Chapter 1 - Symptoms and treatment of Raktapitta (Hemoptysis)

Causes and nature.

An excessive indulgence in exposure to the sun’s rays, physical exercise, grief, walking, sexual, intercourse; and eating in excess of food, acrid in taste or hot, alkalis, salt, sours, and pungents cause an abnormal excess of pitta (animal heat), which, by its nature, causes an immediate heating and putrefaction of blood, which forces its way upwards through the nostrils, eyes, ears, and the mouth, or downwards, through the penice, vagina, and the rectum, or even through the pores in the skin, if the causes are excessively strong.

The upward tendency of hemoptysis (raktapitta) is due to the blood being mixed with an excess of kapha (phlegm). The downward tendency is due to the blood being mixed with an excess of vayu (wind), whereas combination of an excess of kapha and vayu is followed by blood flowing upwards and downwards.

Treatment of hemoptysis.

Some herbal remedies.

(1) Leaves of basaka are to be put inside two earthen basins, and heated for a few minutes, by mild heat. Juice extracted from those leaves is to be cooled, and drunk with a little of honey and sugar. This puts a stop to hemoptysis, however hemoptysis.

(2) Juice of udumbara fruits, drunk with a little of honey, puts a stop to hemoptysis.

(3) Amalki fruits, fried with clarified butter, and finely pestled with, water, put a stop to haemorrhage through the nostrils, if applied on the crown of the head,

(4) Haemorrhage, through the nostrils, is stopped, (a) if sugar, dissolved with water or milk, is sniffed; or (b) if grape juice is drunk, mixed with clarified butter derived from fresh milk (as distinguished from curdled milk); or (c).if juice of sugarcane is drunk, mixed with sugar.

(5) The external application to stop haemorrhage through the nostrils (viz. paste of amalaki, referred to above) is also efficacious in stopping haemorrhage through the ears. The internal medicine is the same in haemorrhage in general.

(6) Haemorrhage is stopped by the eating of fried paddy, divested of husks, and mixed with butter and sugar, and by the rubbing of clarified butter upon the crown of the head.

(7-9) Thirst, sensation of heat, and fever in haemorrhage are stopped by drinking of (a) the decoction of grapes and vasaka (leaves or bark), mixed with sugar, or (b) the juice of vasaka mixed with sugar and honey or (c) by the eating of fried paddy, divested of husks, and mixed with an equal quantity of sugar.

(10) Haemorrhage is stopped by the eating of powdered amalaki fruits, mixed with an equal quantity of sugar.

Iatro medical treatment of Hemoptysis.

Note: Minerals and gems forming ingredients of a medicine should always be purified or incinerated after purification, as the case may be, in accordance with the procedures laid down in the first three volumes.

Cinnabar, mixed with the juice of patola and honey, cures haemeptosis.

Ayasadi rasa.

Four tolars, each, of iron and incinerated mercury, nibbed together with the juice, decoction, or solution of those articles which possess the property of stopping haemorrhage (such as red-ochre, lac, kukkuradru, kinkirata (marigold), roots of meghanada, visalyakarani, udumbara) cures rakta-pitta.

Vasakendra rasa.

One rakti of incinerated mercury, mixed with one tola of the juice of basaka, a few drops of honey, and a little of sugar, taken once a day, cures raktapitta.

Rakta-pittankusha-rasa.

Equal quantities of mercury, extracted by upward sublimation from cinnabar, the liquid portion of cock’s egg, borax, and sulphur are to be rubbed together, and made into pills, six raktis, each. One such pill is to be taken every day with a few drops of honey and a little of jira water. This medicine cures, in three days, chronic diarrhoea with blood, fever, sensation of heat, and hemoptysis.

Chandrakala-rasa.

One tola, each, of incinerated mercury and incinerated copper are to be rubbed with water for three days, and then subjected carefully to a mild heat (just to have the substance dried). When dried, it is to be rubbed with an equal quantity of sulphur to form a black powder, which is next to be rubbed and subjected to bhavana for one day each, in succession, with the juices of the following:—musta, pomegranates, durba, sprouts of ketaki, sahadevi, kumari, parpata, ramashitala, and shatabari roots. The substance, thus prepared, is to be mixed with an equal quantity of the following (finely powdered and mixed in equal quantities):—roots of kutaja, essence of guruchi (as white as sugar), parpata, ushira, pippali, shringata, and sariba. The compound is next to be subjected to bhavana for seven times with the decoction of the draksadi. They are as follows:—(1) grapes, haritaki, musta, ketaki, kirata-tikta, and parpati; or (2) grapes, red sandal, padma tree, musta, ketaki, guruchi, amalaki, balaka, ushira, lodhra, indra-java, parpata, parushaka, priyangu, duralabha, vasaka, jastimadhu, patola leaves, kirata-tikta, and dhanya. It is then to be rubbed with water and made into pills, two raktis in weight, each. This medicine cures all sorts of diseases due to an abnormal excess of pitta or pitta and vayu combined, and especially, sensation of heat, internal or external, exhaustion, loss of consciousness, menorrhagia, rakta pitta (both upward and downward), and stricture.

Arkeshvara-rasa.

Equal quantities of copper, tin, mica, and copper-pyrites are to be mixed together and subjected to bhavana for 21 times with the juice of guruchi, and made into pills, four raktis in weight, each, to be taken with a little of honey and juice of basaka and bidari. This medicine cures rakta-pitta, very -quickly.

Rakta-pittantaka rasa.

Equal quantities of mica, iron, copper-pyrites, rasa-talaka (see page 115, vol. I), and sulphur are to be rubbed together for one day, each, in succession, with the juices of jasti-madhu, grapes, and guruchi, and made into pills, six raktis in weight, each, to be taken with sugar and honey. This medicine cures raktapitta, fever, sensation of beat, thirst, waste, and aversion to food.

Rasamrita-rasa.

One part of mercury and two parts of sulphur are to be rubbed together to form a kajjali or black powder with which are to be mixed two parts, each, of copper-pyrites, bitumen, sandal, guruchi, grapes, madhuka flower, dhanya, bark of kutaja, seeds of kutaja, dhataki flower, leaves of nimba, and jasti-madhu. These are then to be rubbed together with honey and sugar. Dose, one tola, a day, to be taken in the morning with fresh milk. This medicine cures pitta, amla-pitta (acidity with biliousness), and fever.

Sudhanidhi rasa.

Equal quantities of mercury, sulphur, copper-pyrites, and iron are to be rubbed together with the decoction of triphala, dried, confined in a crucible, and then subjected to heat by means of a Bhudhara-yantra. Dose, one rakti, each, to be taken with decoction of triphala (and a few drops of honey, of course). Milk boiled in an iron pot (and cooled) is to be given to the patient, at night.

Kapardaka rasa.

Mercury, incinerated, or in a state of swoon (see page 99, Vol. I) is to be rubbed for one day with the juice of leaves of cotton plant. With this mercury are to be filled up the vacant spaces in as many as necessary of cowri-shells which are to be put inside a blind crucible and heated by puta. When cooled of itself, these cowries are to be taken out, powdered, and mixed with double their weight of powdered maricha. Dose, one rakti, to be taken in the morning with a few drops of clarified butter and juice of udumbara fruits. This medicine cures hemoptysis.

Sarkaradya-lauha.

One part, each, of sugar, sesamum seeds, trikatu (maricha, shunthi, and pippali, combined in equal quantities), triphala (haritaki, amalaki, and bibhitaki, combined in equal quantities), and trimada (roots of chitraka, musta, and viranga, combined in equal quantities), and five parts of iron are to be mixed together, and taken in suitable doses (say, six raktis a day). This medicine cures raktapitta and amlapitta.

Sama-sharkara-lauha.

Four parts of iron, sixteen parts of milk, eight parte of clarified butter, and four parte of sugar are to be mixed together and heated in a copper pot, till the compound turns semi-solid. The heat is then to be removed and one part of powdered viranga is to be mixed with the compound. When perfectly cooled, four parts of honey are to be mixed with it. The medicine, thus prepared, is to be kept in an earthen pot in which clarified butter used to be kept previously. Dose, six raktis a day, to be gradually increased (say, upto one fourth of a tola, each). This medicine is to be taken with cocoa-nut water or with sugar dissolved with water. It cures hemoptysis, amlapitta, and weakness due to blood shed from wounds. It increases beauty and nutrition.

Shatamulyadi lauha.

One part, each, of shatabari roots, sugar, dhanya, naga-keshara flower, red sandal, trikatu, triphala, trimada, and black sesamum seeds, and nine parts of iron are to be rubbed together, and (taken in doses of six to twelve raktis, a day). This medicine cures thirst, sensation of heat, fever, vomiting, and hemoptysis.

Khandakadya lauham.

Twenty tolas, each, of roots of shatavari, guruchi, bark of vasaka, mundiri, bala, musali, khadira bark, triphala, bhargi, and puskara mula (or kustha) are to be boiled by mild heat with one drona (or 1024 tolas) of water, which is to be reduced to 128 tolas, by such boiling. The decoction, thus prepared, is to be mixed with 48 tolas of lode-stone, incinerated with realger or copper-pyrites, 64 tolas, each, of sugar and clarified butter, and boiled in a pot, made of iron or copper. When the whole thing turns semi-solid, the following materials, finely powdered, are to he mixed with it:—four tolas, each, of vansha-lochana, shila-jatu, guratvak, karkata-shringi, viranga, pippali, shunthi, and black jira, triphala, dhanya, patra, maricha, and nagakeshara. Heat is then to be discontinued, When the substance gets cooled, 32 tolas of honey is to be mixed with it. Dose, one tola, a day, to be taken with cow’s milk.

Diet, heavy and nutritions food, and cocoanut water, such pot herbs as sunisannaka, vastuka, dried raddish, jira, patola, brihati fruit, green brinjals, ripe and sweet mango, dates and sweet pomegranates, juice of such meat as goat, parabata (a kind of pigeon), tittiri, chakora, shashaka (hare), and deer. All articles of food-stuff commencing with “k” (see page 204-205, Vol. I), and meat of such animals as buffalo, rhinoceros, hog, cow, elephant, all sorts of water fowl, oyster, conch-shell, crabs, and other sea-shells are to be avoided while taking this medicine.

Diet and actions salutary in rakta-pitta.

Vomiting in downward hemoptysis, purgation in upward hemoptysis, fasting in both; rice derived from paddy, of two to three years’ standing, named sastika, shali, kodrava, priyangu (kanguni), nibara and prasatika; the grams named mudga, masura, chanaka, tubari (adhaka), and mukustaka (wild mudga); fishes named chingata (lobster) and barmi; meat of hare, kapota (dove), deer, laba, sharari, parabata (pigeon), vartaka, baka (heron), snake, kalapuchcha, and kapinjala; vegetables astringent in taste; milk of cow and goat, and clarified butter derived from such milk clarified butter derived from milk of buffalo; panasa (jack fruit), piala, banana, kanchata, tanduliya, patola, tender leaves of the cane plant, mahardraka (wild ginger), kusmanda fruit of long standing, ripe palm fruit, juice of vasaka, fruits of gopala karkati, sweet pomegranates, dates, amalaki, madhu-rika, green cocoanut, its water, kasheru, shringata, pulp of ripe bhallataka fruit, kapittha, shaluka, (tuber of water lily), parusaka fruit, leaves of kirata-tikta and nimba, alabu, kalinga fruit (water melon), paddy fried, devoid of husk, and then reduced to powder, grapes, sugar, honey, juice of sugar-cane, cold water, spring water, anointing the body with sandal paste, etc., taking baths by plunging down in cold water, anointing the body with clarified butter, rubbed with cold water for hundred times and reduced thereby to a semi-liquid state, rubbing the body (with cocoanut oil or such medicated oil as guruchyadi taila), anointing the body with cold unguents, exposure to cold wind and moonlight, sandal paste, words pleasing to the mind, dwelling in a house cooled by sprays of water falling in showers through a fountain, cold (or refrigerated) house, dwelling in a room underneath the ground (which is cold in th‘e sultry weather in the tropics), wearing of cat’s eye and pearls, lying in beds covered with the leaves of banana, water-lily, and lotus, putting on silk clothes, residing in cold gardens or garden houses (in daytime only), embrace of delightful young girls with their bodies anointed with paste of priyangu and sandal, hearing of graphic descriptions of rivers and lakes where lotus flowers grow in abundance, of moonlit and cool mountain valleys, and waterfalls; drinking of excellent water and lying on cold sands.

Food and actions injurious in rakta-pitta.

physical exercise, travelling on foot, exposure to the sun, actions having heating effect on the system, grief and repentance, suppression of calls of nature, restlessness, riding on the back of horses, elephants, etc. fomentation, shedding of blood, smoking, sexual intercourse, anger, kulattha gram, molasses, brinjals (egg fruits), sesamum, masha grams, mustard seeds, curd, alkalis, water of wells, betel leaves, lemon fruits, liquors, garlics, beans, food incongenial by combination, pungents, sours, salt, and bidahi food (see page 7 vol. IV).

Things to be avoided at the time of taking incinerated mercury (such as kusmanda) are also to be prohibited at the time of taking medicines containing mercury.