Page:Sushruta Samhita Vol 1.djvu/476

372 and water, while lightness stands for the essential properties of fire, air and sky. Hence the digestion of all food-stuff may be described as either heavy (Guru) or light (Laghu).

Authoritative verses on the subject:—Of substances under the process of digestion, those, which are characterised by attributes, specifically belonging to earth and water, are called substances of sweet (heavy) digestion; while those which are permeated with the specific properties of air, fire and sky are called substances of pungent (light) digestion (easily digestible articles of food). We have fully stated the text of the controversy as regards the primary importance of drugs and their tastes, virtues, potencies and digestive reactions, as well as the views of those who build their theories on the separate or exclusive importance of any of the five afore-said factors. The wise and the erudite set an equal importance to each of them, and ascribe the curative efficacy of a medicine to the co-operation of all these five factors. A drug ot a substance sometimes destroys or originates a deranged condition of the humours through the dynamical action of its native or inherent properties, sometimes in virtue of its specific potency and sometimes by natural taste or digestive (chemical) reaction. Digestive reaction is impossible without drug potency. There is