Madātyaya (alcoholism) according to Caraka

Alcohol is prepared from different types of ingredients like cereals, fruits, roots, Sara, flowers, leaves stems, barks and sugar. Depending upon the methods of preparation followed, alcohol is of different types like Surā, Madhu and Maireya. Maharṣi Caraka discusses disease of Madātyaya and treatment of Alcoholism or Madātyaya-cikitsā. The ten qualities of alcohol are lightness, hot, sharpness, subtleness, sourness, Vyavāyī, swiftness, ununctuousness, expansiveness and non-sliminess. If the person has taken in an appropriate manner, in a right dose, at an appropriate time, along with wholesome food, in accordance with one’s own strength and with a cheerful mind, alcohol works like ambrosia. If taken inappropriately, alcohol produces poisoning effects like Moha or unconsciousness. Alcoholism occurs due to vitiation of all three doṣas but depends up on the predominance of one doṣa. Always drink Madya with green vegetables, salted food items and roasted meat. A characteristic feature of Madya is intoxication. For persons of Vātika type, alcohol made of jaggery and piṣṭa is used. For persons dominated by kapha, alcohol prepared of honey is used. Similarly, for persons of Paittika type, alcohol made of grapes is used. The excessive intake of alcohol depends results in exhilaration, passionate desire, erotic stimulation, sense of pleasure and varieties of psychic morbidities of rājasika and tāmasika nature depending upon the mental attitude of the person culminating in maha-nidrā. This mental perversion caused by alcohol is called intoxication. Intake of alcohol results in three stage of toxication, namely, the first, the middle and the last.

When taken the proper quantity of wine produces exhilaration, energy, happiness, nourishment, good health, excellent virility and pleasant. For the cure for Vātaja Madātyaya the patient should be given old, salty wine processes in Bijāpūra etc., unctuous and sour meat soup, different types of pickles, pomegranate juice, embracing of young women. For the cure for Pittaja Madātyaya he should be given emesis, grape juice, and saturating drinks, wine diluted with a lot of water, and cold measures. Kaphaja Madātyaya should be treated with vomiting therapy, fasting, hot food and drinks, and embracing of young women. If all the above measures fail then milk should be given, and then small doses of wine should be given.^[1]