Chapter CCXXVI - Medical treatment of the diseases of horses

Dhanvantari said:—Now I shall expound the Ayurveda which deals with the diseases of horses, and the means of keeping them in sound health. Horses that are crow-lipped, black tongued, bear-faced as well as those that are hot-palated. or fierce-toothed, or are possessed of a greater or smaller-number of teeth than what they naturally possess, or born, with only one testicle, or afflicted with scrotal tumours, or possessed of deformed backs or bifurcated hoofs or teats, on-footed like cats, or striped like tigers, or coloured like patches of cutaneous affections, or abscesses, as well as those which are extremely diminutive in size, or are eyed like cats or monkeys, should be regarded as inauspicious and unfit for use. The best or first-class horses measure upward of four cubits in length, the second or middling class of horses measure half a cubit less than first class horses in length. The last class of horses measure three cubits and a half in length. Horses, that are long-limbed, short-eared, mouse-coloured and long-lived, are the best. The rite of protection should be done unto horses by worshipping the god, Revanta, and by feeding Brahmanas. For prophylactic purposes, Saralam, Nimva-leaves, bdellium, mustard seeds, sesame, Vacha, asafætida, saturated with clarified butter, should be tied round the neck of a horse.

Ulcers, which horses are found to be afflicted with, may be divided into two classes as Agantuja (traumatic, or of extraneous origin) and Shariraja (idiopathic). Ulcers marked by a late suppuration should be regarded as of a Vataja origin; suppuration speedily sets in ulcers, due to the action of the deranged Kapham. while those, due to the deranged Pittam, are marked by a burning sensation in their inside. Thick discharges from ulcers should be attributed to the action of the deranged Kaphah; while those, which are of a Sannipatika origin, exhibit symptoms peculiar to each of the three aggravated Doshas. A plaster composed of Danti roots, the two kinds of Haridra, Chitrakam, Vishvabhesajam, Rasonam, and rock salt pasted together with whey or Kanjikam (a kind of fermented rice or barley gruel) or pastes of sesame, fried barley grain etc, mixed with powdered rock salt and milk curd, or pastes of Nimva-leaves, applied to ulcers in horses, bring about their purification and healing. A medicinal oil cooked in combination with Karabira, Kadali, Arka, Snuhi, Kutaja, Chitraka and Bhallataka brings about the healing of sinuses in horses. As an alternative, such a sinus should be washed with a medicinal Ghritam cooked in combination with a paste of the five astringent barks. A compound consisting of the two kinds of Haridra, Vidanga, the five kinds of salt, Patolam and Nimva-leaves, Vacha, Chitrakam, Pippali, and Shringavera pounded together and administered through the medium of water brings about the expulsion of worms from the intestines of horses, and remove their deranged Kapham and somnolence. A decoction of Nimva-leaves, Patolam, Triphala, and Khadira should be successively given for three days to a horse, after bleeding it, for the cure of any cutaneous affection. Application of mustard oil proves beneficial in cutaneous affections of horses attended with ulcers. A decoction of garlic should be given to a horse for the alleviation of diseases of the deranged Vayu. In disorders of digestion, the expressed juice of Matulunga, or of Mansi should be administered as errhines. One Palam weight of this compound should be administered on the first day, and its dose should be daily increased by a Palam weight until it reaches eighteen Palas. The smallest dose of this medicine is eight Palam, and its middling dose is fourteen Palas weight. Errhines should not be given to horses in summer or autumn. In diseases of the deranged and aggravated Vayu, the medicine should be administered through the medium of oil, or in combination with sugar, clarified butter or water. It should be given through the vehicle of mustard oil saturated with Vyosha (Trikatu) powders in diseases of the deranged Kapham, and through a solution, or decoction of Triphala in those of the deranged Pittam. A horse, that lives on milk, Sali and Shashtika grain, is not to be condemned, as well as the one, that is of the colour of a ripe Jamboline fruit, is not to be rejected. Bdellium should be given to a horse, after it has been in any way hurt or injured, and milk should be administered to it for the purpose of speedily allaying the agitation. In diseases due to the action of the deranged and aggravated Vayu, milk and boiled rice should be given to a horse as food, while in those of Pittaja (bilious) origin, its diet should consist of a Karsha weight of meat soup mixed with honey, Mudga soup and clarified butter. In diseases of the deranged Kapham, Mudga or-Kulattha-soup mixed with butter or pungent drugs, should be given to a horse, while in cases of deafness, nervous affections, or in diseases of Sannipatika origin, bdellium should be freeely given to it. In all diseases a Palam weight of Durva should be given to a horse on the first day, and the dose should be increased by a Karsha measure, each day, till five Palam is reached. Eighty Palam is the highest dose. Sixty Palam is the middling and forty Palam is the lowest dose. In ulcers, cutaneous affections, and lameness, the food of a horse should be made saturated with a decoction of Triphala) whereas in impaired digestion, and œdema (dropsical swelling) it should be given saturated with cow’s urine In diseases due to the actions of the deranged Vayu and Pittam, as well as in ulcer-cases, the food of a horse should be given mixed with Gokshura and clarified butter, while a goodly quantity of Masha pulse should be given to it whenever a general plumpness of its limbs is desired. Five Palam weight of Guduchi should be given to a horse, each morning, in summer and autumn, through the vehicle of rice-paste treated with clarified butter. This food imparts a greater strength and vigour to a horse and acts as a general prophylaxis against disease. Guduchi may be likewise given to a horse with benefit through the medium of milk. For similar purposes, one, three or four Palam weights of powdered Shatavari and Ashvagandha may be given to a horse with Guduchi Paste. A mortal epidemic is presaged when all the horses in a stud are found to assume one colour. The visitation may be warded off by the performance of proper prophylactic rites, and Homas, as well as by feeding the pious and learned Brahmanas. The medicine known as Haritaki-Kalpa may be given with benefit to horses under these circumstances. This medicine (Haritaki-Kalpa) consists in giving five Haritakis, each day, to a horse, pasted together with rock-salt and cow’s urine. The dose of the medicine should be increased by five Haritakis, each successive day, until it goes up to a hundred Haritakis. The full dose (of this medicine) is a hundred; and the middling eighty, the smallest dose being sixty Haritakis.

Now I shall expound that branch of the ayurveda, which deals with the medical treatment of the diseases of elephants. Quardruple of a horse’s dose is the dose of a medicine for an elephant. Medicines enumerated in connection with diseases of horses may be employed with advantage in those that are found to afflict elephants. The prophylactic, or curative religious rites, in respect of the alleviation of diseases of elephants, consist in making gifts of jewel-decked Kapila kine to Brahmanas, after worshipping the celestials and Brahmanas. A physician, while observing a fast, shall tie round the tusks of an elephant a consecrated garland of white mustard seeds. The sun-god, Shiva and the goddesses Durga and Shri, duly worshipped, protect elephants from attacks of diseases. Offerings should be made to the malignant spirits at the close of the worship, and the body of the elephant should be rubbed with ashes and then washed with four pitcher-fuls of water. Food consecrated by reciting the proper Mantras shall be given to an elephant, and the sacred rite of prophylaxis against the influences of malignant spirits serves to grant it an immunity from injury. Decoctions of parchifying drugs, as well as those of Triphala, Panchakola, Dashamulam, Vidanga, Shatavari, Guduchi, Nimva, Vasaka, and Kinshuka, should be given for the cure of diseases of elephants. Thus I have briefly expounded the nature of medical treatment to be employed for the cure of diseases of elephants.