Page:Sushruta Samhita Vol 1.djvu/556

452 Honey is not collected from the flowers of any particular species. On the other hand, the honey-making bees cull it from the sap and juice of flowers and plants, which are incompatible with one another in respect of their nature, taste, virtue, potency and re-actionary (chemical) effect. For these reasons, and further from the fact of it being prepared by poisonous bees, honey becomes positively injurious after contact with heat or fire, and accordingly the use of hot or boiled honey is forbidden.

Metrical Texts:—On account of its poisonous contact in its origin honey exerts a similar injurious virtue. Used in a boiling or heated state, or in a hot country, or during the hot season of the year, or in a heated state of the body, honey is sure to prove fatal like poison. Honey is specially made injurious by hot contact owing to its placidity and coolness, and further for the reason of its being collected from the sap of a variety of flowers and plants. Atmospheric water (rain-water), like heat, serves to impart an injurious character to all kinds of honey (except the one known as the Arghyam Madhu).

Metrical Texts:—For emetic purposes honey may be administered with any other hot substance, inasmuch as it is intended in such a case that the imbibed honey, instead of being retained or