The Garuda Purana

by Manmatha Nath Dutt | 1908 | 245,256 words | ISBN-13: 9788183150736

The English translation of the Garuda Purana: contents include a creation theory, description of vratas (religious observances), sacred holidays, sacred places dedicated to the sun, but also prayers from the Tantrika ritual, addressed to the sun, to Shiva, and to Vishnu. The Garuda Purana also contains treatises on astrology, palmistry, and preci...

Chapter CLXXXV - The Nidanam of Urticaria

Now hear me, O Sushruta, discourse on the Nidanam of Shitapitta (Urticaria) etc,. The Kaphah and Vayu of the body, deranged through the contact of (exposure to) currents of cold air, invades the skin and blood in combination with the deranged Pittam, and produces the disease known as Shitapittam. Thirst with a burning sensation in the body, nausea with a distaste for food, feeling of physical languor, and heaviness of the eyes are the symptoms, which mark the premonitory stage of Urticaria. Eruptions like wasp-stings appear on the body both in urticaria and the disease known as Urdada. An itching, pricking pain is felt in these eruptions, and fever with vomiting, etc., becomes manifest. A preponderance of the deranged bodily Vayu acts as the exciting factor of Urticaria, while a preponderance of the deranged Kaphah lies at the root of a case of Urdada. The distinctive traits of the eruptions of Urdada are that they are dipped at the centre, being marked by an itching sensation, and are arranged in circular patches. Unsatisfactory exhibitions of emetics, by arresting the ejection of bile, mucous and ingested food from the system, cause a large number of itching, circular rashes to appear on the skin, which spontaneously disappear a short while after their appearance.

Now hear me, O Sushruta, discourse on the Nidanam of Amlapittam (acidity). Ingestion of incompatible articles of fare, use of unwholesome food, ingestion of acid substances, or of those which give rise to a re actionary acidity (Undergoes an acid transformation after digestion) in the stomach, or of those which extremely aggravate the Pittam are the factors, which hinder the assimilation of the Pittam (bile) accumulated in the digestive apparatus of a man, and this undigested or unassimilated bile brings about the disease known as Amla-Pittam (acidity).

Indigestion of the ingested food, lassitude, nausea, risings of bitter eructations, or a feeling of heaviness in the limbs with a burning sensation in the throat or epigastrium, as well as a marked distaste for food are the symptoms which form the characteristic features of Amlapittam. Loose motions of green, yellow, or various coloured stool, together with thirst, vertigo, epileptic fits, cloudy perception, nausea, absent-mindedness, Urticaria, impaired digestion, horripilation, yellowness of the complexion and abnormal perspiration, together with a burning sensation in the body form the specific symptoms of the type of Amlapittam in which the undigested food in the stomach finds a downward outlet. In the type of which vomiting forms the primary and specific trait the ejected matter is found to be either green, yellow, red, or blue, mixed with a kind of slimy, transparent mucous. It has bitter or acid taste. Imperfect digestion of ingested food in the stomach is sometimes followed by the rising of bitter or acid eructations or belching out of a bitter acid fluid. A burning sensation in the throat, epigastrium and the sides, headache, heat in the body, an extreme repugnance for food, fever which has its origin in the deranged condition of the Kaphah and Pittam, pustular eruptions on the skin and a host of other distempers are usually found to follow in the wake of Amlapittam. Even cases of acidity of recent origin require special care to be radically cured, and a temporary palliation is the only relief that can be expected from a judicious course of medical treatment in old or chronic cases, although instances are not wanting where a radical cure has been effected inspite of the age and chronic nature of the ailment. Cases of Amlapittam are usually divided into three classes such as Vataja, Kaphaja, and Vata-Kaphaja, according to the predominance of any of these three morbific principles in those under treatment, and they are very apt to confound even an expert physician in matters of diagnosis. Shivering, delirium, epileptic fits, tingling sensations in the limbs, lassitude, neuralgic pain, darkness of vision, vertigo and mind-wanderings are the symptoms, which mark the Vataja type of Amlapittam. In the type marked by the dominant action of the deranged and aggravated Kaphah, symptoms such as expectoration of mucous, heaviness of the limbs, lassitude with a distaste for food, and shivering with a gone feeling in the limbs manifest themselves. In the type due to the combined action of the deranged Vayu and Kaphah, drowsiness, together with the specific symptoms of the two abovesaid types, forms the specific feature. Bitter or acid eructations, with a burning sensation in the throat, sides and the epigastrium, vertigo, swooning, vomiting, lassitude with a distaste for food, headache, salivation, and a sweet taste in the mouth are the symptoms, which mark the Kaphaja type of Amlapittam.

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