English
93“^®. 242. %tf% I v<T i gvg-g'fen, a a, I 243. gisimt i gU itSiW II wai f%m ii DIETETICS 563 VL- Water. “The water falling from the clouds is tasteless ( without any distinct taste ), vitalizing ( acts as an ambrosia ), beneficial to life, refreshing, sus¬ taining, circulatory ( entering into every tissue metabolism), and removes lassitude, fatigue, thirst, intoxication, vertigo, somnolence, sleep and hyperemia. The water-vapor of the sky falling upon the earth takes the taste of the place where it falls, and the water of the river, rivulet, lake, pond, dam, well, pool, fountain, vegetable sap, sub¬ terranean stream, field inundation, and pond in a swampy region covered with algae and filled with water-weeds, is sweetish.” Susruta I. 45. 2-3“"". “The water vapor of the sky falls upon the earth in different ways, viz. ; as ( 1 ) rain ; ( 2 ) hail; ( 3 ) dew ; and (4) snow. Of them, the rain-water is the best for its lightness. The rain 244. 831,1 564 AKCIENT HINDU MEDICINF also comes from ( the vapor of ) two sources— Gangetic ( sweet ) and oceanic (saline).” Susrttta' 1. 45. 5"“. “Of them, rain from the Gangetic ( vapor ) is the best.” Stm'tira I. 45. 5**®. Polluted JT'ater : “The water swarming with bacteria, polluted by their toxins, or by (human ) excreta, decomposed egg or dead body, covered with grasses and ( fallen ) leaves, contaminated or poisoned, or the inundation water of the first rainy season, if bathed in, or drunk by a person, makes him safter soon from external lesion,. ( skin-diseases for bathing ) and internal troubles- ( intestinal disorders for drinking ). The Avater that contains slime, mud, or is covered Avith algae, Avater-weeds and lotus-leaves etc. and in ivliich (the rays of) the sun, (the beams of ) the moon, and air ( aeration can not take place ) can not penetrate, and Avhich is distin¬ guished by aiiy smell, color or taste, that Avater is to be regarded as contaminated. The contaminated water is marked by six 245. I cT?JFlt— gn; i 240 . DIETETICS 565 faults—ill joucli, appearance, taste, smell, action and reaction Roughness ( due to the presence of sand or grit ) viscosity ( bacterial decomposition especially of the vegetable matter), warmtli (due to carbonic acid gas), tooth-sensibility ( due to hstringency or any other chemical agent or bacterial product) are the touch-faults of con¬ taminated water. Mud, sand, slime and colorings ( cbloropLyl ) are the appearance faults. Any pronounced taste is the taste-fault. Foul-smelling is the smell-fault. If, when drunk, the water causes thirst, heaviness (in the stomach ), colic, and expectoration, it is due to its action-fault. If when drunk, the water takes a long time for its digestion ( passage, absorption and excretion ) and is retained in the alimentary canal, it is the reaction fault. These faults are not found in the w’^ater ( that falls upon the earth from conden¬ sation of the water- vapors ) of the sky. Sterilization of JFater : Water should be sterilized, if of contaminated source, by boiling, warming in the sun, or by throwing into it, red-hot iron-balls, sand and stones. For its deodorization, flowers of Rotleria tinctoria, Michelia champaca, Nymphsea cerula, and Bignonia suaveolens should be kept in neater over-night. 566 ANCIENT HINDU MEDICINE Tue water saturated with the fragrance of the flower, should he drunk in a gold, silver, copper, bronze, crystal or earthen howl. Pollut¬ ed water, or untimely rain water should he always avoided. He who drinks water not sterilized by boiling etc., is apt to suffer from inflammation, anemia, diseases, indigestion, bronchitis, dyspnea, catarrh, colic, tumor, ascites and other malignant diseases.” Susnita- I. 45, 247. I V nra g ii i_ cig q gsfiiirfvcii =? i vff%^ctmravf- WcTT I i ^ 9 ?fa I cl vt ^5cifvg ^ nfsci II e V siTciqJigrasf crara:fq’^f%5i\ctrat?T’!!f Tt5i% cTw Hr!mgsrq qi i qr fqtg ii DIETETICS 567 'Pure loater : “The water that is without smell, distinct taste, that quenches thirst, that is pure, cool, transparent, light and refreshing, is to be regarded as ‘pure loater^ Susruta I. 45. 13" aim' I 'a cTci II aim' ^1%^' 51^ iTOif^cni I o vO '' =3Rraireitffi35ira-7i?fg#?uf'!! ^ i '^laiiq^ ftW’T KtJlPl HW mu II U ^ yL^ 248.] f^i^awarai^^' a^iTi' 41rraJi. i cl-u'fw, '!, I IX HYGIENE. Hospital ; “By an expert architect, a large house should be built; it should be strong, but not drafty, except the current of air shall pass in one direction ; it should be • so built that one can easily move about within it; it should be built on an elevated place (having nothing higher than it in the locality), and within, it should be free from smoke, sun (exposure to the sun was regarded injurious ; its disinfectant and sterilizing property was not understood), dust, noise, (sensual) touch, (excit¬ ing) ocular impressions, (spicy) taste, and (penetrating) smell (that is, whatever excites the nerves and disturbs the nervous quietude) ; and it should be provided with stair¬ case, mortar, pestle, toilet, bath-room and kitchen. There attendants (interns) for nursing the sick, should be appointed, who are of good character, are pure (free from any disease), obedient, clever, kind-hearted, fit for any kind • of work (associated with nursing hospital HYGIENE 569 duties), expert in cooking, in bath-attendance, massage, capable of lifting and putting the sick into bed, and who do not show unwilling¬ ness for any kind of work. There experts should be engaged who are well-versed in singing, music, (in recitation of) prayers, poems, hymns, stories, history and contemporary events [(for the distraction of the mind and entertainment of the sick). There sliould be also kept (in the enclosure) Tetraoperdix himalayensis, Galloperdix spadi- ceus, hare, stag (Cervus elaphus), black deer, black-tailed deer (Cervus cashmirianus), Dama platyceros, and sheep. As well as gentle, milking cows with calveS, free from diseases should be kept, and for them feed, sleeping places (stable) and drinking water should be provided. There should be also cistern, pail, tub, cask, keg, pitcher, jar, ewer, platter, dipper, cooking-pot, double-boiler, bandage, thread, cotton, animal thread (horse-hair for saturation), a comfortable bed with all accessories, jug, spittoon, and all that are necessary for leaning (easy chair), sitting, (for the application of) ointment, sweating, massage, emplastrum, fomentation, embrocation, emetics, sedatives. 570 ANCIENT HINDU MEDICINE Tulnerary enemata, oily enemata, errliines, urination and purgation.” QJiaraha I. 16, 5-9- Qualifications of a Surgeon : "For the practice of operative surgery, a physician has to get the license from the king, and for this h4r has to acquire a thorough knowledge of the medical science and surgery, must have keen observation and experience of operations (under a licensed preceptor or in a hospital); and before an operation, he has to pair his nails (to prevent sepsis, and to carry pathogenic crm n I ciqi qlcrqrf^^qqf • T^q1%fqf%q(jqiaiKqjqT^H II qftq^q* ^ jqfiqrCT^nT^Jtf^M \x{ -s/ ' HYGIENE 571 germs and spread infection from patient to patient), to cut short his hair (shaving for the same purpose), become purified (free from any disease, and disinfected) and shall put on (washed, disinfected) white rohei, (and shall go to the operation) with umbrella (on his head),, stick in his hand, sandals (in his feet), robes not highly raised (gracefully, attired), having pleasant speech, uprighteous conduct, friendly to all living beings, and succor of the good.”” Susruta I. 10. 2= “ . I .—Dietetic Hygeine. “Desiccated (for losing flavor and savor), or decomposed meat (to prevent ptomaine poison¬ ing), or meat from a deceased animal rto pre¬ vent the infection of the pathogenic germs of the disease from which the animal has died), or killed by poisoning, or by a venomous snake, or by an instrument which has been covered 572 ANCIENT HINDU MEDICINE 'with poisons, too old (the meat of an old animal is not only tough and nnsavorous, but it also contains an excessive amount of metabolic wastes, due to the deficiency of glandular secretions and incomplete oxidation), or too young ( the meat of a young animal contains an excessive amount of purine bodies, and extract¬ ives are not yet formed, which exert a tonic effect on the organism)/’ Susrutal. 46.129 Evil Effects of Over-Nutrition : Any one who with sedentary habits, indulges in fatty, ■sweet, heavy, viscid foods, new rice, new wine, meat of animals of marshy region, or aquatic creatures, milk, and milk-products, sugai’-prepa- rations, and cakes excessively, is subject to diathe¬ sis of various lesions, and if he does not take precautionary naeasures against them, he suffers from diabetes, pruritus, eczema, impetigo, jaun¬ dice, fever; skin-diseases,hyperacidity, stran¬ gury, anorexia, somnolence, impotence, adiposis, lassitude, foul-emanation from the body, encrust¬ ing (calcification ) of the vascular system, 251 . vrsmf’!! I HYGIENE 573 intellectual fatigue, enervation, ascites and otlier diseases.” Charaha I. 23. 2 “A stimulant taken in proper dose increases the strength and weight of the body, but taken excessively,it reduces the body-weight (by induc¬ ing hyper-metabolism ).” Charaka I. 22. 25 " = ^ Seasonal dieietic viarudions : “He who un¬ derstands and follows the hygienic and dietetic regulations for each season, by his seasonal vari- 252. i ^ : ii =q ’em qt s:ci: ii emq’flfefeviiT'. l ex d aTsjwaai ii it’i'f’?’. qfltqiqi: > 5?iqiq'a' faaraim ii eKar-’eTYm, i 2-33.