Chapter XIX - Treatment of hurt or injnry to the eye

{GL_NOTE::}Now we shall discourse on the medical treatment to be adopted in cases of hurt or injury to the eye (Nayanabhighata-Pratishedha). 1.

A violent and intolerable pain in the eye accompanied by redness and swelling therein, resulting from a blow or from any sort of hurt or injury to the organ, should be remedied with the application of medicinal Nasya (errhines), plasters, sprinkling and Tarpana (soothing measures), and other measures mentioned before, as well as the measures prescribed in cases of Pittaja and Raktaja Abhishyanda—lit. remedial to the pain (Shula) caused by the deranged blood and Pitta in the locality. The affected eye (Drishti) should also be soothed with the help of cool, sweet and fatty drugs. This kind of treatment should also be followed in cases where the eye would be hurt or oppressed by (excessive) fomentation, smoke or glare-fire, or affected on account of fear, mental agony, pain or injury. These measures should also be resorted to in the first stage (i.e., during the first week) of the hurt or injury in the eye. After this period the affected eye should be treated as a case of an Abhishyanda with due regard to the nature of the specific deranged bodily Dosha or Doshas involved in the case. A slight hurt in the eye may be instantaneously relieved by the application of warm breath-fomentation. 2–4.

Prognosis:—

Any ulceration restricted to one Patala (coat) only of the eye may be easily cured; an ulcer invading two Patalas of the organ may be healed only with the greatest difficulty, while the one affecting three Patalas should be regarded as incurable. {GL_NOTE::}Palliative measures are all that are possible in cases of looseness, dislocation, sunkenness and the thrashed condition (Piccita) of the eyes as well as in a case of Hata-drishti (loss of eye-sight). Cases of wrong or erroneous vision, marked by the dilation of the pupil, absence of any considerable redness and those cases where the eye (eye-ball) is in its proper place and is not affected in its power of vision prove amenable to medical treatment. 5–6.

A sunken eye may be uplifted either by holding the breath (Prana-vayu) or by inducing vomiting or sneezing, or by throttling or obstructing the wind-pipe. Where the eyes would be found to be hanging down from the sockets, the measures and remedies prescribed before^[1] should be resorted to, and the patient should be made to take in long breaths of air (through the nostrils) and cold water should be poured on his head. 7.

Symptoms and treatment of Kukunaka:—

The seventy-six kinds of eye-diseases herein mentioned before, occur to adults as well as to infants, but a peculiar disease, due to the action of deranged Vayu, Pitta, Kapha and blood, sometimes manifests itself in (the inner lining of) the eye-lids of an infant and this is known as Kukunaka. Its exciting cause is the vitiated condition of the breast-milk of the mother. In this disease, there is excessive itching in the eyes, and the child frequently rubs his eyes, nose and forehead with his fist; there is constant lachrymation and the child cannot bear the least light of sun’s rays. The organ should, in such cases, be speedily bled (by applying leeches) and be scraped (with rough leaves). The organ should further be rubbed with Tri-katu and honey pasted together. {GL_NOTE::}The mother (or the nurse) should also be treated in the manner prescribed before (in cases of an affection of the breast-milk). Compounds of Saindhava salt, honey and powdered Khara-manjari (Apamarga) seeds, as well as those of powdered Pippali, Saindava- salt and honey with the vehicle of breast-milk should be given to the child for emetic purposes, but this should be discontinued as soon as vomiting would set in. 8–10.

To a child who takes both breast-milk and other solid food, the emetic should be administered with the admixture of Vaca, and to a much older child (i.e., one who has given up taking breast-milk) the emetic should be given with the admixture of Madana fruit. 11.

Decoction of the tender leaves of Jambu, Amra and Amalaki should be used for washing and sprinkling purposes. Clarified butter duly cooked with Tri-phala or with Guduci should be dropped into the eye as an Ashchyotana measure. 12.

Anjanas composed of Manah-shla, Marica, Shamkha (conch-shell), Rasanjana and Saindhava pounded together and pasted with honey and treacle should be applied to the affected organ. Compounds of Murva, honey and powdered copper should also be used as Anjana. The compound prepared by burning black iron (steel), clarified butter, milk and honey mixed together should be similarly used as an Anjana. As an alternative, the Gutikanjana made up of Trikatu, Palandu (onion), Yashti-madhu, Saindhava, Laksha (lac) and Gairika (earth) pasted together, should be used. The Anjana made of Nimba- leaves, Yashti-madhu, Darvi,^[2] {GL_NOTE::}copper (powdered) and Lodhra taken in equal parts a nd pounded together, is also efficatious. 13.

An Anjana prepared with Rasanjana (Antimony), Shamkha, curd and Saindhava kept together for a period of half a fortnight,^[3] should be applied to the affected organ of the child in cases of Shukra, and the directions given under the head of Kaphaja-Abhishyanda should also be followed by experienced physicians in such cases of the eye-disease of children. 14.

Conclusion:—

The Science of medicine is as incomprehensible as the ocean. It cannot be fully described even in hundreds and thousands of verses. Dull people who are incapable of catching the real import of the Science of reasoning would fail to acquire a proper insight into the Science of medicine if dealt with elaborately in thousands of verses. The occult principles (of the Science of medicine), as explained in these pages, would, therefore, sprout and grow and bear good fruits only under the congenial heat of a (medical) genius. A learned and experienced (medical) man would therefore try to understand the occult principles herein inculcated with due caution and with reference to other Sciences. 15.

 

Thus ends the nineteenth chapter of the Uttara-Tantra in the Sushruta Samhita which deals with the medical treatment to be adopted in cases of hurt or injury to the eye.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See Chikitsita-sthāna, Chapter II, Para 29.

[2]:

“Darvi” generally means Dāru-haridrā; but, here, on the authority of Videha, Dallana takes it to mean the two kinds of Haridrā, viz., Haridrā and Dāru-haridrā.

[3]:

The method of preparing this Anjana, as explained by Dallana on the authority of Videha, is as follows:—Śamkha (conch-shell) and Saindhava should be first pasted together with curd (Dadhi) and then a quantity of Rasānjana should be soaked with this preparation for seven days and a half and Varti should then be prepared therewith and applied to the eye as an Anjana.