Studies in the Bhagavati Sutra

Author(s): J C Sikdar
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 376

Sec. II)
STUDIES IN THE BHAGAWATI SUTRA
351
As regards the medicine, treatment, diet and hospitalization, they give a detailed account on the two lines of treatment, viz. medicinal and surgical, as referred to in the Bhs.
Thus, there occur references to various kinds of treatment prescribed and given by the physician on the basis of the nature of the disease, such as, rubbing with oil (abbhanga) rubbing with powder (uvvattana), oil drinks (siņeha pāņı), vomitting (vamana), purging (vireyaņa), branding (avaddahaņa), medicated baths (avanhāna), oil eneina (aņuvāsana), head bath (batthikamma), purging by drugs (virūha), opening vejus (sirāveha), cutting (tacchana), scrapping (pacchana), bathing the head with oils (sirobatthi), nourishing the body with oils (tappana) by means of ingredients roasted on fire, by puța pāka method, barks, roots, bulbs, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, bitters (silikā), pills, drugs (08aha), etc.
Besides these, a long list of other kinds of treatmentboth medicinal and surgical, as prescribed by the physicians according to the nature of diseases is provided by the different Jaina texts, e.g. the use of hairy or hairless (saloma-nilloma) skin for the old monks and nuns thus, the lying down on the skin in the case of flatulence (uddhavāta) or paralysis (dhanuggāha) or of piles or severe pain or of the dislocation of foot or of the attack of wind on the whole or the part of the body of a nun, the wrapping of the affected part of the body with the skin of hyena (taraccha) in the case of her rheumatism (vāta) and the lying down on a tiger-skin (dīvicamima) in that of dog-biting, etc.
The other Jnina texts throw a welcome light upon the surgical treatment by refering to various kinds of instruments for operation and to the surgical cases treated by the surgeons.
i Vivāga Suya, 1. p. 8; Vide 'Life in Ancient India.' p. 179. ? Bihatkalpa Sutra, 3, 3, 6; Bhasya, 3839.41. 9 Bihatkalpa Bhāsya, 3816-18. 4 Vide, 'Life in Ancient India', p. 180. 5 Niśitha Cú, ll, p. 701.
Vivāga Suya, 8, p. 48; see Vinayavastu of Mulasaravāstivāda, pp. 27-43.