Hindu Medicine c7.295

c7.295

An old tale, relating how, in the beginning of time, consumption originated with the misconduct of the god Moon towards twenty-six of his wives, is retold in the medical compilations (Ca. VI, 8; Su. VI, 41; Ha. II, 60) along the lines of popular religious tradition (purāṇa); this is done in order to explain the name of the disease, for the name is believed to comprehend the essence of that which it denotes; consumption (yakṣman, kṣaya, śoṣa) is called “King’s Consumption” (rāja-yakṣman), because it first became manifest with King Moon.