Classification and Treatment of Elephant diseases

Pālakāpya has classified various diseases of elephant in the same manner as has been in other āyurveda Saṃhitās. Like the ayurvedic classification we have vāta, pitta, kapha categories, however kapha is replaced by śleṣmā. Besides these there are a few more categories like ādhyātmika (spiritual) and āgantuka (strange which are caused due to unknown reasons). ādhyātmika diseases are Doṣaja and Mānasika, āgantuka diseases are ādibhautika and ādidaivika. Besides these there are other disease categories like Vātika diseases–67. Some of them are Kadamabakṣa, Tṛnśoṣī, Utakarnako, Gadhmukrī etc. Paittika disease–27. Some of Paittik diseases are Kuthārak, Dronīko, Gulma, Kavalvyāpad etc. Śleṣmika diseases–32. The Śleṣmika diseases are Visarpa, Prameha, Khesīr Mehi. Raktaja diseases are 15 in number.

Apart from this classification Pālakāpya has mentioned many other categories of elephant diseases. A detail Rogvīkṛti vigyān related topics are available in his Saṃhitā but it is surprising that all of them are based on Tridoṣa and Pañcabhūta Siddhānta.

Most important is–

vijñāya doṣopacayaṃ yathāvadṛgavṛttau kālavibhaktrūpaṃ rogopaśāntiḥ prayateta karttṛṃ doṣaḥ pravṛtdohi nihanti nāgān.

Eating habits of wild elephants:

Wild elephants have different food habits. They eat some times that available in forest, specially the trees and shrubs.

Pālakāpya has mentioned these habits of elephants under different ṛtucaryas, as in hemant ṛtucarya, it is described that:

hemante cāpi mātaṅgā nibadhe bhakṣayanti ca
śallakī karṇikāraṃ ca kovidāramudambaram
plakṣaṃ nyāgrodhavṛkṣaṃ ca yakṣañcādakaṃ tathā
     (Vanānucāritādhyāya 190)

Drinking habits (water):

hemante sthalajaṃ cāpi bhakṣayanti mātaṅgajāḥ
te sviraṃ tṛṇapuṣṭāstu svacchandātapasevinaḥ
     (Vanānucāritādhyāya 195)

Care of domesticated elephants:

There is difference between life style of wild elephant and domesticated elephant. Domesticated elephants need extra care; therefore Pālakāpya has mentioned various formulations for daily use so that Agni and different physiological functions of an elephant should be in normal state^[1].

Elephants and Water:

Elephants and water are almost inseparable as they need a lot of water for their survival for drinking bathing and so on. According to Pālakāpya, water is prāṇa of elephant either domesticated or wild therefore adequate arrangements must be made for proper availability of water for the elephants.

Water is also a complete medicine for the elephants:

gajānāmudakaṃ rājanprāṇānāhurmanīṣiṇḥ /
viśeṣeṇa tu nāgānāṃ prāyeṇa jalamauṣadham
     (sātmyaniścayādhyāya).

Pālakāpya has made it clear that without water vāta may be elevated and may be the cause of various serious disorders to the elephant.

Elephant has the habit of spending too much time in river or pond etc., but domesticated elephant do not have such scope therefore regular bath is essential for an elephant.

kāle jalāvagāhaṃ ca yatharttuṃ samupācaret /
yadā sthiragnisampannaḥ suviśuddhamukho gajaḥ.

A detail description about bathing of domesticated Elephants is narrated, with the use of different decoctions and other special herbal formulations. Standard doses of different Kalpanās for elephants:

Each person and animal has different body constitutions and therefore their dose schedule varies with that. Pālakāpya has mentioned doses of different Kalpanās for the elephants^[2].

[Table 5: Table showing Medicinal doses for Elephants]

Sl. no.	Name of medicine	Doses
1	Kalka of Tīkṣanāñjanaṃ	one Niṣpāva
2	Mṛdu añjana	two Niṣpāva
3	Medicine	ten Pala
4	Cūrṇa	one Droṇ and Pala
5	Māṣa	thirteen Droṇi

This is a standard but doses may vary according to the conditions of elephants.

Ariṣṭha of elephants and Rakṣāvidhi:

It is interesting to note that as in case of human beings so in case of elephants as well ariṣṭa lakṣaṇas have been taken into consideration. It has been clearly mentioned that we should not treat such ill elephants^[3].These are important ariṣṭa lakṣaṇas of elephants but apart from these symptoms there are many other symptoms of ariṣṭa other than the ones mentioned which occur in elephants. Likewise there is a provision of rakṣāvidhi for different type of graha bādhas of elephants in this text.

Effect of poisons on elephants:

Hastyāyurveda mentions various poisons and their effects on the elephants and also suggests ways of overcoming their effect. Among the poisonous insects and animals are mentioned snake bites, insect bites, poisons from metals and minerals and so on. Use of various herbs for treatment of such poisons has been provided^[4].

The above mentioned quote is an agada which is a cure for poisonous state. Hastyāyurveda has many types of agadas as curative measures for poisoned conditions of elephants. Treatment of snakebites has also been mentioned in Hastyāyurveda narrating various sign and symptoms.

Treating the feet of an elephant

Now we shall discuss the various plants and herbs that were used for treating the feet of an elephant. A separate chapter for Pāda Roga has been mentioned by Pālakāpya in Hastyāyurveda. Elephants often got injured in the process of capture especially in the pit technique. Hence we find that a lot of emphasis was given on treating the injured feet. Among plants used for treatment of pāda (foot) roga (diseases) are mentioned below in the appended table.

[Table 6: Table showing details of medicinal herbs and plants used for treatment of elephants and their modern scientific names]

Sl. No.	Name of Plants	Scientific name
1	Agnimantha	Premna integrifolia
2	Ajmoda (Ajwain)	Carum roxburghianum
3	Arjuna	Terminalia arjuna
4	Atasī	Linum usitatissimum
5	āmlaki	Emblica officinalic
6	āmra Gandhi Haridra	Curcuma amda
7	āmragandhi Haridra	Curcuma longa amada
8	Bhallātaka	Semicarpus anacardium
9	Bhāraṅgī	Clerodendrum serratum
10	Bībhitaka	Terminalia bellerica
11	Bilva	Aegle marmelos
12	Bṛhati	Solanum indicum
13	Cavya	Piper caba
14	Citraka	Plumbago Zeylanica
15	Dāḍima	Punica granatun
16	Danti	Baliospermum montanum
17	Dāruharidra	Berberis aristata
18	Dhava	Anogeissus latifolia
19	Drākṣa	Vitis vinifera
20	Gambhāri	Gmelina arporea
21	Gokṣūra	Tribulus terrestris
22	Guggulu	Commiphora mukul
23	Haridra	Curcuma longa
24	Harītakī	Terminalia chebula
25	Ikṣuraka	Astracantha alongifolia
26	Jaṭāmānsi	Nordostachys jatamansi
27	Jīraka	Cumunum cyminum
28	Kaṇṭakāri	Solanum xanthocarpum
29	Karañja	Pongamia piñata
30	Kārṇikā	Casia fistula
31	Khajūra	Phoenix sylvestris
32	Kuṣṭha	Saussurea lappa
33	Madhūka	Madhuca indica
34	Madhuyaṣṭhī	Glycyrrhiza glabra
35	Mañjiṣṭha	Rubia cordifolia
36	Mātuluṅga	Citrus medica
37	Methika	Trigonella foenum-graecum
38	Mṛdvīka	Vitis vinifera
39	Mūrva	Marsedenia tenacissima
40	Mustaka	Cyperus rotuntus
41	Nīlika	?
42	Nimba patra	Azadirachta indica
43	Nimba phala	Azadichchta indica
44	Nirgundi	Vitex negundo
45	Padmaka	Prunus cerasoides
46	Paṭala	Trichosanthes dioica
47	Pāṭala	Stereospermum suaveolens
48	Pāṭha	Cissampelos pareira
49	Pippali	Piper longum
50	Pṛśniparṇi	Uraria picta
51	Śālaparṇi	Desmodium gangeticum
52	Śallaki	Boswellia serrate
53	Śatāvarī	Asparagus racemosus
54	Śigru	Moringa oleifera
55	Sinśupa	Danbergia sissoo
56	Śirīṣa	Albizia leback
57	Snuhī	Euphorbia nerifolia
58	Śṛṅgāṭaka	Trapa natans
59	Śuṇṭhi	Zingiber officinalis
60	Śyonāka	Oroxylum indicum
61	Tintidika	Rhus parviflora
62	Tumbī bīja	Luffa acutangula
63	Udumbara	Ficus glomeruta
64	Uśīra	Vetiveria zizanoidis
65	Vaca	Acorus calamus
66	Vidaṅga	Embelia ribes

Group of salts (Lavaṇa Varga)—

The text mentions about the necessity of a group of salt to cure elephant diseases.

The texts on elephants not only provide us with details of treatment they also mention the good effects of intake of salt. Intake of salt after food enhances digestion and destroys ailments. Salt improves digestion and eases the process of digestion, destroys worms and cures diseases of wind. It is mentioned in these texts that an elephant drinks water after consuming salt. Intake of large quantities of water purifies the bladder, kills worms, destroys wind, destroys diseases, immediately cures aversion to food, produces moisture in elephants–salt is like nectar, the judge of good (food)^[5]. However in the morning meal, salt should be avoided as it increases ailments. Salt in the afternoon enhances digestion and destroys ailments^[6]. Ten, eight, seven and five palas of salt should be given to the Bhadra, Manda, Mṛga and mixed elephants (respectively) in autumn is one aratni in śarat, summer, monsoon and spring, half of that. In (an elephant) who has kapha and wind, (it should be given) afterwards in spring and winter. A meal burdened with branches of trees, creepers, shrubs and grains without salt is extremely harmful like a sacrificial fire without hymns (v. 64-65)^[7]. It inflames all ailments and causes indigestion. What eating of earth does, so does a meal without salt (v. 66)^[8]. Eight types of salt are mentioned in the text which are suitable for the elephants: romaka (white salt), saindhava (rock salt), viḍa, saivarcala (black salt), suvarcikā, yavakṣāra (potassium nitrate), sāmudra (sea salt) and udbhida i.e. plant salt (v.67-68)^[9]. (Of these) ten palas of sāmudra should be given in a droṇa and five palas of the rest in one aratni (v. 68-69)^[10] . What is indicated in such texts is the fact that the elephants subsisting on creepers, leaves, grass and branches of trees are not free from ailments. Living on such meals makes them devoid of salt.

Use of metal and minerals:

Use of metal and minerals for treating elephants is not mentioned in Hastyāyurveda. In this medical work for elephants the parts of the body are listed precisely in greater detail than in Mātaṅgalīlā and it tells about the daily and seasonal care, feeding etc. Hastyāyurveda is obviously a secondary adaptation. Even the subject of must is treated only perfunctorily (chiefly as depending on the various bodily “humours” in Hastyāyurveda (ii, 61).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

“Taṇḍulāṃllavaṇaṃ caiva upanāhya pradāpayet Etena varddhate varhnibalaṃ tejaśca jāyate.” (annasamācārādhyāya/31) “Kulmaṣamedakaṃ caiva guḍayuktaṃ pradāpayet. Etena dīpateāsyāgnirbalaṃ tejaśca jāyate.” (annasamācārādhyāya)

[2]:

“niṣpāvamātro nāgānāṃ kalkāstīkṣṇāñjanasya ca
adhyadhamadhyamasyāpi mṛduno dviguṇo bhavet
kalkāñjanātpādahīnaṃ jñeyaṃ cūrṇaṃjanaṃ nṛpaḥ
bheṣajānāṃ daśapalaṃ droṇaṃ cūraṇasya dāpayeti
palāni viṃśati caivaṃ catvāri ca narādhipaḥ
rasaprasthastu vijñeyo bhiṣajābhāvacāraṇe
māṣāṇāṃ dvādaśa droṇī tulāmāropya dhārayet” (sātmyaniścayādhyāya)

[3]:

“riṣṭaprāptaṃ tu mātaṅgaṃ dṛṣṭvaiva parivarjayet
sādhyaṃ tu sādhayedvaidyaḥ śāstroddiṣṭena karmaṇā
viśrāvya bhāṇaśvayathorjalaṃ yasmātpravarttate
kadaliskandhaśophaṃ tu tamasādhyaṃ vinirdeśat
vidhā kavalayāsānāya dveṣṭā hṛṣṭamānasaḥ
sagade ca yadā prāptaḥ sa śopho yasya hāttinaḥ
tadā tena śophena māsādūrdhvaṃ na jīvati” (annasamācārādhyāya)

[4]:

“candanaṃ tagaraṃ caiva tvagelā patrameva ca
priyaṅgu nāgapuṣpaṃ ca māṃsī kuṣṭhaṃ sadmakam
kuṅkumaṃ ca mṛṇālaṃ ca mustāṃ spṛkkāṃ śatāhvayāṃ
……..sarvaṃ viṣanāśanam
dve haridre vacā caiva pippalī maricāni ca
dvau karañjau śaṭhī caiva balāmatibalāmapi
etat sandṛvya sambhāraṃ gavyaṃ śreṣṭhaṃ ca yadghṛtam
bastamūtreṇa tatsarvaṃ kṣodayitvā vicakṣaṇḥ
ajānāmathavāvīnāṃ raktaṃ kṣipramupārjayet
raktadvayene taṃ piṇḍaṃ bhojayedvāraṇaṃ bhiṣak
piṇḍena tena nāgasya viṣḥ kṣipraṃ praṇaśyati” (kṣudrarogādhyāya)

[5]:

Franklin Edgerton. The Elephant-Lore of the Hindus, Chapter XI, v.22, p.97.

[6]:

Ibid. Chapter XI, v.23, p.98.

[7]:

Shri Mantramurti K.S. Subrahmanyaśāstri. ed. &tr. (in Tamil), Gaja-śāstra [Gajaśāstram] of Pālakāpya muni, (Atha Gajaśāstrānubandhaviṣayānukramaṇikā: atha bhakṣyapeyādipadārthaguṇadoṣavidhiḥ), p. 196.

[8]:

Ibid.

[9]:

Ibid.

[10]:

Ibid.