Page:Sushruta Samhita Vol 3.djvu/212

182 Tikshna (high) fever are the indications which point to the hopeless nature of the case. 37 — 38.

A slightly, middling or excessively aggravated condition of the deranged Doshas of the body forebodes the continuace of fever for three, seven and twelve days respectively, each succeeding one being more difficult to cure than the one immediately preceding it in order of enumeration. Thus we have done with the description of (the nature, causes and symptoms of) the different types of fever. We shall now deal with the remedial measures or therapeutic agents to be employed in these cases. 39.

Treatment: — Draughts of filtered (matured but non-medicated) clarified butter should be given as soon as the premonitory symptoms would make their appearance and the patient would get relief thereby. This is applicable only in a case of the Vátaja type of fever while purgatives should be administered in a case of the Pittaja and mild emetics, in a case of the Kaphaja type under similar conditions. In cases of Dwidoshaja and Tri-doshaja fevers, the foregoing measures should be adopted according to the Doshas involved in each case. In the cases in which emulsive measures (Sneha-Karma) and exhibition of purgatives and emetics are forbidden, such measures should be employed as would tend to lighten the system such as fasting, (Langhana) etc. 40. Fasting: —The premonitory and the actual stages of fever are of various forms like those of fire and its fume. Fasting is pre-eminently the best remedy as soon as the characteristic symptoms of the disease make their appearance distinctly and vomiting is most efficacious in a case marked by the presence of the deranged bodily Dosha in the Ámáśaya (stomach) and attended with nausea, thirst, water-brash.