in point of age tlie Niddna by Madhava Kara show no trace of any knowledge whatever of opium on the part of the ancient Hindus. Professor Wilson is of opinion " that the Charaka, the Susruta, and the treatise called Niddna were translated and studied by the Arabians in the days of Harun and Mansur (A. D. 773)." So the Niddna must have been written before the middle of the 8th century at the latest. ChakradattaSangraha, a companion volume to the Niddna, deals with a variety of vegetable drugs, as well as mercury, which was just then coming into use, but it does not mention opium. It is a popular mistake that opium was first mentioned in Bhdvaprakasa. But the oldest work in which we find it mentioned is Rdja-nirghantu which means " The King of Vocabularies." It was said to have originated from Dhanvantari, the Surgeon of Heaven, but it was in reality compiled by Pandit Nara Simha of Cashmere, about 600 years ago. The Pandit mentions Madana Pala's medical work; so he must have lived after the Pala dynasty. Ho describes opium thus :?

sfwirw to

u

vJ

Aphenam khaskhasa-raso niphenam ch-ahiphenakam Aphonam sannipata-ghnam vpshyam valyaka-mohadam. Rdja-nirghantu "

Aplien, khaskhasarasa, niphen, and ahiphen synonyms. Aphen cures concurrent derangement of the three humours, increases sexual and muscular powers and produces stupification of the brain." are

The next book which mentions the properties opium is Bhdvaprakdsa, written 300 years ago by Bhuva Miara, the distinguished physician of Benares. Ho says that opium is similar in its properties to poppy capsules. The properties of the latter are described thus :? of

mfa fa#

i

THE AYUR-VEDA SA'STRA ON OPIUM. Bt S. M.

Das,

m.b.

Ayur-veda, derived from dyus, meaning life, and vid, to know, is a general term for tlie science by which everything concerning life is known. It was said to have been written as an appendix to the Atharva Veda, by Brahma, the creator. But no mortal eye has as yet met its thousand chapters and hundred thousand slokas. The two famous commentaries, known as Charaka and Susruta, supposed by Indian tradition to have been written about the 9th B. C.,1 and next 1 They were demonstrably not then composed. Their ape is not exactly known, but Dr. Hoernld informs us that there is no reason to suppose that thoy were composed before the commencement of the Christian era, probably considerably later.?Ed. I. M. G.

Syat khakhasa-phal-odbhfttarp valkalarp Sitalarp lagliu tiktaip kasayancha batakrit kaphakasahrit Dhiitunam soshakarp rukshaip madakrit bahmbarddhanam Muhur-mohakaraip. ruchyaip. sevanat puipatva-nasanam. Bhavaprakdia. Grahi

of the poppy are cooling, asand styptic taste, act (injubitter tringent, riously) on the nervous system {lit., on the airy humour, cure (derangements of) the phlegmatic humour and cough, light (of digestion), dry up the elements, promoting talkativeness, aro dry (i.e., not fatty) intoxicating, bring on loss of consciousness at intervals, increase the appetite, and, used as an articlo of diet, bring on im"

The

capsules of

potency."

a

April

AYUR-YEDA SASTRA ON OPIUM.

1894.J

Bhava Misra calls

(vyavdyi),

opium

"

faqfTfa? (bikdsi) and explains gnrrfa thus :?

(madakrit).

3JIWTfw 3tT*} V1TT 57^Tfq rf^

He

II

Purvam vyapyakliilam kayam tatah p&kan-cha gachchhati Vyavayi tad yatha blianga phenau-ch-aliisamudbhavam. "

That which, first of all, diffuses throughout the whole body and is afterwards absorbed, is called vyavayi, such as bhang* and opium." cha vikasi

syat.

That which is vyavdyi is vikdsi." Vikdsi is explained thus :?

fsjfWT^r Sfcf ^rctfiT

rftj

"

I

Sandhi-bandhan-stu sithilan yat karoti vikasi tat " That which causes the joints to be relaxed and dries up the vital power of the elements is (called) Vikdsi [i.e., paralyser).

or

Madakari is

*rf^r

sr

fWtJUH WT* J

?

lumpati yat dravyaip Tamoguna pradhdnafi-cha.

Buddhim

"

explained

madalcdri tad

thus

:?

uchyate

the intellect and inis propensities called madakari." No other Hindu medical work describes the properties of opium so fully. It was first mentioned COO years ago in the Rdja-nirghantu evidently during the Mahomedan period; and then after the effects of its use had been watched for a period of three centuries, it was described fully by Bhava Misra in the terms mentioned above. The date of the compilation of the Widvaprakasa is ascertained from the fact that the author mentions chohchini as a cure for syphilis, which he terms Phiranga-roga, or European disease, as the disease was imported by the Portuguese. " According to Fluckiger and Hanbury, the use of this drug as a remedy for syphilis was made known to the Portuguese at Gr.oa by Chinese traders about A. D. 1538." 2 That which

duces vicious

destrbys

The later compilations, such

as,

Rasendra-sdra-

sangraha, Bhaishajya-ratndvali, and Bhaishajyatantra, prescribe opium in diarrhoea, dysentery, and

anasarca.

The

Amritasdgara

two-grain pills of camphor part, and opium and mace,

recommends and musk, each one each four parts, in

diabetes. Sdrangadhar prescribes a poultice made of poppy seeds with milk in porrigo of the scalp. This author describes a powder made of 3 Dr. Dutt's Hindu Materia

L

Medica,

S'ukra-stambha-karam Narxnam pritijananam

Introduction,

page xi.

in the

ti

fafa

following

II

cliurnam pumsam ananda-karakam. seveta nisi kamukah.

This powder which promotes the retention of the semen, and (thus) causes pleasure to men and engenders love in women, should be taken at night by one who is intent on sexual enjoyment.

hemp.

Yisoshyaujas-cha dhatubhyo.

Madalcrit

sandalwood, &c.,

No divine origin of invented by the old Rdjavallabha, in the

"

J

red

:?

^T^tnf

l

The Ayur-Veda Sastra on Opium.

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