Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c23.24

c23.24

The orthodox ruling on the medicines to be used by the monks was as follows: "The religious life has decomposing urine as medicine for its resource. Thus you must endeavour to live all your life. Ghee, butter, oil, honey, and molasses are extra allowances" [*Mahāv.*, i, 30, 4]. In practice, the "extra allowances" were freely used and often added to according to the necessities of the cases of sickness. Among the ailments of the monks figures frequently the sickness of the hot season for which the five extra allowances were prescribed as medicaments. On account of their constant need, the Saṁgha was glad to get them as gifts from its supporters and would often lay by a store of them. Every Vihāra was permitted to have a store-house in a special detached building. The texts trace the origin of this permission to the sickness of the Venerable Yasoja for whom drugs were brought, but they were put out of doors by the Bhikkhus for want of a proper store-house (*Kappiya-bhūmi*), till "vermins ate them and thieves carried them away" [*Mahāv.*, vi, 33, 5]. We may now refer to the more important of the numerous other articles prescribed as medicines. The uses for medicinal purposes were known of certain roots, leaves, fruits, gums (e.g. Hiṅgu) and salts, as also some astringent decoctions prepared from some of these. Chunam was used for itches or boils, while as preventive against skin diseases was prescribed the use of dry cow dung, and some kinds of clay and colouring matter. We have references to eye ointments of various kinds; to oil to be rubbed and to aroma to be sniffed up in cases of headache; to certain herbs, hemp-water, steam-bath, and bath in medicated water as antidotes to rheumatism. Medicinal oils are prescribed for disorders of the stomach, and for wind in the stomach the use of salt, of sour gruel, of a particular kind of gruel made of ginger and two varieties of pepper, and of Tila seeds, rice, and beans. As regards beans, one could take with profit as much quantity as he liked. The use of dung and urine of the cow and of some kinds of ashes and clay is prescribed in cases of snake-bite. Varieties of artificial and natural juices and meat broth were known. We have an interesting report of Sāriputta suffering from fever at Sāvatthi which abates on his eating the edible stalks of some lotuses procured by Moggallāna, his inseparable friend. Lastly, we have evidence regarding surgical treatment. We read of a lancet operation to cut off proud flesh; of compresses, bandages, and oils for the treatment of wounds; of a fistula cured by lancing and treated by ointment [*Chullav.*, v, 27, 4]; and of the use of a clyster.