Chapter 12 - Symptoms and treatment of Worms and Bacilli (krimi)

Those people are generally the victims of worms (krimi) who take their meals before the previous meals are properly digested, eat too much of sweets, sours, puddings, and molasses, avoid physical exercise, sleep in day time, and eat articles of foodstuff, incongenial by combination.

Their causes and indications.

Worms are of two different kinds, vis. internal and external. They are also subdivided into four different kinds, according to the place of their origin, viz., external dirt, phlegm, blood, and stool. They are altogether of twenty different kinds. The external ones grow only on external dirt and are of two kinds, viz. juka and liksa. Of these, the first are of the size of a sesamum seed, and have the same colour as the place of their abode, viz., hair and clothes. The second have several feet and

are very small in size. They are called liksha, both of them give rise to itching and boils. Worms in the stool are due to taking in excess of masha grams, pistaka (articles of foodstuff, pestled and baked), sours, salts, molasses, and pot-herbs. Those which grow in phlegm are due to taking in excess of meat, fish, molasses, milk, curd, and shukta.^[1] Those which grow in the blood are due to taking of articles of food-stuff incongenial by combination, food not properly digested, and pot-herbs,etc.

The following are the general symptoms of worms:—clattering sound produced by the patient, while asleep, by the unconscious rubbing of some teeth against some other, itching sensation inside the nostrils and in the nails, fever, discolouration of the skin, pain in the stomach, fatigue, vertigo, aversion to food, and diarrhoea.

Those worms (krimi) which grow in phlegm have the amashaya (the upper part of the stomach) as the place of their origin. When sufficiently-grown up, these worms move all over the body. They are of seven different kinds:—

1. Some of them are thick,
2. some like tapes made of leather;
3. some like earth-worms;
4. some like sprouts of paddy;
5. some thin;
6. some long;
7. and some of these are very minute in body.

Some of them are white in colour, whereas the others are copper-coloured. They are named, antrada, udara-vesta, hridayada, mahaguda, churn, darbha-kusuma, and sugandha. They cause nausea, discharge of saliva from the mouth, indigestion, aversion to food, occasional loss of consciousness, vomitings fever, anaha (intestinal obstruction), emaciation, sneezing, and pinasa (chronic catarrh).

Those Worms which grow in blood have their place of origin in the blood-carrying veins and arteries. They are very minute in body, are devoid of feet, globular in size, and copper-coloured. Some of them are too minute to be seen by the naked eyes. (In other words, they can be seen only by means of microscopes). They are of six different kinds, and are named, “keshada, roma-vidhvansha, roma-dvipa, urumbara, saurasa, and mata,” respectively. They give rise to leprosy.

Those worms which grow in stool have their place of origin in the pakvashaya or the lower part of the stomach. They move downwards. When sufficiently grown up, they sometimes proceed upwards towards the amashaya, causing odour of stool coming out of the mouth, belching, and respiration of the patient.

These worms are of five different kinds, viz.,

1. those which are thick, globular, and plump in shape,
2. those which are blackish red in colour,
3. those which are yellow
4. those which are white,
5. those which are black.

They are named (a) kakeruka, (b) makeruka, (c) sausurada, (d) sashulakhya, and (e) leliha, respectively. At the time those worms leave their original place of abode (i.e., the lower part of the stomach), and move in the other parts of the body, they.give rise to the following ailments:—diarrhoea, shula, flatulence, emaciation, coarseness, anemia, standing of hairs on ends, loss of power of digestion, and itching sensation in the rectum.

Such remarks are also to be found in the Atharva Vedas. This is a sure indication of the fact that the ancient Hindus, even in the pre-historic ages, were aware of the use of microscopes.

Treatment of worms: some simple herbal remedies.

(1) The patient is to take, in the morning, some Persian jamani (khorasani ajvan) with water kept in a pot on the day preceding. This makes worms (krimi) come out of the stomach.

Worms are destroyed by drinking with honey (2) the juice of paribhadra leaves or (3) the juice of roots of kebuka, or (4) the juice of leaves of shalincha, or (5) powdered vidanga.

(6) Worms are destroyed if the juice of the seeds of palasha is drunk with honey. The same purpose is served by taking the same seeds, pestled with butter-milk.

(7) Worms are destroyed by the juice of the leaves of date palm kept overnight and drunk in the morning with honey.

(8) Worms in the stool are destroyed by drinking green betel-nuts, pestled with juice of lime fruits, (9) or by drinking the juice of leaves of date palm mixed with juice of lime fruits; (10) or by drinking the seeds of alabu pestled with buttermilk; (11) or by drinking cocoanut water mixed with honey; (12) or by taking half a tola of powdered kampilla^[2] with some molasses.

(13) Jamani, mixed with rock-salt and taken in the morning, cures indigestion, rheumatism, and ailments due to worms.

(14) Juice of the leaves of Ghantakarna or of the leaves of pineaple, taken with honey, cures worms.

(15) Seeds of soma-raji, taken with water, cure all sorts of worms.

(16) Decoction of the roots of pomegranates kills email worms.

(17) Lice axe killed by besmearing the hair with the juice of leaves of dhatura or betel, mixed with camphor.

(18) All the lice are killed if the hair is besmeared with tie seeds of naricha, pestled with kanji.

Iatro-chemical treatment of worms (krimi).

Krimikalanala rasa.

Two palas of vidanga, one pala of aconite, two tolas of iron, one tola of mercury, and one tola of sulphur are to be rubbed together with goat’s milk and made into pills, sixteen raktis in weight, each, to be dried in the shade. One such pill is to be taken every morning with a little of honey and decoction of dhanya and jira. This medicine cures worms, grahani, piles, swelling of the limbs due to-anemia, gulma, enlargement of the spleen, and loss of power of digestion.

Krimi-mudgara rasa.

One part of mercury, two parts of sulphur, three parts; of ajamoda, four parts of vidanga, five parts of nux-vomica, and six parts of seeds of palasha are to be mixed together. Dose, one niska or 24 raktis, a day, to be taken with honey. Decoction of musta is to be drunk after taking this medicine. This medicine cures worms and ailments due to them. It increases, in three days, power of digestion.

Krimi-vinasha rasa.

Equal quantities of mercury, sulphur, mica,iron, realgar, dhataki flower, triphala, lodhra, vidanga, haridra, and daru haridra are to be mixed together, and subjected to bhavana, for seven times, with the juice of ginger, and made into pills of the size of a chana-gram (i. e. three raktis, in weight), each, to be taken in the morning with the decoction of triphala. This medicine cures all sorts of worms (krimi).

Krimihara rasa.

Equal quantities of mercury, indra-java, aja-moda, realgar, seeds of palasha, and sulphur are to be rubbed together with the juice of deva-dali for one day. (Dose, one rakti, a day.) This medicine cures worms, if taken with the juice of shala-parni, mixed with sugar.

Krimi-rogari rasa.

Equal quantities of mercury, sulphur, iron, maricha, aconite, dhataki flower, triphala, shunthi, musta, rasanjana, trikatu, musta, patha, balaka, and bilva are to be mixed together, and subjected to bhavana with the juice of bhringa-raja, and made into pills of the size of a small cowri-shell (i.e., about one-eighth of a tola, in weight), each. This medicine-cures all sorts of worms.

Kitamarda rasa.

One part of mercury, two parts of sulphur, three parts of ajamoda, four parts of vidanga, five parts of nux-vomica, and six parts of seeds of palasha are to be mixed together, and taken in doses of one fourth of a tola, each, to be taken with a little of honey and decoction of musta. This medicine-cures worms (krimi).

Krimighna rasa.

Equal quantities of vidanga, seeds of palasha, seeds of nimba, and incinerated mercury are to be rubbed together with the juice of akhuparni, and made into pills, three raktis in weight, each, to be taken with a little of honey and the juice of akhuparni. This medicine cures worms.

Vidanga lauha.

One part, each, of mercury, sulphur, maricha, jatiphala, lavanga, pippali, orpiment, shunthi, and tin; nine parts of iron, and eighteen parts of vidanga are to be mixed together (and taken in doses of six raktis, a day). This medicine cures worms in the stomach and intestines, piles, aversion to food, dullness of the digesting heat, cholera, swelling due to anemia, shula, fever, hiccough, asthma, and cough.

Krimivighatana rasa.

One part of mercury, two parts of sulphur, three parts of ajamoda, four parts of vidanga, five parts of seeds of palasha, and six parts of tinduka are to be mixed together. It is to be taken, with honey (in doses of six raktis, a day). To quench thirst, it is necessary to drink the decoction of musta or akhuparni, mixed with sugar. This medicine cures worms (krimi).

Krimishulari rasa.

Equal quantities of ajamoda, kernel of karanja, kshirini, mercury, sulphur, and copper are to be rubbed together, with the juice of akhuparni, and made into pills (six raktis in weight, each, to he taken with a little of honey and juice of akhuparni). This medicine cures pain in the abdomen due to worms.

Agni-tunda rasa.

One part of mercury, two parts of sulphur, three parts of ajamoda, four parts of vidanga, five parts of seeds of palasha, and one part of nux-vomica are to be rubbed together with honey, and made into fills, (six raktis in weight, each). Juice or decoction of musta is to be drunk after taking this medicine, and juice or decoction of akhuparni is to be drunk every now and then. Amalaki with sugar is also to be taken, if there be fever due to worms. This medicine cures flatulence and all sorts of udara-rogas.

Snuhi-parpati rasa.

Juice of snuhi is to be drunk after taking any of the parpatis. Juice of snuhi is a sure killer of worms (krimi).

Kita-shulari rasa.

One fourth tola, each, of mercury and sulphur, and one eighth tola of copper are to be rubbed together with the juice of the five different parts (viz. roots, bark, leaves, flowers, and fruits) of shaka (teak) tree, for twenty four hours. The product is again to be rubbed for twenty four hours with the juice of kshirini (svarna-kshiri? or dugdhika?). It is then to be

treated by Laghuputa. When cooled, the product is to be powdered very fine and mixed with five croton seeds. Dose, two raktis, to he taken with clarified butter. This medicine cures pain in the stomach due to worms.

Krimi-shula-nashana rasa.

Equal quantities of ajamoda, seeds of palasha, kshirini (dugdhika? or svarnakshiri?), mercury, sulphur, and copper are to be rubbed together with the juice of akhuparni and taken (in doses of six raktis, a day), with a little of honey and juice of akhuparni. This medicine cures pain due to worms.

Rajabhadra rasa.

Incinerated mercury, (taken in doses of half a rakti, each), taken with honey and essence of leaves of nimba, cures worms in three days only.

Krimi-patana rasa.

Equal quantities of purified mercury, indrajaba, ajamoda, realgar, and seeds of palasha are to be rubbed together for one day. This medicine (taken in doses of one rakti, each) makes worms (krimi) come out with the stool. A little of the decoction of akhuparni mixed with honey is to be drunk after taking the medicine.

Diet and deeds salutary in worms:—

Application of douche with decoction of suitable herbs, mixed with milk and oil; purgation of the intestines by means of a laxative; purgation of the brain by means of mild and medicated snuff prepared from salutary herbs or by pouring; into the nostrils a little of mustard oil or some medicated oil, or milk mixed with a little of powdered shunthi; smoking of suitable herbs; everything having the property of pacifying phlegm; massaging the body; eating of rice, of three years standing, prepared from the seeds of bamboo and red shali paddy; such vegetables as patola, tender leaves of the cane plant, garlics, bastu, leaves of chitraka and paribhadra; mustard seeds, green banana, fruits of brihati; bitter leaves of naricha (maricha?), meat of rats, vidanga, leaves of nimba, haritaki, oil prepared from sesamum and mustard; sauvira, shukta, tusodaka^[3], honey, ripe palm fruit, ripe bhallataka fruit (excluding the stone), cow’s urine, betel-leaves, urine, musk, camel’s urine and milk; clarified butter prepared from camel’s milk, hingu, alkalis, ajamdda (ajamoda?), catechu, seeds of kutaja, lime juice, black jira, jamani, exudations of trees named, deva-daru, aguru, and shinshapa; bitters, astringents, and pungents.

Articles of food-stuff and deeds injurious in worm (krimi)s:—

Vomiting, suppression of vomiting, articles of food-stuff incongenial by combination, sleeping in day time; drinking of liquid food, food pestled and baked (pistaka), indigestion, clarified butter, masha-grams, curd, pot-herbs, meat, milk, sours, and sweets.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See page 379, Vol. III.

[2]:

The name Kampilla is given to two different things, viz. (1) to a herb named mellotus philippinesis, and (2) to a mineral (see page 211, Vol. II.)

[3]:

See page 379-82, Vol. III.