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MATERIAL CULTURE
187
Vişavidya or Toxicology-Vişavidyal or Toxicology was. another branch of Medicine. Two varieties of poison, i.e. visa and gara?, have been mentioned. The former killed a person immediately, while the other caused a death due to slow-poisoning.s Gara was prepared by a combination of various medicinal drugs. Caraka also states that "there is another variety of poison called artificial poison (gara) which is produced by a combination of substances and which gives rise to a diseased condition. Being slow in reaction it does not kill swiftly.”+
Snake-bite and its Remedies-The monks were proficient in detecting the snake-bite and differentiating it from the bite of the other poisonous insects on the basis of the symptoms.5 Various methods were resorted to for eliminating the effects of a snake bite. The person bitten by a snake was treated with the sacred mantras. Amulets charmed with the mantras were also tied around his hand. Sometimes the portion affected with snake bite was incised' or the poison was sucked. after keeping the burnt earth or mud inside the mouth. Sometimes the mud-plaster was also applied to extract the poison or the person was made to eat the earth. According to another method, a piece of gold was rubbed inside the water and then golden water was given to the patient for eliminating the poisonous effects of the snake-bite. 10 The person bitten
1. NC. 2, p 364. 2. NC. 2, pp. 281-82. 3. go feat taste of afar FEATÂT TI, #t fa comprisil taff-NC. 2, p.
282. 4. Caraka, Cikitsas!hāna, 13-14 (Vol. 4, p. 2143). 5. NC. 1, p. 82. 6. telfu ex ufaffronu 215TTT The wife-NC. 1, p. 66. 7. gat ar fotot 75 OHNC 1, p. 82. 8. Hfej ar y gigi dan raha-NC. 1, p. 66.
9. atacafa ar fērarafthofher area at Hereft-Ibid. 10. विसे कणगं ति विषग्रस्तस्य सुवर्ण कनकं तं घेत्तु धसिऊण विसणिग्घायणट्ठा तस्स पार्ण
fass -NC, 1, p. 135.
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