Page:Sushruta Samhita Vol 1.djvu/600

496 of its pinions in flight. The flesh of a fruit-eating bird produces a state of extreme parchedness in the organism (of a person using is as food,) while that of a carnivorous one acts as a good constructive tonic. The flesh of a bird, which lives on fish, produces Pittam, while that of one, which lives on paddy (Dhanya), subdues the Vayu. Of the animals, that live in dry land or frequent marshy places, as well as of those which are domesticated, or are carnivorous in their habits, or are possessed of unbifurcated hoofs, or live by darting on their preys, or dwell in holes, or are possessed of long legs, or eat by pricking, or are in the habit of first scattering their food with their claws, the flesh of each preceding one is lighter and tends to give rise to a lesser secretion from the internal organs than the one immediately following it in the order of enumeration.

Of animals belonging to the same genus, the flesh of one, which attains to an abnormally large size, should be rejected as inferior in pith or substance, and heavy as regards digestion. The flesh about the region of the liver of all animals should be regarded as the very best in respect of its dietic properties, in absence whereof the flesh of a young animal not at all used up, or afflicted with any disease and just quartered that day, should be regarded as coming next best.