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A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c26.s9: Special features common to the Saṃgraha and the Hṛdaya

A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c26.s9

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Special features common to the Saṃgraha and the Hṛdaya

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The amount of special features found in both treatises is large; a series of examples may suffice to give an impression of their number and importance.

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Transitional periods between seasons (ṛtusandhi) are described (A.s.Sū.4.61; A.h.Sū.3.58); they consist of the seven last and seven first days of a season;573 the chapters on the groups of drugs (A.s.Sū.16; A.h.Sū.15) omit some of Suśruta’s gaṇas (Sū.38)574 and make some changes in other groups;575 an additional blunt instrument (yantra), called mucuṇḍī (A.h.Sū.25.9) or mucuṭī (A.s.Sū.34.6) is described; some more additional yantras are: aṅgulītrāṇaka (A.h.Sū.25.21; A.s.Sū.34.11), śṛṅga, alābu and ghaṭī (A.s.Sū.34.13; A.h.Sū.25.26–28ab); valkala and latā are absent among the anuyantras (A.s.Sū.34.17; A.h.Sū.25.39cd–40), although they form part of Suśruta’s list;576 the number of sharp instruments (śastra) is twenty-six (A.s.Sū.34.21; A.h.Sū. 26.1), whereas their number is twenty in the Suśrutasaṃhitā (Sū.8.3);577 some added śastras are the sarpavaktra (A.s.Sū.34.21) or sarpāsya (A.h.Sū.26.8ab) and kartarī (A.s.Sū.34.26; A.h.Sū.26.17cd); the surgical procedures (śastrakarman) are of twelve (A.s.Sū.34.22) or thirteen kinds (A.h.Sū.26.28cd–29ab), while they are of eight kinds in Suśruta (Sū.8.4; Sū.25), of six kinds in Caraka (Ci.25.55);578 kāmalā (jaundice) is described as a disease that may arise without the presence of pāṇḍuroga in a person who has a profuse amount of pitta (pittolbaṇa) (A.s.Ni.13.18cd; A.h.Ni.13.17cd);579 the number of bālagrahas is twelve, while Suśruta has a number of nine; added are Śvagraha, Pitṛgraha and Śuṣkarevatī;580 the number of eye diseases is ninety-four (A.s. U.20.36 = A.h.U.16.60cd–61ab);581 the diseases of the ears are twenty-five in number (A.s.U.21.30; A.h.U.17.26cd), whereas Suśruta’s number is twenty-eight;582 new diseases of the ears are: kuci- or kūcikarṇaka (A.s.U.21.17; A.h.U.17.16ab), pālīśoṣa (A.s.U.21.21; A.h.U.17.19ab), pippalī (A.s.U.21.18; A.h.U.17.16cd–17a), tantrikā (A.s.U.21.22; A.h.U.17.19cd), and vidārikā (A.s.U.21.26; A.h.U.17.23ab); karṇaśūla is described much more elaborately (A.s.U.21.2–4; A.h.U.17.1–3) than in Suśruta (U.20.6); five types are distinguished and characterized, whereas Suśruta has one type only;584 a purulent discharge is described in karṇaśūla due to pitta (A.s.U.21.5; A.h.U.17.4–5ab);585 the techniques for repair of the earlobes (A.s.U.22.53–68) have names that partly differ from those used in the Suśrutasaṃhitā; an additional technique is called śuṣkaśaṣkulī; the number of diseases of the nose is eighteen (A.s.U.23.27ef; A.h.U.19.27cd), while Suśruta’s number is thirty-one; the disease of the nose called apīnasa is elaborately and very well described; the term siṃhāṇaka is used for the mucous discharge (A.s.U.23.20–21 = A.h.U.19.20–21);586 puṭaka is a new disease of the nose (A.s.U.23.25; A.h.U.19.25); the mukharogas are seventy-five in number, while Suśruta’s number is sixty-five; khaṇḍauṣṭha (A.s.U.25.4 = A.h.U.21.3cd) and gaṇḍālajī (A.s.U.25.14 = A.h.U.21.1 lab) are new; the descriptions of dālana (A.s.U. 25.15 = A.h.U.21.11cd–12ab) and dantaharṣa (A.s.U.25.16 = A.h.U.21.12cd–13ab) differ from those in the Suśrutasaṃhitā; bhañjanaka and hanumokṣa are omitted; cālā (A.s.U.25.17cd = A.h.U.21.14ab), dantabheda (A.s.U.25.17ab = A.h.U.21.13cd), karāla (A.s.U.25.18 = A.h.U.21.14cd), and adhidanta (A.s.U.25.19 = A.h.U.21.15) are added;587 adhijihva is a jihvāroga (A.s.U.25.38 = A.h.U.21.34–35ab), whereas it is one of the kaṇṭharogas in the Suśrutasaṃhitā (Ni.16.52); the description of this disease does not agree with Suśruta;588 the chapters on mukharoga do not describe adhruṣa and tuṇḍikerī among the diseases of the palate (A.s.U.25; A.h.U.21), although mentioned as such by Suśruta; tālupiṭakā (A.s.U.25.40 = A.h.U.21.36.) replaces adhruṣa, while tuṇḍikerikā (A.s.U.25.54 = A.h.U.21.47) is a disease of the throat; Suśruta’s māṃsasaṃghāta is replaced by tāluśoṇi (A.s.U.25.42 = A.h.U.21.38cd); galārbuda (A.s.U.25.60 = A.h.U.21.52cd–53ab) and galagaṇḍa (A.s.U.25.61 = A.h.U.21.53c-f)

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are regarded as belonging to the mukharogas; 589 a new mukharoga called ūrdhvaguda (A.s.U.25.68 = A.h.U.21.60), characterized by foetor ex ore, is added; 590 an arbuda due to kapha and pūyāsyatā (A.s.U.25.73 = A.h.U.21.64ab) are two more new mukharogas; 591 tooth extraction is described (A.s.U.26.18; A.h.U.22.23–27ab); 592 a group of nine kapālarogas is new as an addition to the śirorogas (A.s.U.27.21 = A.h.U.23.20cd); the main part of this group belongs to Suśruta’s kṣudrarogas; 593 a new disease belonging to the group is upaśīrṣaka (A.s.U.27.22 = A.h.U.23.21); anantavāta is absent from the śirorogas, while śiraḥkampa is added (A.s.U.27.15 = A.h.U.23.15cd); 594 two separate chapters deal with guhyarogas (A.s.U.38 and 39; A.h.U. 33 and 34). 595

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A few new prescriptions found in both works are: a phāṇṭa or hima of drākṣā, perfumed by jātī flowers (A.s.Ci.1.84cd = A.h.Ci.1.57ab); 596 the expressed juice (svarasa) or decoction (śṛta) of vāsā, also called vṛṣa, with sugar and honey against raktapitta (A.s.Ci.3.31; A.h.Ci.2.26); 597 the kalpas of nāgabalā, maṇḍūkaparṇī, (madhu)yaṣṭi and vittauṣadha (= ginger) (A.s.Ci.5.66–67 = A.h.Ci.3.118cd–120ab); powdered coral (pravālacūrṇa) with taṇḍulodaka against mūtrāghāta due to kapha (A.s.Ci.13.5; A.h.Ci.11.13ab); 598 haridrā together with honey and āmalaka juice, or the expressed juice of either guḍūcī or āmalaka, against all types of prameha (A.s.Ci.14.5; A.h.Ci.12.5cd–7ab); 599 eraṇḍataila with milk against gulma due to pitta (A.s.Ci.16.15; A.h.Ci.14.43); 600 an electuary with kampillaka against the same disorder (A.s.Ci.16.19; A.h.Ci.14.61cd); 601 the rasāyanaprayogas with tuvaraka keruels, bhallātaka, avalguja (= bākucikā), and citraka (= vahni), described in the chapter on the treatment of haemorrhoids (A.s.Ci.21.24; A.h.Ci.19.53); 602 the māṇibhadravaṭaka against kuṣṭha (A.s.Ci.21.32–33; A.ḥ.Ci.19.31–32); 603 purification in cases of kuṣṭha may be carried out by the administration of emetics once in six weeks, purgatives each month, evacuatives for the head every three days, and by bloodletting once in six months (A.s.Ci.21.133 = A.h.Ci.19.96); 604 garlic against all cases of āvaraṇa of vāta, with the exception of āvaraṇa by pitta and blood (A.s.Ci.24.50 = A.h.Ci.22.70cd–71ab); 605 a decoction of saptacchada- and arkakṣīra in kṛmidantaka (A.s.U.26.16; A.h.U.22.20); 606 hingu and kaṭphala in toothache (A.s.U.26.17; A.h.U.22.21); 607 triphalā with honey against mukhapāka (A.s.U.26.51; A.h.U.22.73cd–74); 608 eraṇḍataila, together with cow’s urine, to be drunk for a month in ślīpada due to vāta (A.s.U.35.19; A.h.U.30.8cd–9); 609 vardhamānaharītakī in ślīpada due to kapha (A.s.U. 35.21; A.h.U.30.11cd–12); 610 purgation by means of arkakṣīra in alarkaviṣa (A.s.U. 46.67 = A.h.U.38.36ab). 611

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The features shared by Saṃgraha and Hṛdaya point to a common basis for both works. Whether or not the Saṃgraha as now known should be regarded as the earlier treatise will be discussed later.

Cites (4)