A History of Indian Medical Literature v4.c61.178

v4.c61.178

963 NCC I, 376. 964 See, in particular, the arkavarga (1051–1073). 965 NCC I, 376. STMI 181–182. 966 STMI 181–182. 967 See HIM II, 427–428; P. Rāy (1956): 163; Srivastava (1954): 122. 968 See S.J. Bakht and S. Mahdihassan (1984). The term arka is interpreted as denoting an aqueous or tinctorial extract (R.C. Majumdar, 1971: 264), a tincture or extract (HIM II, 427), a medicinal tincture or essence (P. Rāy, 1956: 163), and an essence (Srivastava, 1954: 122). 969 It should be noticed that many ingredients for arkas have little volatile constituents: see the table in an article by D.S. Kumar (1992: 55); the same author (1992: 58) suggested that an arka may be a pooled mixture of the hydrodistillate fraction and the aqueous extract remaining in the distillation vessel. See on distillation and its history in India: F.R. Allchin (1979a), (1979b); A.R. Butler and J. Needham (1980); A. Keir (1794); S. Mahdihassan (1972), (1979b); J. Needham (1980): V:4: 85–87, 103–107, 111–113; R. Patai (1982); P. Rāy (1956): 80. See on the history of distillation in general: R.J. Forbes (1970). 970 The term arka is sometimes regarded as not indicating a distillate, but a kind of decoction (see, for example, the *Vācaspatya*). The *Arkaprakāśa* itself applies the term arka also to a fermented decoction, usually called ariṣṭa (2.91) (see D.S. Kumar, 1992: 57). 971 Verses on children's diseases and on the demon Skandāpasmāra are also found towards the end of chapter seven (7.79–89). 972 The same as cāṅgerī (P.V. Sharma, 1997). 973 Pennisetum typhoides (Burm.f.) Stapf et Hubbard (P.V. Sharma, 1997). 974 According to the commentary the same as gokṣura, which is usually identified as Tribulus terrestris Linn. 975 The same as jātipuṣpa (VŚS); probably a species of Jasminum. 976 Lepidium sativum Linn. (P.V. Sharma, 1997). 977 Usually, doḍī is identified as Wattakaka volubilis (Linn.) Stapf. 978 Cinnamomum zeylanicum Breyn. 979 The same as dārucinī. 980 The same as mūṣikaparṇī (P.V. Sharma, 1997). 981 The same as bilva (P.V. Sharma, 1997). 982 According to the commentary the same as gorakhamuṇḍī, i.e., Sphaeranthus indicus Linn. 983 A species of Rosa. 984 Probably one or more species of Chrysanthemum. P.V. Sharma (1997) regards it as C. indicum Linn. 985 Either Onosma bracteatum Wall. or a species of Canscora. The commentary identifies it as śaṅkhāhūlī, which may be Indigofera linifolia Retz. (WIRM V, 181). 986 This may be Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. = B. cerifera Savi. 987 Rheum australe D. Don = Rh. emodi Wall. ex Meissn. 988 I.e., senna, Cassia angustifolia Vahl. 989 See for more details on the *Arkaprakāśa* and its special features: G.J. Meulenbeld (1981c). 990 See on works attributed to Rāvaṇa: Kumāratantra. 991 P. Hymavathi (1993): 103–105. 992 E.g., dārucinī, gulāba, guladāvadi, revacīnī, sannāha. 993 P. Hymavathi (1993): 103–105) places the work in the second half or last quarter of the sixteenth century.