THE TEXT OF THE SAMARARATNE MANUSCRIPT SALLA VIDIYA

A salutation to the Fortunate One, the Perfect and Fully Enlightened Buddha.

This book, Salla Vidiya, belongs to Jayasuriya Aratchi Patabendige Babanis.  It is brought from Valkanayāya in Niyangama in the up-country hinterland.

For headache and for pain in the region at the back of the neck, cauterize with the button instrument the two nerves near the dent just above the nape of the neck.

For pain in the forehead, embrocate the bulging portion of the cheek.

For a pain in the _____ embrocate with the button instrument the two _____ at the _____ joint of the brows _____ finger-inches.

For maladies all over the head and for shivering, embrocate the place where the patient's palm when stretched upwards from his nose touches his head.

For pain all over the head, leave one finger-inch above the root of the ear and embrocate forcefully up to a depth of about half of a grain of paddy.

For pain all over the head, leave one finger-inch above the root of the ear and embrocate forcefully up to a depth of about half of a grain of paddy.

For the sanni illness arising from [imbalance of] vāta, cauterize the two ankles.  Embrocate with the button instrument the region above the joints of the toes.

For the sanni illness known as mūrtai sanni, embrocate the two soles.

For the sanni illness known as ākāsa sanni, embrocate the swollen nerves of the forefingers on the reverse side of both palms.

For the sanni illness known as vedi sanni, embrocate forcefully at the joint of the spine up to a depth of about one grain of paddy.

For the sanni illness known as deva sanni, embrocate the region above the nail cavities of the fingers.

For the sanni illness known as mūrta sanni, embrocate.

For the sanni illness known as kōla sanni, embrocate the two shoulders.  Cauterize at the top of the head up to a depth of about one grain of paddy.

For the sanni illness known as vedi sanni, embrocate the middle regions of the two soles.

For pitta sanni and for being hunch-backed, embrocate the swollen nerves.

For sleshma sanni illness, embrocate the ankle bone of the right foot.

For seetala sanni illness, embrocate the middle of the forehead.

For mudukku sanni illness, embrocate [a place] one finger-inch lower on the forehead.

For oddi sanni illness, embrocate two finger-inches lower.

For olmāda sanni, embrocate the forehead three finger-inches lower.  Also embrocate with the button instrument a place below the pinna outside the joint of the jaws.

For the sanni illness associated with being hunch-backed, embrocate forcefully about half a span on the hammerlike shank below the kneecap.  In the same manner embrocate the two edges about two finger-inches above that kneecap as mentioned earlier.

For jala sanni illness, embrocate the two soles, the top of the head and the [nail] cavities of the toes.

For kapāla vata illness, measure four finger-inches at the joint of the eyebrows and embrocate the two extremities.  If the treatment is not effectiev, embrocate forcefully up to a depth of about one grain of paddy.  Similarly, measure about two finger-inches towards the cheeks and embrocate forcefully up to a depth of about half a grain of rice.  It is effective in cases of shooting pain of the jaws and in cases of sanni illness.

For muscle dislocation in the arm, embrocate the top of the joint of the two shoulders.

For pain in the lumbar region, measure one finger-inch from the spine joint and cauterize forcefully up to a depth of one finger-inch.

For all ailments of the extremities of the feet, leave a region of 2½ finger-inches up to the joint, and cauterize forcefully up to a depth of one finger-inch.

For vāta complaint in the leg, measure one span from the thigh joint, and embrocate forcefully up to a depth of about one grain of rice.

For vādam illness on the foot and for cauterization there, measure a span and embrocate forcefully up to a depth of one finger-inch.

For illness associated with vāta, which gives rise to a benumbed state of the foot, leave two finger-inches above the knee, and embrocate forcefully up to a depth of about one grain of paddy.

For shooting pain in the sole and for onsetting lameness, cauterize at the fork at the base of the little finger..  If there is toughness, forcefully embrocate up to a depth of about half a grain of rice.

For hernia embrocate the finger fork.

For shivering of the foot, embrocate with the button instrument the region just around the ankle bone.

If the eyeballs have rolled and become dislocated, cauterize the exact middle of the sole.  If there is bleeding, boil magul karanda bark with salt and tie around.

In case of gangrene setting in, boil karanda bark and kaballa bark in coconut milk and apply the oil.  A cure will result.

1. If, even after administering this surgical treatment there is no cure, measure about two finger-inches upwards.  Let it remain as an intervening space.  Embrocate the two extremities up to a depth of one finger-inch.

2. Now listen to the treatment for pain in the shank.  Measure three finger-inches from the knee.  Embrocate up to a depth of about half of a finger-inch and relieve suffering and bring about a cure.

3. Measure three finger-inches from the ankle bone and embrocate with a copper instrument up to a depth of one finger-inch.  There are other remedies which have been found effective.

4. Measure three finger-inches downwards from the knee.  Measure three and a half finger-inches from the ankle bone.  If these areas are embrocated all these ailments will be dispelled and health will be maintained always.

5. If intense pain-heat comes from the cheeks, then embrocate them and remove the pain.  For this purpose measure three finger-inches from the forehead up to the ear and administer treatment to a depth of half a finger-inch.

6. If intense pain-heat is felt at the dent just above the nape of the neck, measure three finger-inches from there and administer treatment up to a depth of a grain of paddy.  Embrocate the centre.  The ailments will then disappear like water which strikes a gahala leaf [or a lotus leaf].

7. If a person is seen suffering from an ache arising from imbalance of sleshma accompanied by palpitation, quickly embrocate the crown of the head and relieve him of all pain.

8. When people are seen to be suffering from intense pain-heat in the throat and in the head, embrocate the shoulders and both sides of the neck.  Do not entertain any doubts.  When pain-heat arises in the shoulders embrocate with confidence the shoulders and the neck.

9. In all types of illnesses, measure the [required number of] finger-inches around the ankle bone.  Embrocate up to a depth of about one finger-inch there.  Subsequently embrocate also the region of the bottom of the toes.  All illnesses will then vanish, like the serpent in front of the Garuda bird.

10. If intense pain-heat of the head increases, note the fact.  Measure two finger-inches from the ear and embrocate up to a depth of one grain of paddy.  The ailments of the head will then vanish like the elephant which sees the majestic lion.

11. Measuring three and a half finger-inches upwards, embrocate up to a depth of about one grain of paddy.  Thereafter embrocate the two edges of the dent just above the nape of the neck.  The two edges of the neck also should be embrocated as a remedy for a headache.

12. If pain-heat of the shoulders is experienced by people constantly, embrocate the shoulders - the surface, the edges, the middle, and the underside of the shoulders.  Measure the two finger-inches from the elbow and embrocate up to a depth of half a finger-inch daily.

13. Measure three finger-inches and embrocate up to a depth of one grain of paddy.  Measure three finger-inches upwards from the joint below.  Embrocate up to a depth of half a grain of paddy.  Embrocate with the ring finger.  This is a remedy for headaches.

14. From the dent just above the nape of the neck, measure eleven finger-inches.  Embrocate the spine there up to a depth of about one grain of paddy.  All ailments of the heart will thereby vanish.  There will be relief from pain.  This treatment will make the patient happy.

15. For pain in the ribs measure four finger-inches downwards and embrocate there.  If this is done the patient will be relieved of pain as stated by [ancient] sages.

16A. If four finger-inches are measured further down and if that place is embrocated, stomach aches will disappear.  If below that place three finger-inches are measured and embrocated, navel aches will be cured.  What other remedy could there be?

16B. For a headache, measure two finger-inches upwards and embrocate up to one finger-inch.  Measuring two finger-inches from lower down, internal embrocation can be done.  Headaches of people will be cured by this embrocation.

17. For pain in the shank, measure four finger-inches upwards from the heel and embrocate just below that place up to a depth of one grain of paddy.  The patient to whom this treatment is administered will be relieved of all pain.

18.  In instances of vavulun sanni disease, embrocate the underside of the toes.  In instances of the sanni disease of incoherent speech, embrocate the region below the top of the head.

19. If intense pain-heat is generated , embrocate the joints of the soles in both feet.  Note that there is another embrocation also, namely the embrocation of the two edges of the hands.  By means of such embrocation cure ailments.

20. If that pain-heat goes to the head, embrocate the two extremities of the top of the head.  If after embrocating the two cheeks there is no success, take measurements below the dent above the nape of the head.

21. Measure four finger-inches and embrocate.  Measure two finger-inches from the neck.  IF that place is embrocated as instructed by the sages, the heat of the head will disappear completely.

22. In an instance of the sanni illness where the two hands are benumbed, embrocate the elbow joints.  Embrocate at the forks of the fingers on the back of the palm.  The benumbing will totally disappear and the body will be healed.

23. In an instance of Nippandu anaemia where vomiting takes place together with diarrhoea embrocate the neck joint.  Up to a depth of one finger-inch embrocate both sides deeply.  Embrocate the shoulders to a depth of about one grain of paddy.

24. - the number 24 is omitted in the manuscript -

25. The region between the head and the anus can be divided into two parts and the left part can be embrocated.  If that is done and if the top of the head as well as the soles are embrocated, twingeing pains will be cured.

26. In an instance of pain-heat and headache, embrocate the two corners leading out of the ear joints.  Measure two finger-inches below the dent above the nape on the neck and embrocate there with oil as instructed by the sages.

27. If a white spot has appeared in the eye, embrocate the centre of the dent above the nape of the neck and also the peripheral region of each eye as instructed by the sages.  In that manner effect a cure for eye disease and extend the patient's life.

28. If the forks at the base of the little finger, ring finger, and middle finger are embrocated, the white spot in the eye will disappear.  For swelling of the eyelid, embrocate the top of the head and also a finger-inch below the ear.

29. Measure one finger-inch above the ear and embrocate there.  The cataract will disappear and the eye will be clear.  Measure one finger-inch below the ear and embrocate.  All ailments of the eyes will be cured.

30. If pain is accompanied by numbness, embrocate the surface of the shoulders, the middle of the shoulders, and the two edges of the shoulders.  Embrocate the hip to a depth of three finger-inches.  The pain-heat of the head will then disappear.

31. Listen to the panacea for all diseases.  Embrocate all sides of the knee to a depth of one finger-inch.  This embrocation will cure all diseases.

32. In an instance of pain in the neck, embrocate both edges of both shoulders.  Also burn at appropriate places.  If the treatment fails, administer treatment at the two-way junction near the sole.

33. If the soles are embrocated right below the region of the ankle bone, the pain-heat of the eyes and head will disappear.  Measure six finger-inches from the top of the head and embrocate there and also the lower neck.  The pain-heat of the eyes and head will then be dispelled.

34. When the patient is suffering from cataract of the eye, cauterize at the brow and dispel doubt.  Embrocate there.  If the treatment is a failure, the place for embrocation is either side of the dent just above the nape of the neck.  Grasp this point.

35. In an instance of ran patala cataract cauterize at the cheek.  For headache, too, cauterize at that place.  For the person who wants to cure hernia I shall tell the techniques.

36. O physician, learn your surgery and embrocate the big nerve round the big tow.  Embrocate the ankle joint.  Embrocate in the same manner the strong nerve referred to earlier.

37. If, O physician, you were not successful even after embrocating that place, measure two finger-inches from the anus.  Having ascertained the precise region where the pain occurs, embrocate there.  The ailment will be truly cured then.

38. For the same ailment [try this remedy].  Measure from the knee to the upper side of the foot and divide that distance into three portions.  Leave out two portions for the lower region.  Leave a finger-inch for the shank bone.

39.  O physician, cauterize here.  After cauterizing there will be half a finger-inch [to attend to].  Cauterize at the back of the shank and at the centres of the two soles,  He [the patient] will experience joy.

40. In the case of human beings whose vāta is in excess, such excess can be corrected and health of body can be restored if embrocation is done at a place one finger-inch above the fork at the toe of the foot.

41. When a human being suffers from lameness through neuralgia as a result of vāta being unbalanced, measure one finger-inch from the knee of such a patient and cauterize at that place.  The patient will then stretch out his neuralgic foot and stand up.

42. Here is another remedy for such lameness.  Take domba oil, castor oil, mee oil, and gingelly oil.  Boil them.  Insert a string in the boiling mixture of oil.

43. At a place half of a finger-inch away from the kneecap send the oil string in.  The dreadful illness of neuralgia brought about by vāta in the foot will then leave his body.

44. In this manner treat patients who are victims of neuralgic vāta complaints.  They are suffering from karmically conditioned pain.  Ascertain the centre of the muscles between the kneecap and the shank bone.

45. And pluck from a creeper a piece three finger-inches long.  Keep it lengthwise on the shank bone.  As soon as its two extremities are burnt, the neuralgic vāta ailment will jump away through fear.

[Added sentence:] For ailments of vāta in the lumbar region, measure two finger-inches from the anus and cauterize at the extremities of the two bones [there].

46. Here is another remedy for this same malady.  Measure with a creeper the distance from the top of the thigh up to the knee.  Divide this distance into two equal parts.  If you embrocate the centre with the button instrument, there will be no neuralgic vāta ailment to speak of.

[Added sentence:] For lameness in the lumbar region, measure four finger-inches from the edge of the legs and cauterize at every inch.

47. On seeing a person suffering from neuralgic pain arising from vāta in the lumbar region, take into consideration the bones at the triple joint.  Measure 2½ finger-inches with a piece of creeper.  Cauterize at the two extremities there and dispel the pain so as to be beyond all doubt.

48. If there is cataract of the eyes, or if the eyes are infected, or if there is a persisting headache, measure a distance of four finger-inches from the temples and embrocate there and cauterize with the button instrument.  There will be relief from the eye ailment.

49. From here onwards listen to the treatment for all diseases.  From the tip of the nose measures one span.  Embrocate with the button instrument the lock of hair at the termination of the span.  The patient will feel as if the top of the head had been cauterized.  Recovery will follow.

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50. Embrocate the soles and upper sides of the feet.  Measure the two muscles on the outside.  Select a place three finger-inches in extent one span below those muscles.  Cauterize at the centre of that place.

51. Allot zones of the sole for treatment in all kinds of disease.  If the place corresponding to the iris be cauterized all ailments will vanish and healing will result.  The sages have declared this through compassion for living beings.

52. For dizziness which arises from unbalanced pitta, cauterize at the cheeks.  In case of the specific 'red' pitta ailment, cauterize at the reverse of the palms.  In cases of excessive sleshma, cauterize at the centre of the chest.  For the same ailment cauterize at the dent above the nape of the neck.

53. In case of vomiting listen [to what should be done].  Vomiting will stop if the thumb is cauterized at the base of its nail.  The causes of illnesses will then be destroyed.

54. Hold the hands of people who are subject to continuous hiccups.  Cauterize at the base of their hands.  Cauterize at their ankles.  The hiccups will then stop.

55. Listen to the remedy for stomach ache.  Embrocate the navel with a metal-ringed pestle.  It will be as effective as the physician's act of puncturing a nerve at the heel as a remedy for hiccups.

56. In case of an ache or an attack of insanity, measure from the top of the head downwards.  Divide into two equal parts the creeper with which the measurement was made.  With that half-creeper measure again from the top of the head downwards.

57. One extremity [of that creeper] will be at the upper end of the spine.  Cauterize there according to the instructions given by physicians.  Then the aches, insanity, and illnesses of those people will vanish.  The body will be completely cured.

58. If, after ascertaining that he [the patient] is talking incoherently, cauterization is done on either the side of his ankle bone.  He will be cured of insanity.

59. Divide into four parts the region from the central dent on the chest to the dent in front of the neck.  Transmit heat to the two ends and in the intervening space.  As soon as that is done the ailment of talking incoherently will soon disappear.

60. After taking into consideration various points of view, sages had suggested ways and means of healing the wounds caused by cauterization.  They had provided for burning the outer serrated covering of the jak fruit and for obtaining the ash.  That ash was to be moistened with coconut oil and applied on the wounds.

61. O physicians, learn these techniques of cauterization.  Heal the illnesses of people and dispel their suffering.  I have now come to the end of my book on cauterization and the use of surgical instruments.

62. O beings!  Mention in this manner the order in which the mystic force kalā operates in the bright fortnight - toe, foot, ankle bone, knee, sexual organ, navel, chest, breast, throat, nose, eye, ear, brow, forehead, top of the head.

63. In the case of women this [mystic force] rises from the left side of the body and descends from the right side.  In visha kala the commencing place is at the seventh (in the list given above).  Explain amrta kala and visha kala thus.

64. In the waxing fortnight on the first day [after the new moon] it [the amrta kala] is on the big toe of the foot.  On the second on the sole.  On the third on the shank.  On the fourth on the knee.  On the fifth on the sexual organ.  On the sixth on the middle of the belly.  On the seventh on the breast.  On the eighth on the armpit.  On the ninth on the neck.  On the tenth on the nose.

65. On the eleventh on the ear.  On the twelfth on the tooth.  On the thirteenth on the brow.  On the fourteenth on the top of the head.  On the first day of the next fortnight it is on the right _____.  On the second on the forehead.  On the third on the brow.  On the fourth on the lip.  On the fifth on the cheek.  On the sixth on the tooth.

66. On the seventh on the neck.  On the eighth on the armpit.  On the ninth on the breast.  On the tenth on the brow.  On the eleventh on the sexual organ.  On the twelfth on the knee.  On the thirteenth on the shank.  On the fourteenth on the sole.  _____ big toe and right big toe _____.  Thus the mystic maru force takes up position.

67. Maru on Sunday morning is on the eyes.  At midday on the armpit.  In the evening on the top of the head.  On Monday morning on the right hand.  At midday on the ear.  In the evening on the breast.  On Tuesday morning on the upper foot.  At midday on the knee _____.  Maru and soolam operate thus.

68. On Wednesday _____.  At midday on the elbow.  In the evening on the wrist.  On Thursday morning it is on the _____.  At midday on the right hand.  On Friday morning it is in the central dent on the chest.  At midday on the forehead.  In the evening on the top of the head ______.  On these days soolam is thus positioned.

ADDENDA

If the heat-pain arising from cauterization is excessive, chant the following mantram [charm] over mee oil or ghee and sprinkle [at the affected place]:

For vāta sanni: burn at the ankles.

For vāta convulsions: cauterize at the back of the shoulders on the left side of the body.  From the armpit to the centre of the hip region above the left hip _____.  Burn two inches above the hip.

For upsets through [imbalance of] vāta and pitta: with a ring instrument made of copper cauterize the two major nerves which lead to the dent above the nape of the neck.  Embrocate the lumbar region with the steel needle.

For convulsions arising from imbalance of vāta and pitta: cauterize at two places two finger-inches below the navel, below the two breasts, and on the feet.

For convulsions arising from sleshma imbalance: cauterize outside the place where the two jaws converge.