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Jaina Biology
on each side of the heart muscle being fastended by the stout sinews, it develops from a single root from the base of neck and divides into two after going short way like a pair of mango fruits attached together by their stalk":24 According to Antomy, this description of kindney is wrong in regard to its location, for the two kidneys are compound glands, situated at the back of the abdominal cavity, i. e. "one on each side of the spinal column and behind the peritoneal cavity. They correspond in position to the space included between the upper border of the 12th thoracic and the 3rd lumber Vertebrae."25 "The kidneys are a pair of beanshaped structure about 4 inchas long26.
According to Visuddhimagga, "Kidney is dull red (reddish brown), like the colour of palibaddhaka (Erythrina Indica linn) seeds. It is shaped like a pair of child's play balls". 27
"The kindeys are the most important excretory organs of mammals, performing approximately 75 per cent of the work of excretion”, 28 they have a number of other important functions as well. They regulate the concentration of various substances dissolved in the blood,
the balance between acids and bases and keep the blood volume constant. Since the concentration of substances in all body fluids is determined largely by their concentration in the blood, the kindneys indirectly regulate the composition of all body fluids.":29 Its ducts :
Jain Biology does not make direct mention of ureter connected with kidney at the upper end and with bladder at the lower end, but its reference to bladder (vathipudaya )30 and the excretion of urine through (u)pastha )31 (urethra or genital urinal tract) throws some light upon its ducts for the excretion of urine. Visuddhimagga mentions the urinary bladder (Vatthiputo ). It states that the urinary secretion 24. "Imassa jatussa satthisirāsayam bābhippabhavāņam ahogāmiņiņam gudappait
thāņa rin jāņum si nirüvaghāeņāṁ muttapurīsavā ukammam favāttai /"
Tandula Veyaliya, 16, p. 35. 25. "Vissuddhimagga XI. 58. Vakkam galavāto nikkhantepa ... thitan" etc. 26. VM. XI. 58. 27. Anatomy and Physiology, pp. 617-48, Dey, vide Sacitra Ayurveda, p. 74, March,
1972. 28. VM. VIII. 110 “Vakkan li ekabandhana dve maņsapiņdika ... Tan vannatoman
darattan etc. /" 29. Biology, p, 330. 30. lbid. 31. Nirayāvaliyā 1.1 ; "vatthi avānam" Panhavagaraṇā, 1.3, p. 58.
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