Page:Sushruta Samhita Vol 1.djvu/617

Chap.XLVI.] body. The Sarshapa herbs, as well as those known as Gandira and Vega, can be but imperfectly digested. They tend to suppress the discharge of stool and urine, produce a state of dryness in the organism, are sharp and heat-making in their potency, and serve to derange the three fundamental humours of the body. The herbs called Chitraka and Tilaparni are light (of digestion), and subdue the Kapham and oedema. The herb known as the Varshabhu subdues the Vayu and Kapham. It proves beneficial in cases of oedema, abdominal dropsy and piles. The Mulaka-Potika has a pungent bitter taste. It is pleasant, appetising, light and throat-cleansing, tends to impart a greater relish to food, and subdues the action of all kinds of deranged humours. Raw or immature Mulaka of the larger species is heavy in digestion and long retained in the stomach in an undigested state. It is irritating and tends to produce a derangement of the three humours of the body, while boiled with oil or butter it acts as a demulcent and subdues the Vayu, Pittam and Kapham.

Dried Mulaka subdues the action of the three deranged humours. It is anti-toxic and light (of digestion). All dried herbs with the exception of the preceding one generate the Vayu and take a long time to be digested.

The properties described in connection with the Mulaka bulb in its different stages of growth and