A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c26.s8.6

v1.c26.s8.6

Chapter two is on fever, which is also the first disease described in the Nidānasthāna of the *Carakasaṃhitā*. Chapter three is on raktapitta and kāsa, thus illustrating a pronounced special feature, consisting of the grouping together of particular diseases in one chapter, a practice already present, but less conspicuously, in the Nidānasthāna of the *Suśrutasaṃhitā*. Raktapitta is dealt with in chapter two of Caraka's Nidānasthāna, not in Suśruta's Nidānasthāna; the nidāna of kāsa is absent from the Nidānasthānas of Caraka and Suśruta and discussed in Ca.Ci.18 and Su.U.52 respectively; the description of kāsa immediately after raktapitta is explained by the statement that it is a dangerous complication of raktapitta (A.s.Ni.3.18cd-19 = A.h.Ni.3.16cd-17ab); an interesting parallel is the presence of a chapter on kāsanidāna in the *Bhelasaṃhitā* (Ni.4). Chapter four is on śvāsa and hidhmā, subjects not dealt with in the Nidānasthānas of Caraka and Suśruta, but often clustered together, for example in Ca.Ci.17, and thought to be related to kāsa (Ca.Ci.18). Chapter five begins with the nidāna of rājayakṣman, described in the Nidānasthāna of the *Carakasaṃhitā* (Ni.6: śoṣanidāna), but absent from the Nidānasthāna of the *Suśrutasaṃhitā*; it proceeds with the nidāna of svarabheda, arocaka, chardi, hṛdroga and tṛṣṇā, regarded as upadravas of rājayakṣman and not discussed in Caraka's Nidānasthāna. Chapter six is remarkable in being devoted to madātyaya, absent from the Nidānasthānas of Caraka and Suśruta; the same chapter discusses mada, mūrchā and saṃnyāsa. Chapter seven deals with arśas, absent from Caraka's, but present in Suśruta's Nidānasthāna. Chapter eight describes the nidāna of atīsāra and grahaṇī, both absent from Caraka's and Suśruta's Nidānasthānas. Chapter nine is about mūtrāghāta and related disorders, not described in the Nidānasthāna of Caraka; Suśruta has a chapter on the nidāna of aśmarī and śarkarā (Ni.3). Chapter ten, on prameha, has a corresponding chapter in the Nidānasthānas of Caraka (Ni.4) and Suśruta (Ni.6); this chapter also describes the pramehapiṭikās. Chapter eleven is devoted to the cluster consisting of vidradhi, vṛddhi and gulma; gulma is dealt with in the Nidānasthāna of Caraka (Ni.3) and vidradhi in a separate chapter of the Nidānasthāna of the *Suśrutasaṃhitā* (Ni.9), while vṛddhi is described, together with upadaṃśa and ślīpada, in a chapter of Suśruta's Nidānasthāna (Ni.12). Chapter twelve deals with udara, absent from Caraka's, but present in Suśruta's Nidānasthāna (Ni.7). Chapter thirteen has an unusual cluster: pāṇḍu(roga), śopha and visarpa; Suśruta deals with visarpa in a chapter with another cluster (Ni.10: visarpa, nāḍī, stanaroga), while all three are absent from Caraka's Nidānasthāna. Chapter fourteen is about kuṣṭha, śvitra and kṛmi(roga); kuṣṭha, to which śvitra is closely related, is described in the Nidānasthānas of both Caraka (Ni.5) and Suśruta (Ni.5), where kṛmiroga is absent. Chapter fifteen discusses vātavyādhi, absent from Caraka's, but present in Suśruta's Nidānasthāna (Ni.1). Chapter sixteen is devoted to vātaśoṇita, absent from Caraka's and Suśruta's Nidānasthāna.