CHAPTER XL.
Now we shall discourse on the (causes, symptoms and) medical treatment of diarrhœa, etc, (Atisára-pratisheda). 1.
Causes of Atisára:— The excessive use of extremely heavy (hard to digest), oleaginous, dry, hot, cold, fluid, thick, and incompatible articles of food, eating irregularly and at improper time (or unaccustomed articles of fare), indigestion, eating before the digestion of the previous meal, excessive use or misuse of any lardacious substances, etc., (Sneha, Sveda, etc.), use of any poison, fright, grief, drinking impure water, the excessive drinking of liquor, change of season or physical contrarieties, indulgence in aquatic sports, voluntary repression of any natural urging (of the body) or germination of parasites in the intestines are the causes which bring on an attack of diarrhœa (Atisára) the symptoms whereof will be dealt with presently. 2.
Pathology:— The liquid part (Ap-dhátu) of the body, if aggravated and carried downward by the bodily Váyu, impairs the fire in the stomach (fire of digestion) and mixing with the fecal matter, is painfully and constantly emitted through the anus. This dangerous disease is named Atisára from the constant oozing out (Ati and Sarana) of the liquid fecal matter from the anus. It is usually classified into six different types, viz., those due to the predominance of the deranged bodily Doshas severally involved therein, that due to the concerted action of the three Doshas, one due to grief and that due to the indigested mucous accumulations (Áma)
