A History of Indian Medical Literature v4.c62.289

v4.c62.289

591 A disorder caused by undigested remnants of the food which act as toxic substances. This very interesting chapter refers to Caraka's description of āma and distinguishes many varieties of the disorder (seven varieties when āma stays in one of the elements of the body, and three when it affects one of the doṣas). 592 Compare Hastividyārṇava, pages 222, 250, 256. 593 Four types of weakness (durbalya) and ten types of wasting (seven types of dhātukṣaya and three of doṣakṣaya) are described; rājayakṣman, which is the main type of kṣaya in human āyurveda, is absent. 594 This chapter deals with the state of must and with mada, i.e., the juice flowing from a male elephant's temples during this state; fourteen causes of the discharge of mada are enumerated and five doṣic varieties. A male elephant on must is called prabhinna; many disorders are mentioned resulting from this condition. Must is not completely restricted to male elephants, but may also develop in females (examples are described by N.L. Bor, 1927). Although it is generally believed that must has some connection with the sexual functions, the evidence is not conclusive (see R. Carrington, 1958: 40); in elephants on must, a dark strong-smelling oily substance is secreted by the temporal glands, lying midway between the elephant's eye and ear (see R. Carrington, 1958: 39). Compare on must and rut in elephants: Hastividyārṇava, pages 204–210. 595 This chapter deals with the digestive fire and its disorders. 596 This disease is characterized by swelling (śopha) of the belly. 597 This chapter deals with overstrained elephants. 598 A group of sixteen diseases (see the beginning of chapter 72), which may affect various parts of the elephant's body. 599 Some chapters resemble, as to their name and contents, chapters of the Suśrutasaṃhitā. 600 This chapter also deals with prognostics and with the digestive fire. 601 This chapter is about six surgical procedures. 602 This chapter is concerned with wounds and sores (vraṇa). 603 This chapter is about the five great elements (mahābhūta), the seven elements of the body (dhātu), the four categories of living beings, the five types of vāta, the other doṣas, the six tastes (rasa), āyus, bala, sattva, sātmya, prakṛti, etc., and anatomy. 604 This chapter is about fertilization and pregnancy; it also describes types of elephants and has many verses on the influence of the doṣas. 605 See on this subject R.F.G. Müller (1943–52): 251–252. See on Indian veterinary instruments: A. Krishnaswamy (1939a), (1939b). 606 This chapter is concerned with the extraction of foreign bodies; it also describes the descent of āyurveda to earth. 607 Compare Hastividyārṇava, pages 234, 236, 242. 608 This chapter describes the vessels of the body and deals with venesection. 609 This chapter deals with venesection and the vital points (marman). 610 The 107 vital points (marman) are described; their number is also 107 in human āyurveda. See on the marmans in elephants: V. Dharmalingam, M. Radhika and A.V. Balasubramanian (1990): Appendix III; these authors mention seventy marmans in an elephant (see the figure). 611 This chapter deals with dogs and their bites. 612 On fevers. 613 On the bites by the twenty-one kinds of spiders (lūtā) and their treatment.