A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c42.s15.124

v3.c42.s15.124

Chapter fifty-four deals with children’s diseases (bālaroga). The child’s health may be affected by five disorders of the breastmilk (kṣīradoṣa): ghana-, uṣṇa-, amla-, alpa-, and kṣāraksīra (54.1–7).⁴⁰⁶ One of these, ghanakṣīra, may give rise to the disease called utphullikā or utphullakukṣitā (54.3 and 9–13).⁴⁰⁷ The chapter proceeds with verses on a long series of ailments that may occur in children and their treatment (54.14–30). The last part of the chapter describes disorders caused by the attacks of female demons (Pūtanā) and the appropriate rituals to appease them (54.31–54).⁴⁰⁸ The verses on this subject, which may be quoted from a Kaumārātantra, mention two series of eight of these malignant beings, who seize a child on the first to eighth day of its life. Their names are Lohitā, Revatī, Vāyasī, Kumārī, Śākunī, Śivā, Urdhvakeśī, and Senā, or Rohiṇī, Vijayā, Kālī, Kṛttikā, Ḍākinī,⁴⁰⁹ Niśā, Bhūtakeśī, and Kṛṣāṅgī.⁴¹⁰ The second series of names is absent from the verses on treatment.