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ON HYGIENE TN 



restless, unhappy and afflicted with numerous diseases. 

 According to the Atreya all diseases spring from men's 

 actions ; all resemble hell, the curable as well as the incurable. 

 Among the predisposing causes of illness the following are 

 enumerated, namely, carrying heavy weights, severe exercise, 

 excesses, much study, falls, fast walking or other violent 

 movements, using too much or unsuitable food, exposure to 

 cold or to damp air, &c. With reference specially to fevers, 

 they were considered to be caused by exposure to the morning 

 sun while fasting, by fatigue, fear, grief or watching ; by 

 drinking stagnant water into which withered leaves have 

 fallen, by visiting a new climate, the two latter causes having 

 at the present time an additional interest attached to them in 

 connection with existing theories of the origin of this large 

 class of diseases. According to the same ancient work, the 

 manifestation of disease depended upon derangement of 

 the " five elements," namely, ether, air, fire, water and earth ; 

 so by the same theory restoration to health was eifected by 

 diminishing or increasing those that were deranged with 

 reference to their indications. That the influence of local 

 and climatorial influences was at the same time acknowledged 

 is evident from the heading of the fourth chapter of the Ayur 

 Veda, namely, " On the influence of soil and season, on 

 age and temper, and on the influence of the winds." 



Some of the rules laid down regarding the treatment of 

 disease may not even now be altogether without their value.. 

 Thus a disease is to be examined by means of the five senses. 

 Active treatment should not be employed in a slight disease, 

 nor mild treatment in an acute disease. Should the treat- 

 ment employed be doing no good, it should be changed, but 

 when the symptoms are yielding under a particular plan of 

 treatment it should be continued. According to Susruta, 

 medicines given in small doses are like throwing a little 

 water upon a large fire, which rather increases than dimin- 



