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CHAPTER VIII.
SUBJECT AND CONTENTS OF THE TREATISES IN THE
BOWER MANUSCRIPT. (1) In the existing fragmentary state of Part I, it is difficult to determine the particular class of medical literature to which the treatise contained in it should be assigned, It commences with a kalpa, or small pharmacographic tract, on garlic (Allium sativum, Linn.) This tract consists of the initial forty-three verses, including between them eighteen or nineteen different, mostly more or less unusual, metres. Their list, given at the end of Chapter VII, shows that the most frequent among them is the vasanta-tilaka with eight verses, while the well-known élôka comes only second with six verses. The tract is preserved in almost perfect order; the end of every verse (except two, vv. 29 and 35) is marked with a double stroke. The concluding verse 43 alone is seriously mutilated, but fortunately its statement as to garlic (lavuna) being the subject of the tract (kalpa) is preserved. That subject is represented in verse 9 as having been communicated by the sage (muni) King of Kasi (Kasi-raja) to Suś. ruta. By the sage, in all probability, Divódása is intended, also known as the divine surgeon Dhanvantari; and Suśruta undoubtedly refers to the celebrated author of what is now known as the Susruta Sanhitâ. But it may be noted that in the concluding verse 43, the author, whoever he was, refers to himself in the first person (ukta maya).
The tract, or kalpa, on garlic is followed by another tract which might be described as a short tantra, or text-book, comprising a number of very miscellaneous Sections, arranged in a rather unmethodical fashion. It commences with remarks on the importance of regulating digestion (vv. 44-51), and with some pharmaceutic directions (vv. 55-59), such as are usually found in the so-called stra-sthana, or section on the principles of medicine, of a sajhitâ. Interspersed are some alterative and aphrodisiac formule (vv. 52-54, 60, 61-67), such as are usually given in the Sanhita sections on rasayana and vâjikarana. Next comes a section with formulæ for various eye-lotions (aschytana, vv. 68-86). This is followed by another on face plasters (mukha-lêpa, vadana-pralēpa,vv. 87-105) and collyria aiijana, vidalaka) and remedies for the hair, etc. (vv. 106-120); and finally there is a section on cough-mixtures (vv. 121-124). This second tract differs from the preceding in two respects. First, it employs only three metres, the slôka (44 verses), trishtubh (30 verses) and âryâ (6 verses); and secondly, it uses the double stroke to mark, not the end of a verse, but the end of a formula (consisting of one or more verses) or of a section. In both respects it resembles the treatise in Part II.
(2) Part II contains a practical formulary, or handbook of prescriptions, covering the whole field of internal medicine. It is called the Návanitaka or "Cream,” and professes to give, for the use of the practitioner, a selection of the best prescriptions found in the standard medical works of the time, and though these standard works are not actually named, it is possible in many cases to identify them. But in addition to these, it gives some formule which seem to be taken from the floating medical tradition, as well as a very few which appear to have been added by the author himself. The details may be seen in Chapters VI and VII, as well as in the subjoined Table of Parallels.
The formulary was originally divided into sixteen chapters. This, at least, was the intention of its author, as may be seen from his introduction (vv. 8 and 9), which enumerates the headings of the sixteen chapters. There is no good reason to doubt that the intention Was accomplished; but whether or not the formulary was ever actually completed, it is now impossible to say, seeing that the solitary existing copy of it in the Bower Manuscript is incomplete, as the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters, as well as apparently the conclusion of four. teenth, are missing.
