Raktapitta according to Caraka

According to Maharṣi Caraka, Raktapitta disease is a serious disease and it afflicts the patient with a great speed. Like fire it manifests itself and effects instantaneously. Raktapitta originated after the manifestation of fever in Lord Rudra's anger. Pitta has many attributes, one of them being liquidity. This liquid fraction of pitta pervades one dhatu after the other as a result of its heat. More of liquids exudate from this dhatus. These liquids get mixed up with pitta as a result of which pitta gets exceedingly aggravated or increased in quantity. That contaminated connection of blood and bile is called Raktapitta.

Causes of Raktapitta are: when a person intake of food mostly containing Yavaka, Uddālaka and Koradūṣa and such other food products as are excessively hot and sharp along with pulses like śimbī, māṣa,, Kulattha, and alkalies or mixed with curd, whey, udaśvit, kaṭvara and sour congee; intake of the meat of pig, buffalo, sheep, fish and cow, mixed with oil cake, Piṇḍālu, dry vegetable or after taking radish, mustard, garlic, Karañja, Śigru, Madhuśigru, Khaḍayūṣa, Bhūstṛṇa, varieties of basil, or followed by surā, Tuṣodaka, Maireya, Madhūlaka and śukta types of wine, sour preparations of kuvala and Badara; intake of pastries in excess after food; frequent intake of un-boiled milk in excess while exposed to heat; intake of vegetable of Rohiṇīka with milk; intake of small pigeon boiled with mustard oil or alkalies, and intake of milk with Kulattha oil cake ripe fruit of Jambu, Lakuca or Badara; but if the sun is hot at that time, then its pitta is irritated and the blood exceeds its own standard and contaminates the blood.

Raktapitta is located in spleen and liver, and from there it goes upwards and downwards^[1]. Premonitory symptoms of this disease are loss of appetite, eructation having sour taste and smell like vinegar, red, green, and yellow colouration of different organs of the body, stool, urine, sweat, saliva, excreta from nose, mouth, ear and eyes and appearance of pimples; improper digestion of food resulting in the burning sensation in chest, frequent urge for vomiting, discolouration and foul smell of vomited material, hoarseness of voice, prostration of the body, burning sensation all over the body; bodyache and frequent dreams of such objects as are red, blue, yellow and brown in colour, and dazzling.

Complication of Raktapitta are weakness, anorexia, indigestion, dyspnoea, coughing, fever, diarrhoea, oedema, consumption, anaemia, and hoarseness of voice.

Upper tracks of Raktapitta can be treated with purgation therapy. So, it is curable. There are various medicines for it. Lower tracks of Raktapitta can be treated with emetic therapy. So, it is Yāpya. There is limited medicine for it. Raktapitta affecting both the upward and downwards tracks are incurable. There is no medicine for it. Raktapitta should be treated immediately and carefully, keeping in view the locality and time, with such diets as are nourishing or depleting; soft, sweet, cold, bitter and astringent, and also, with such therapies like anointment, affusion, bath, touch or emesis, etc.

There is talk of applying different methods of treatment for Raktapitta. For example, if thirst is present, use of hrīverādi for drinking, application of tarpan and peyā, application of dates for tarpan, application of lāja tarpan, application of acid tarpan; application of food is Śāli, Yaṣṭhika, Nīvāra, Koradūṣa, Praśātikā, Śyāmaka etc. Application of soup and juice of Mug, Musura, Cholā, Vanamuga, Aḍahara. Raktapitta can be cured by applying herbs like leaves of Paltā, neem, Ciretā, Pākuḍa etc. application of meat of pigeon, lab, Cakora, deer etc. Also, in Caraka-Saṃhitā, application of drink of sandalwood peya, vomit, eight pollutants decoction, etc. Goat's milk or cow's milk is boiled in five times water and drunk with honey to cure Raktapitta^[2].`

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

plīhānaṃ ca yakṛccaiva tadadhiṣṭhāya vartate | (C. Cikitsāsthāna–IV.10); R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Dash (eds.), Caraka Saṃhitā–Vol. III, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2017, p. 223.

[2]:

C. Cikitsāsthāna–IV.5-109; R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Dash (eds.), Caraka Saṃhitā–Vol. III, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2017, pp. 221-249.