English
Then comes consumption ; then come valasa, kahabaha of the abdomen, diseases of kloma, the abdomen, navel and heart, diseases of the spine, the ribs, the eyes, the intestines, the visalpa, vidradha, wind-diseases (vatikara), alaji and diseases of the leg, knee, pelvis, veins and head. Bolling, in his article on diseases and medicine (Vedic) in the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics makes the following remark con- cerning the theory of the origin of diseases. ‘‘ To be noted however is the fact that the Hindu theory of the constitution of the body of three elements, bile, phlegm and wind, does not appear in early Atharvan texts. Vati-krta-na@sani of v1. 44. 3 cannot be urged as proof to the contrary, as it means, not destructive of (diseases) pro- duced by the wind in the body (vati-krta-nasani), but destructive of that which has been made into wind. Evidently, from its asso- ciation with diarrhoea, it refers to wind in the intestines.’? This does not seem to me to be correct. The phrase which Bolling quotes is indeed of doubtful meaning ; Sayana takes it as being composed of two words, vati (healer by aeration) and krta-nasani (destroyer of evil deeds which brought about the disease). But, however that may be, there are other passages on the subject, which Bolling seems to have missed. Thus in I. 12. 3 diseases are divided into three classes, viz. those produced by water, by wind, and those which are dry—yo abhraja vataja yas ca susmah*®. The phlegm of the later medical writers was also considered watery, and the word 1 Pippali is also to be taken along with the utterance of the charm. It is regarded as the medicine for all attacked by the diseases of the wind (vait- krtasya bhesajim). It is also said to cure madness (ksiptasya bhesajim). 2 Cipudru is a medicine for valadsa. Cipudrur abhicaksanam (vi. 127. 2). 3 Compare also vatikdrasya (1X. 13. 20). 300 Speculations in the Medical Schools [cH. abhraja probably suggests the origin of the theory of phlegm, as being one of the upholders and destroyers of the body. The word vdtaja means, very plainly, diseases produced by wind, and the pitta, or bile, which in later medical literature is regarded as a form of fire, is very well described here as susma, or dry. Again in vi. 109 we have pippali as vati-krtasya bhesajim. ‘The context shows that the diseases which are referred to as being curable by pippali are those which are considered as being produced by wind in later literature; for ‘‘madness” (Rsipta) is mentioned as a vati-krta disease. The word susma comes from the root “sus,” to dry up, and in slightly modified forms is used to mean a “‘ drying up,” “burning,” “strength,” and “‘fiery.” In one place at least it is used to describe the extremely burning sensation of delirious bilious fever, which is said to be burning like fire. My own conclusion therefore is that at least some Atharvanic people had thought of a threefold classification of all diseases, viz. those pro- duced by wind, those by water, and those by fire, or those which are dry and burning. This corresponds to the later classification of all diseases as being due to the three dosas, wind (vayu), phlegm (kapha or slesma) and bile (pitta). Apart from the ordinary diseases, many were the cases of possession by demons and evil spirits, of which we have quite a large number. Some of the prominent ones are Yatudhana, Kimidin, Pisaca, Pisaci, Amiva, Dvayavin, Raksah, Magundi, Alimsa, Vatsapa, Palala, Anupalala, Sarku, Koka, Malimluca, Palijaka, Vavrivasas, Asresa, Rksagriva, Pramilin, Durnama, Sunama, Kuksila, Kusiila, Kakubha, Srima, Araya, Karuma, Khalaja, Sakadhiimaja, Urunda, Matmata, Kumbhamuska, Sayaka, Nagnaka, Tangalva, Pavinasa, Gandharva, Brahmagraha, etc.2 Some of the diseases with their troublous symptoms were (poetically) personified, and diseases which often went to- gether were described as being related as brothers and sisters. Diseases due to worms were well known, in the case of both men 1 vi. 20. 4. For other references where the word susma occurs in more or less modified forms see I. 12. 3, III. 9. 3, IV. 4. 3, IV. 4.4, V.2.4,V. 20. 2, VI. 65.1, VI. 732; Xb. ON 2On 1X. dee etc: : 2 See I. 28. 35, 11. 9, If. 14, vil. 6. The last passage contains a good descrip- tion of some of these beings. There were some good spirits which fought with evil ones and favoured men, such as Pinga, who preserved the babe at birth and chased the amorous Gandharvas as wind chases cloud. vill. 6. 19, 25 says that sometimes the higher gods are also found to bring diseases. Thus Takman was the son of Varuna (vi. 96. 2) and he produced dropsy (I. 10. 1-4, II. 10. I, Iv. 16. 7, etc.). Parjanya (rain-god) produced diarrhoea, and Agni produced fever, headache and cough. XIIT] Practice of Medicine in the Atharva-Veda 301 and of cattle. There were also the diseases due to sorcery, which played a very important part as an offensive measure in Vedic India. Many of the diseases were also known to be hereditary (ksetriya). From the names of the diseases mentioned above it will be found that most of the diseases noted by Caraka existed in the Vedic age. The view-point from which the Vedic people looked at diseases seems to have always distinguished the different diseases from their symptoms. Thus the fever was that which produced shivering, cold, burning sensation, and the like, i.e. the diagnosis was mainly symptomatic. In addition to the charms and amulets, and the herbs which were to be internally taken, water was considered to possess great medical and life-giving properties. There are many hymns which praise these qualities of water’. The medicinal pro- perties of herbs were often regarded as being due to water, which formed their essence. Charms for snake poisons and herbs which were considered to be their antidotes were in use. Scanty references to diseases and their cures are found sparsely scattered in other Rg-Vedic texts and Brahmanas. But nothing in these appears to indicate any advance on the Atharva-Veda? in medical knowledge. Apart from these curatives there were also the already mentioned charms, amulets and medicines for securing long life and increasing virility, corresponding to the Rasadyana and the Vaji-karana chapters of Caraka and other medical works. We cannot leave this section without pointing to the fact that, though most diseases and many remedies were known, nothing in the way of nidana, or causes of diseases, is specified. The fact that there existed a threefold classification of diseases, viz. abhraja, vataja and Susma, should not be interpreted to mean that the Vedic people had any knowledge of the disturbance of these elements operating as nidanas as they were understood in later medical literature. The three important causes of diseases were evil deeds, the sorcery of enemies, and possession by evil spirits or the anger of certain gods. 1 apsu antar amrtam apsu bhesajam (There is immortality and medicine in water—I. 4. 4). See also 1. 5. 6, 33, Il. 3, III. 7. 5, IV. 33, VI. 24. 92, VI. 24. 2, etc. 2 For a brief survey of these Rg-Vedic and other texts see Bolling’s article “Disease and Medicine (Vedic)” in Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics. 302 Speculations in the Medical Schools [cH. The Foetus and the Subtle Body. A human body is regarded by Caraka as a modification of the five elements, ether, air, fire, water and earth, and it is also the seat of consciousness (cetana)'. The semen itself is made of the four elements, air, fire, water and earth; ether is not a constituent of it, but becomes connected with it as soon as it issues forth, since @kasa or antariksa (ether) is all-pervading. The semen that is ejected and passes into the ovary is constituted of equal parts of air, fire, water and earth; the ether becomes mixed with it in the ovary; for akasa itself is omnipresent and has no movement of its own?; the semen is the product of six kinds of fluids (rasa). But the foetus cannot be produced simply by the union of the semen of the father and the blood (sonzta) of the mother. Such a union can produce the foetus only when the G&tman with its subtle body, constituted of air, fire, water and earth, and manas (mind—the organ involved in all perception and thought), be- comes connected with it by means of its karma. .The four elements constituting the subtle body of the atman, being the general causes of all productions, do not contribute to the essential bodily features of the child’. The elements that contribute to the general features are, (1) the mother’s part—the blood, (2) the father’s part—the semen, (3) the karma of each individual; the part played by the assimilated food-juice of the mother need not be counted separately, as it is determined by the karma of the individual. The mental traits are determined by the state of mind of the individual in its previous birth. Thus, if the previous state of life was that of a god, the mind of the child 1 garbhas tu khalu antariksa vayv-agni-toya-bhiimi-vikaras cetanddhisthana- bhiitah. Caraka, Iv. 4. 6. * vayv-agni-bhiimy-ab-guna-padavat tat sadbhyorasebhyah prabhavas ca tasya. Caraka,1v.2.4. Gkdasam tu yady-api sukre pafica-bhautike ’sti tathapi na purusa- Sariran nirgatya garbhasayam gacchati, kintu bhiita-catustayam eva kriydvad yati akdsam tu vyapakam eva tatragatena sukrena sambaddham bhavati. Cakrapani’s Ayur-veda-dipikd, 1v.2.4. Susruta however considers sukra (semen) as possessing the qualities of soma, and Grtava (blood) as possessing the qualities of fire.