Chapter 24 - Symptoms and treatment of Apasmara (epilepsy)

Its causes and symptoms.

Owing to an excess of worry, grief, etc, the three doshas get vitiated and attack the heart, and thus destroy memory, resulting in what is called apasmara (epilepsy). This disease is to be diagnosed by the following symptoms;—(1) gradual loss of consciousness, (2) violent and automatic movements of the arms, feet, etc, and (3) loss of memory due to an excess of the three doshas. This disease is of four different kinds, (according as it is due to (a) vayu, (b) pitta, (c) kapha, and (d) a combination of the three.) An epileptic fit is generally preceded by palpitation of the heart, feeling of emptiness on all sides, perspiration, exceeding thoughtfulness, swoon, distraction, and insomnia.

(1) Epilepsy due to vayu.

In this disease, the. patient trembles, forcibly sets one set of teeth against the other, vomits foam-like saliva, breathes quickly, and appears to see hallucinations (unreal forms), rough in shape, and of reddish black colour.

(2) Epilepsy due to pitta.

In this disease, the foam-like substance vomited by the patient, his skin, face, and the eyes are of yellow colour. He sees unreal forms, yellow or blood-red in colour. He becomes thirsty, feels a sensation of heat, and appears to see every thing all around him surrounded with fire.

(3) Epilepsy due to kapha.

In this disease, the foam vomited by the patient, his skin, face, and eyes are white, cold, with the hairs standing on ends, and heavy. He sees unreal forms, white in colour. It takes a good deal of time to recover from such ft fit.

(4) Epilepsy due to the three doshas combined.

All the symptoms, stated above, combine in this disease.

Treatment of epilepsy: Simple remedies.

(1) Epileptic fits due to vayu, pitta, and kapha should be treated with application of douches, purgations, and vomiting, respectively.

(2) Epilepsy and, especially insanity, are cured by the application in the eyes of a collyrium prepared from realgar, rasanjana (yellow stibnite), and stool of pigeons.

(3) A combination, in equal quantities, of the following, used as a snuff or collyrium, cures epilepsy and insanity:—jastimadhu, hingu, vacha, tagarapadika, seeds of shirisha, garlics, and kustha, all pestled together with goats’ milk.

(4) The Juice of the leaves of the parasite which grows on a nirgundi tree cures epilepsy quickly, if used as a snuff.

(5) Urine of each of the following animals, used as a snuff, is efficacious in epilepsy:—calf of yellowish colour, dog, jackal, cat, and lion.

(6) Dog’s bile, taken out (by killing it) at a time when the moon is in the constellation named “pushya” (a star in the sign named “Cancer”), cures epilepsy, if used as a collyrium. An epileptic patient may also be cured by inhaling the smoke issuing out of the very same material, mixed with clarified butter, and burnt.

(7) Epilepsy is cured by white mustard, powdered and taken internally, or pestled with cows’ urine and smeared all over the body.

(8) All sorts of epilepsy ate cured by taking (a) garlics pestled with oil, or (b) roots of shatavari pestled with milk, or (c) juice of brahmi mixed with honey.

(9) Even epilepsies of long standing may be cured by taking powdered vacha, mixed with honey, the diet being only boiled riee and milk.

(10) Epilepsy is pacified, if the patient takes, for three days, jastimadhu pestled with the juice of kushmanda.

(11) Epilepsy is. quickly cured by taking internally, as well as sniffing and inhaling the smoke, of jata-mansi.

(12) Equal quantities of nirgundi, mudga grams harvested in sharat (corresponding to 15th of August to 15th of October), musta, ushira, barley, and trikatu are to be pestled with goat’s urine, made into pills, and dried. A little of this pill is to he rubbed (with honey) and applied in the eyes as a collyrium. Such a treatment acts as a nectar in apasmara, insanity, snakebite, affection with artificial poisons (see page 292, Vol. III), drinking of poison, and loss of consciousness by drowning.

(13) Epilepsy is cared by the seeds of white aparajita or bhanga, pestled with man’s urine and used as a snuff.

(14) Epilepsy is cured by keeping seeds of white aparajita bound with the ears, and by taking, internally, roots of nirgundi.

Iatro-chemical remedies in Apasmara.

Brahmi Parpati rasa.

Apasmara is cured by taking two raktis, a day, of parpati rasa (see page 166, Vol. IV), pestled with a few drops of honey and juice of leaves of brahmi.

Shankha-puspyadi rasa.

All sorts of apasmara are cured by taking incinerated mercury, in doses of two raktis, a day, mixed with the decoction of the following shankhapuspi, vacha, brahmi, kustha, and ela (each ⅖ tola in weight, to be boiled with 32 tolas of water and reduced to 8 tolas).

Indra-brahma rasa.

Equal quantities of incinerated mercury, mica, steel, silver, copper-pyrites, aconite, and petals of lotus flower are to bo rubbed together, for one day, each, with the juices of the following snuhi, chitraka, bhanga, eranda, vacha, nispaba (shimbi), shurana, and nirgandi. The compound is then to be rubbed with an equal quantity of sulphur, and oils extracted from the seeds of jyotismati creeper and mustard seeds. The lump, thus formed, is then to be heated by puta. Pills are then to be made, three raktis in weight, each, to be taken with the juice of ginger. Decoction of dasha-mula, mixed with six raktis of powdered pippali, is to be drunk after taking the medicine. This is a very good medicine for apasmara.

Bhuta-bhairava-rasa.

Equal quantities of incinerated mercury, mica, iron, orpiment, sulphur, realgar, and yellow stibnite (rasanjana) are to be rubbed together with man’s urine, and mixed with sulphur, double in quantity of the whole of the compound. The whole thing is then to be heated in an iron cauldron for a few minutes. This medicine cures apasmara, if taken in doses of five raktis, a day.

One tola, in weight, of the following, combined, is to be taken, after taking the first named medicine:—hingu, nitre, and trikatu, (each, equal in quantity, i.e., ⅓ of a tola, in weight), pestled with man’s urine and clarified batter.

Chaturbhuja rasa.

Two parts of incinerated mercury, and one part of gold, realgar, musk, and orpiment, are to he rubbed together for one day with the juice of kanya and made into a lump, which is to be wrapped up in leaves of eranda, and kept hidden in a heap of paddy for three days. It is then to be taken out, powdered, and taken in doses of one rakti, each, rubbed with, honey and powdered triphala. A regular use of this medicine does away with all the diseases and senile decay. It cures, especially, apasmara (and unmada), fever, cough, waste, dyspepsia, consumption, shaking of the hands, head, and other parts of the body.

Maharudra rasa.

One tola, each, of mercury, sulphur, copper-sulphate, kanta iron (load-stone), gold, samudra-phena (sepia officinalis), haridra, and seeds of tejani (murba) are to be rubbed together with lemon juice, and made into a paste, with which is to be smeared the inner surface of a small pot made of four tolas of pure and thin copper foil. This pot is then to be kept inside an earthen vessel, the mouth of the former being kept downwards. The vacant space inside the earthen vessel is then to be filled up with ashes, and the mouth of the vessel is to be closed by means of an earthen basin with mud and rags. When dried, the vessel is to be placed upside down upon fire, and heated for two days. When cooled, the copper pot is to be taken out, and powdered. This medicine cures apasmara, if taken, in doses of three raktis, with honey, vacha, trikatu, and viranga. A little of goats’ urine is to be drunk, one and halt hour after taking this medicine.

Diet and deeds salutary in Apasmara.

Consolation, threat, binding hand and feet, terrifying, presentation of gifts to patient, cheering up of patient, inhaling of smoke of burnt incenses, physical restraint put upon the activities of the patient, trying to forget unpleasant experiences, smearing the body with suitable unguents, letting of of blood through arteries, suitable medicines, pouring of cold water on the head and other parts of the body, wonderful feats shewn before the patient, smoking of suitable drugs, explaining to the patient the nature of intelligence, patience, pure consciousness, and soul; rubbing the whole body with oil (begining from the feet and ending with the head), taking baths, sitting in postures (such as padmasana) recommended by works on the yoga philosophy, sleeping, cold unguents, wheat, mudga-grams, rice prepared from red shali paddy, drinking of milk of a now as soon as it is milked (without boiling or cooling it, and while it is still hot); rubbing the head and the other parts of the body with clarified butter rubbed with water, for a hundred times; taking of food prepared with fresh clarified butter, the same of many years’ standing for the purpose of rubbing the body with, as well as for preparation of food; meat of tortoise and game birds, mango, and kusmanda fruit, patola, leaves of brahmi, vastuka, tanduliya, drinking of urine of asses and horses, rain-water, haritaki, incinerated gold (in doses of one rakti, a day), cocoanut, raisins, kapittha fruit, and jack fruits.

Articles of food-stuff and deeds injurious in apasmara:—

Wine, food injurious by combination, taking hot food and drinks, suppression of calls of nature, in respect of sleep, hunger, and thirst; sexual intercourse, ripe palm fruit, betel-nut, all sorts of pot-herbs, bitters, and bimbi fruit.