Chapter 20 - Symptoms and Treatment of Madya-pana-vikara

Note: Madya-pana-vikara refers to the “evil effects of drinking wine in excess”.

Wine gives rise to several evil effects, if drunk by any of the following;—one who is (a) enraged, (b) terrified, (c) thirsty, (d) aggrieved, (e) hungry, (f) fatigued with physical exertion or carrying of loads or walking, (g) much fed and drunk, (h) fed before his previous meal is digested, (h) weak, (i) or one who has subjected his body to heat.

These evil effects are of four different kinds, viz;—(1) madatyaya, (2) paramada, (3) madajirna, and (4) ugra mada-bibhrama.

(1) Madatyaya.

Madatyaya, due to an excess of vayu, is indicated by hiccough, asthma, shaking of the head, pain in the sides, insomnia, and ravings. Madatyaya, due to an excess of pitta, is indicated by thirst, sensation of heat, fever, perspiration, distraction of mind, diarrhoea, and yellowishness of skin. Madatyaya due to an excess of kapha is indicated by vomiting, aversion to food, nausea, drowsiness, sensation of the skin being wet and cold, feeling of heaviness of the body, and coldness. Madatyaya, due to an excess of the three doshas, is indicated by a combination of some or all of the symptoms stated above.

(2) Paramada

This disease is indicated by excess of phlegm, heaviness of the limbs, insipidity of the mouth, obstruction of stool and urine, drowsiness, aversion to food, thirst, pain in the head and the joints.

(3) Panajirna.

This disease is indicated by serious flatulence, vomiting and burning sensation felt in the stomach,

(4) Mada bibhrama.

The following are the symptoms of mada-bibhrama:—pricking sensation in the heart and all over the skin, catarrh, appearance of smoke from the throat, loss of consciousness, vomiting, intoxication, head-ache, tongue coated and mixed with phlegm, aversion to all sorts of wine and cooked food.

Treatment of evil effects of wine: Simple remedies.

(a) As burning of skin may be treated by burning or heating it again, evil effects of drinking wine may be cured by drinking of wine properly and in regular doses.

(b) Drinking of wine is not followed by any evil effect, if clarified butter mixed with sugar is taken immediately after the drinking.

(c) Sensation of heat caused by drinking of wine, etc. is pacified by smearing the body with the froth arising out of pestled leaves of badari, or nimba.

(d) Intoxication caused by eating rice prepared from madana or kodrava is pacified by drinking juice of kushmanda mixed with molasses.

(e) Intoxication caused by dhattura is pacified by drinking milk mixed with sugar.

(f) Intoxication caused by taking of betel nuts with such ailments as vomiting, loss of consciousness, and diarrhoea, is pacified by drinking cold water as much as the patient likes.

(g) Intoxication caused by taking betel-nuts is also pacified by smelling cow-dung found dried in pasturage, or by drinking cold water, or by taking salt. Irritation in the mouth caused by lime (taken with betel leaves or otherwise) is cured by sugar kept in the mouth.

Iatro-Chemical remedies.

Mahakalyana rasa.

Equal quantities of gold, mica, mercury, sulphur, iron, and pearls are to be rubbed together with the juice of amalaki, and made into pills, one rakti in weight, each. This medicine is to be taken in the morning with honey and powdered sesamum, or with sugar and honey or with butter only. This medicine cores all the troubles caused by an improper use of

Rajavarta rasa (1).

Equal quantities of rajavarta (lapis lazuli), incinerated mercury, copper, and jasti-madhu are to be mixed together and roasted with a little Of clarified butter.

Rajavarta rasa (2).

Equal quantities of rajavarta, incinerated mercury, copper, and purified mercury are to be rubbed together with the decoction of jastimadhu and roasted with clarified butter. Either of these medicines cure all sorts of madatyaya, if taken with a little of honey, clarified batter, and sugar. Dose, one rakti only.

Diet and deeds salutary in evil effects of wine:—

Purgation, vomiting, application of douche, taking of pacifying medicines, sleeping, fasting, physical labour; shall rice, shasti rice, and barley of one year’s standing, mudga grams, masha grams, wheat, kalaya grams, raga (see page 117), eharaba, meat of deer, tittiri, laba, goat, cock, peacock, and hare; meat prepared with betel leaves, rice, cloves, and maricha; delicacies, wine in proper quantities, milk, sugar, tanduliya, patola, matulunga, parushaka, dates, pomegranates, amalaki, cocoa-nut. grapes and raisins, rubbing the body with clarified butter of many years’ standing and camphor, excellent water, cold winds, living in a room with a fount of water, exposure to the moon’s rays, wearing of gems, meeting with friends, wearing silken clothes, embrace of the dear one, hearing of music, vocal and instrumental, drinking of and bathing in cold water, and anointing the body with sandal-paste.

Prohibitions in madatyaya, etc.

Fomentation, application of collyrium in the eyes, smoking, snuffs, rubbing the teeth for cleaning, and chewing of betel leaves sure to be avoided in madatyaya, etc.