be the first medical treatise to extend the use of musk. 726 Excessive use of a guggulu rasāyana is said to cause klībatā (A.s.U.49.280). 727 The formula of śivā guṭikā (A.s.U.49.309–325) is new. 728 Pādalepa is described in the vājīkaraṇa chapter (A.s.U.50.106). 729 Thirty-six tantrayuktis are mentioned (A.s.U.50.148–153). 730

v1.c26.s13.4

Unusual names of plants are: ahicchatra ((U.40.70), 731 ajahā ((A.s.U.50.91), 732 ajhaṭā (A.s.Ci.2.16), 733 ākhuvṛkṣa (U.46.42), 734 āryabṛhatī (A.s.U.40.93), 735 avyaṇḍā (A.s.U.1.99), 736 bhañjī (Sū.8.20), 737 bhogavatī (A.s.U.40.88), 738 dadhi (U.8.23), 739 gālā (A.s.U.1.8), 740 ikṣupālikā (A.s.Ka.4.32), 741 jharasī (A.s.Ci.17.29), 742 kolaṅkataka (A.s.Ka.4.32), 743 mahālāṅgalakī (A.s.U.28.31), 744 mahiṣākrāntā (U.44.44 and 46), 745 maṇḍalaparṇikā (U.44.48), 746 mañjarī (A.s.Sū.16.16; U.40.89), 747 pāśikā (A.s. U.6.51), 748 pāvakī (A.s.U.40.88), 749 pūtanā (U.9.31), 750 rāmataruṇī (A.s.U.28.47), 751 siṃhalomī (A.s.U.40.72), 752 siṃhapucchī (U.44.48), 753 siṃhaskandī (A.s.U.2.76), 754 siṃhavallī (A.s.U.2.76), 755 sphūrjāta (A.s.Ci.1.78), 756 sphūrjātaka (A.s.Ci.23.17), 757 spṛṣṭarodikā (A.s.U.2.51), 758 surālā (A.s.U.40.88), 759 suvahā (U.44.43), 760 śvetapiṇḍā (U.43.56), 761 vāruṇapuṣpā (U.45.17), 762 vāruṇī (U.45.35), 763 and vetālī (A.s.U.40. 176). 764

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