Hindu Medicine c7.228

c7.228

After his initiation the pupil will share for years the life of his master. He becomes a member of the household. He serves his teacher and, day by day, watches him as he treats his patients. He assists him in his pharmacy in preparing medicaments. He becomes familiar with the various tools and procedures of the medical profession, for instance he learns how to apply the " five kinds of treatment " (pañca-karman): emetics, purgatives, cleansing clysters and oily clysters, sternutatories against pains in the head and the throat. He learns when and how to apply fat as a preliminary treatment in making the patient sweat through the use of packs and hot drinks; how to administer inhalations of pulverized drugs turned into vapor; and how to use aromatic smoke in sterilizing wounds, tumors and skin diseases.