English
The diseale in which the teeth are very DISEASES 313 sensitive to cold or beat (paroxysms of pain induced by thermal stimuli), is called tbe 'dantorharsa^ {hyperemia of the dental pulp : the most common cause of active hyperemia of tbe pulp is a lessening of tbe non-conducting cover¬ ing of the organ—enamel and dentine, through abrasion, erosion, fracture or caries, leading to an increased response and continued irritation of the pulp tl|>rougb the thermal stimuli). Tbe disease in which tbe face becomes mis¬ shaped ( either by caving in through necrosis of tbe jaw-bone or with odontomes which are neoplasms composed of dental tissues in vary¬ ing proportions and different stages of deve¬ lopment X the teeth become eroded and painful, is called the bhanjannka ( necrosis of the jaw with odontones and erosion of the teeth ). If the solids { wi/^tbe mineral constitu¬ ents and the mucus of the saliva ) are dried up and become sugar-like hard on tbe teeth, by *vayti and pitta’' it is called the 'sarkara*^ ( salivary calculus or tartar : tbe deposition of tbe tartar is pei’baps activated by the bac¬ terial fermentation, causing tbe precipitation of tbe mineral salts, chiefly calcium phosphate enclosing with them the epithelium and the bacteria, especially tbe leptotbrix forms ). 314 ANCIENT HINDU MEDICINE If this tartar scales out with the dentine, it is called the kapalika (large tartar formations) ; it is very destructive to teeth. If by the vitiated blood and the ‘pitta*, the enamel of the teeth become burnt ( stained ) dark-brownish or greenish, it is called the ‘iyava-dantaka* {the green stain of the enamel : these most common green deposits upon enamel occur upon both the temporary and the permanent teeth, particularly of young persons ; the deposits usually have a concentric form and are mainly upon the labial faces of the anterior teeth. The green stain is usually preceded by a lack of oral hygiene and super¬ ficial decalcification of the enamel, as it is found slightly roughened, indicating the action of the acids upon it by fermenting food particles sticking to it. The green stain is the more advanced stage of the dark-brownish coloring). If the jaw is fractured by the source of *myu' through loud talking, chewing of hard substances or yawning, it is called ‘hanu-moksa’ (fracture of the jaw); it gives all the symptoms of tetanus ( the fracture of a healthy jaw is only possible through traumatism. But if it i “Caten up by necrotic process as in the tertiary DISEASES 315 •stage of syphilis, tubercular caries, phosphorus poisoning or lecal sepsis, and made very brittle, it may be easily fractured by any slight sudden tension as chewing any hard substance or movement). Susruta II. 16. 27-^3'®*. Treatment : “Without injuring the gum, all the tartar deposits have to be carefully scaled out ( by scalers ) j then those parts of the teeth are to be polished with the powrder of Butea frondosa {laksa) mixed with honey. ( The modern treatment for the tartar is just the same, except that to secure the smoothness of the •! ^ i o’ anW n VT g qr n gsifyq gfaq?qrtr=T qgi w i tTqi q qsiqiqt ii ft's*! grqi i sqjqqt qrft qq; h sqiq^'fiqr; ii qi%q tgarq}F<iq’'?q: i 5fq ti gvqq’f^, fqgrqwui, U ' 316 ANCIENT HINDU MEDICINE scaled surface, so that no nucleus is left for the new tartar deposit, pumice-powder on a piece of Avood is used, instead of the powder of Butea frondosa with honey).” Susruta IV. 22-23’ “The alveolar abscesses should be treated in the same Avay, as an ordinary abscess, with this difference, that the tooth with the sepsis of which the abscess has been formed, must be extracted. If it can not be done, then after cleansing (an incision is made, large enough to open the abscess cavity fully, inside the mouth, all the pus is thoroughly drained off, and the abscess cavity is repeatedly washed with antiseptic and astringment infusion or decoction), the abscess cavity should be cau¬ terized either by caustic or cautery. If the alveolar abscess is neglected, it is sure to cause necrosis of the jaAV. Therefore the tooth should be uprooted (thus cure may be effected in light cases, by causing the abscess drainage through the tooth socket). If the bone has DISEASES 317 been affected ( neci’osized ), it should be also scraped off.” Susruta IV. 22. 18*®'. “The disease in which the teeth seem to be rent asunder with pain, is called ^dalana’ (odontalgia of neuralgic character or due to caries or periodonitis).” Susruta II. 16. 26* The Diseases of the Tongue. “The disease' in which the tougue becomes inflamed, due to the derangement of *vdyu\ loses its sensibility to taste, and becomes fissured like that of the leaves of Hectonce’, is the disease of tlie tongue ( glossitis desiccans or chronic superficial glossitis may be induced by 138. ^ srrfl’rt ^ i v,' sntfT *tr?t H II ft'm ’ll v(t?( I II 139. i 318 ANCIE.N r HINDU MEDICINB persistent and excessive use of tobacco, spirits and highly spiced foods ; it is characterized by the slow fonnation of a number of deep fissures and indentations, in the depth of which there are ulcers ;uid excoriations). “The tongue is dark-yellowish, congested and is convered w'ith blood-red fissures in the ‘pitted disease of the tongue (the raspberry tongue has a pale-red surface, from which project greatly swollen and bright-red fungiform papillae, as it appetirs in the first stage of the scarlet fever or in other acute specific infec¬ tions ). “The tongue is s\rollen, heavy and is covered with a fur, resembling the thorns of 'Bovibacii heptaphylW in the 'kapha' derangement of the tongue (the tongue is flabby, swollen, indented and covered with a uniform, yellow pasty fur in catarrhal gastritis or gastro-duodenitis ). “The severe inflammation that is caused in the tongue by the corrupt 'kapha' and the blood, is called the 'alasa' (glossitis) ; in severe cases paralysis of the tongue and ulceration at its root, {cellulitis or parenchymatous inflammation of the tongue is due to the infection of streptococcus ; while acute glossitis may be the result of a burn or wasp-sting ), DISEASES 319 The disease in which the tongue is inflamed and on tfie tip of the tongue, there is a saliva¬ ting, pruritic and painfully congestive tumor, is called 'upajihvika^ ( secondary syphilitic sore, usually as condylomata, accompanied by sub¬ acute glossitis, arising from the primary hard or tender ulcerating nodule that is seen on the tip of the tongue in a syphilitic lesion ; or it may be carcinoma of the tongue.)” Su§ruta II. 16 . The Diseases of the Palate. “The elongated tumor that develops and spreads from the bottom of the palate like a leathern bag filled with air, is called galasun- dika* (angioma of the palate) ; it causes poly¬ dipsia, bronchitis and dyspnea ( in uvulutis ). “The tumor that .develops at the bottom of ^ 333ft a aratga: 11 fSuCra^ 3(: JPTT?: I 3 'rrag 11H aaaf? STRJs I 320 ANCIENT HINDU MEDICINE the palate (an acute abscess from a carious tooth in tlie upper jaw may spread inwards and raise the muco-peristeum of the hard palate) like tlie ( fruit of ) 'Memordica monadelpha^ ; it causes pricking pain and hypercemia and it suppurates {septic tumor of the palate'). “The reddish and the benumbing tumor that develops in the palate, is called the ‘adhrusa’ { the peritonsilar abscess is liable to burrow in the soft palate ) ; it causes high fever and intense pain. “The slightly painful and pale tumor that develops slowly for a long time like the tortoise shell, due to the corruption of *phlegma’ is called the ‘tndmsa-kachchhapa ( endotheliomal tumor of the palate ). ‘ The tumor that appears in the palate like the lotus bud, is called tlie “arvcuda* {angioma) ; it has all the characteristics of the angioma as mentioned before. “At the base of the uvula, the malignant and painless carcinoma that grows, is called the 'mdmsa-saiighata’ {papilloma of the uvula). “The painless and the chronic tumor that grows in the palate like a plum, due to the corruption of tne ‘phlegma and fat\ is called the ^tdlu pv,pputa' {cyst or gumma of the palate). , DISEASES 321 There is much edema and lacerating pain in the palate, and dyspnea, due to the derangement oi pitta associated with vayu which causes tdhi' sosa' when the syphilitic gummata break, septic infection follows, and thus there is usually much edema of the surrounding tissues. There is malignant ulceration of the palate due to the derangement of ‘pitta\ which causes ‘talu-paka’ (^syphilitic ulceration of the palate which may lead to its perforation, usually circular or oval in shape, and finally to its necrosis and destruction of its major part)”. Susruta II. 16. 39-47‘*‘. 141 . oJJTpiiWU ! nT?T u jrit g h I i<n 21 322 ANCIENT HINDU MEDICINE The Diseases of the Throat, ‘The gummata that are produced in the pharynx, causing its stricture, due to the vitiated action, either individual or collective, uf *vayu, pitta, kapha and the hlood' are called the 'rohini {syphilitic gummata) ; due to the pharyngeal stenosis, life is lost (unless it is treated by the regular passage of bougies for the rest of the patient’s life, and in some intractable cases gastrostomy may be necessary). The painful gummata, causing stricture of the pharynx, also appear at the dorsum of the tongue in the ‘vdta' gummatous affection of the pharynx ; and it has all the complications of the ^vdta\ The gummata appear and ulcerate rapidly JPKig WT- DISEASES 323 with high fever in. the ^pitta' affection of the disease.