Vāta-śoṇita (gout) and Vāta-rakta (arthritis)

Maharṣi Caraka discusses disease of Vāta-śoṇita and treatment of Vāta-rakta or Gout and Arthritis and Vāta-śoṇita-cikitsā. Vāta-śoṇita is a variety of vāta-roga. The disease which is caused by both, vāta and rakta is called Vāta-śoṇita. Alternatively, the very attainment of the stage of the morbid transformation of vitiated vāyu and rakta is called Vāta-śoṇita. Pathogenesis of Vāta-śoṇita are as follows: excessive intake of saline, sour, pungent, alkaline, unctuous, hot and uncooked food, oil-cake; sleeping during day time etc. General symptoms of Vāta-śoṇita are as follows: injury, inappropriate pañcakarma, sexual intercourse etc. Vāta-śoṇita located in hands, feet, fingers and all joints. it begins from hands and feet, then spreads all over the body. Due to vāta, pitta, kapha, vāta-pitta, pitta-kapha, kapha-vāta and all three doṣa and rakta produced eight types of Vātaśoṇita. The general treatment of Vāta-śoṇita includes oleation, purgation, unctuous and non-unctuous enema, bloodletting with leech, horn, needle, venesection etc. Use of formulations to cures of this disease, namely, Balā ghṛta, Jīvanīya ghṛta, Sukumāra taila Amṛtādi taila etc. Regarding the diet of Vāta-śoṇita patients it has been said: old maize, wheat, rice, pigeon pea, bengal gram, lentils, ghee, and milk^[1].