Chapter X - Treatment of Pittaja Ophthalmia

Now we shall discourse on the curative treatment of Abhishyanda (Ophthalmia) due to the action of deranged Pitta (Pitta-bhishyanda-Pratishedha). 1.

General Treatment:—

Blood-letting and purgatives, eye-washes and plasters round the eyes, medicinal snuffs and Anjana (collyrium), as well as the remedial measures for Pittaja-Visarpa (Erysipelas) should be employed in a case of Pittaja Abhishyanda (Ophthalmia) and Pittaja Adhimantha (Conjunctivites). 2.

Clarified butter or goat’s milk duly cooked with Gundra, Shali (paddy), Shaivala, Shaila-bheda, Daru-haridra, Ela, Utpala, two parts of Lodhra, Abhra (Mustaka), Padma- leaves, sugar, Durva, Ikshu, Tala, Vetasa, Padmaka, Draksha, honey, (red) Chandana, Yashti-madku, breast-milk, Haridra and Ananta-mula, should be employed as a Tarpana measure^[1] or as a wash or snuff in the present case. As an alternative, all the preceding drugs or as many of them as would be available should be daily used in the manner of any of the four forms of Nasya.^[2]. 3.

Anjanas:—

All the Pitta-subduing measures, may be employed in such cases. Application of medicinal snuffs (as well as eye-drops, etc.) with Kshira-Sarpih (clarified butter churned from milk) at the interval of three days, as well as that of Anjana (collyrium) with the expressed juice of Palasha or of Shallaki, mixed with honey and sugar, should be likewise resorted to. The thick liquid extract (Rasa-Kriya)^[3] of Palindi or Yashti-madhu mixed with honey and sugar, should be likewise employed. As an alternative, a compound consisting of Musta, Samudra-phena, Utpala, Vidanga, Ela, Dhatri and Vijaka and prepared in the manner of Rasa-kriya should be employed (as an Anjana). 4.

A compound of Talisa (D. R.—Kashisha), Ela, Gairika, Ushira and Shamkha (conch-shell) pasted with breast-milk should be applied to the affected organ in the manner of an Anjana (eye-salve). As an alternative, the powder or the Rasa-kriya of Dhataki and Syandana (D. R.—Chandana) mixed with breast-milk should be used as an Anjana. Gold-leaf rubbed with breast-milk, or the flowers of Kimshuka rubbed with honey, or of a compound of Rodhra, Draksha, sugar, Utpala, Vaca and Yashti-madhu rubbed with breast-milk should be used as an Anjana. Barks of Varnaka^[4] pasted in cow’s milk, or (red) Chandana wood, Udumbara and Toya (Vala) pasted in the same, or Samudra-phena rubbed either in honey or breast-milk should be likewise applied to the eyes in the manner of an Anjana. 5.

Ashcyotana:—

Rodhra, Yashti-madhu, Draksha, sugar and Utpala should be soaked in breast-milk. It should then be folded inside a piece of silk (Kshauma) and employed as an Ashcyotana (eye-drop). A compound of Yashti-madhu and Rodhra rubbed in clarified butter should be similarly used. A compound of Kashmari (Gambhari) Dhatri, Pathya (Haritaki) and Toya (Vala), as well as that of Katphala and Ambu (Vala) should be similarly^[5] prepared and applied. 6.

All the above remedial measures with the exception of blood-letting should be resorted to in a case of Amla-dhyushita-Drishti and Shukti-paka. The medicated Ghritas known as the Traiphala Ghrita or the Tilvaka Ghrita^[6] should be prescribed, or simply old and matured clarified butter should be given in such cases. 7.

In a case of Shukti-paka an Anjana with cooling drugs should be speedily employed in the event of the Doshas being located in the lower part of the eye. Fine powder of Vaidurya gem, Sphatika (crystal), Vidruma (coral) and Mukta (pearl), Samkha (conch-shell), silver and gold mixed with sugar and honey and used as an anjana would prove a speedy remedy in a case of Shukti-paka. 8.

Clarified butter should be administered in a case of Dhuma-darshin and the procedure and the remedial measures laid down in connection with Rakta-pitta and Pitta-origined Visarpa (Erysipelas) as well as the Pitta-sub-duing remedies^[7] should be likewise employed therein. 9.

 

Thus ends the tenth chapter in the Uttra-Tantra of the Sushruta Samhita which deals with of the curative treatment of Pittabhishyanda.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See Chapter XVIII, ibid.

[2]:

The four forms of Nasya are (1) Pratimarsha. (2) Avapida (3) Nasya (snuff) and (4) Śiro-virecana.

[3]:

For preparation of Rasa-kriyā see Chapter XVIII, ibid.

[4]:

According to Dallana, ‘Vamaka’ means ‘Rocanika’. It may also mean ‘Karnikāra’ which is not accepted either by Gay or by Dallana. It may also mean ‘Chandana’ which is most probably the meaning here.

[5]:

In the first two compounds, some take ‘Toya’ and ‘Ambu’ for water. But Dallana having explained ‘Toya’ as ‘Valakc’ in a preceding compound we adopt that meaning of the word here also.

[6]:

Traiphala-Ghrita is prepared by duly cooking clarified butter with the Kalka and decoction of ‘Triphala’. For Tilvaka-Ghrita see chapter III. Chikistsita-Sthāna.

[7]:

Traiphala-Ghrita is prepared by duly cooking clarified butter with the Kalka and decoction of ‘Triphala’. For Tilvaka-Ghrita see chapter III. Chikistsita-Sthāna.