MSS 18 A: மதன நூல்; MSS 18 B:; நூல் 1: மலையாள அனுபோக மந்திரம்; நூல் 2: தன்வந்திரி மகான் மலையாள மந்திரம்; MSS 18 C: விஷக்கடி வைத்தியம்; MSS 18 D:; நூல் 1: ஆதி முறை; நூல் 2: ஸ்நானம் செய்யும் வகை; நூல் 3...

Titles in original script: MSS 18 A: மதன நூல் MSS 18 B: நூல் 1: மலையாள அனுபோக மந்திரம் நூல் 2: தன்வந்திரி மகான் மலையாள மந்திரம் MSS 18 C: விஷக்கடி வைத்தியம் MSS 18 D: நூல் 1: ஆதி முறை நூல் 2: ஸ்நானம் செய்யும் வகை நூல் 3: குழந்தை வைத்தியம் MSS 18 E: நூல் 1: கைமுறை அனுபோகம் நூல் 2: குழந்தை வைத்தியம் MSS 18 F: நூல் 1: நிறைய வைத்தியர்களின் வைத்திய அனுபவம் நூல் 2: மதன காம நூல் நூல் 3: தலைப்பு இல்லை (வைத்தியம்) MSS 18 G : நூல் 1: மூலர் முறை நூல் 2: தலைப்பு இல்லை (மந்திரம்) நூல் 3: தலைப்பு இல்லை (வைத்தியம்) MSS 18 H: நூல் 1: குடும்ப வைத்திய தோழன் நூல் 2: மானிட ஜீவிய தத்துவம் நூல் 3: தலைப்பு இல்லை (சுத்தி முறை); The manuscript, containing 276 leaves, is composed of 9 parts, each of them comprising between 1 to 5 texts. The 9 parts are identified: MSS18A to MSS18I. This manuscript deals mostly with medical subjects; philosophy, mantiram and literature are approached in a few texts. The palm leaves, which were extremely mixed, have been reordered. They are variably affected by rodents and larvae, some being extremely damaged. There are 5 disparate leaves which have been placed at the end of the manuscripts. MSS18A- The text is an abridged version in Tamil of the Sanskrit text Kāmasāstra. It contains 32 palm leaves and is incomplete. The text is a copy of a manuscript which was printed and published in 18th century by Āṟumuka Kōṉ. The last two leaves list the various published versions of the Kāmasāstra. The text mentions that Kāmaṉ is worshipped as the god of sex by Hindus and that the ṟṣī Vātcāyaṉar wrote the Kāmasāstra (treatise of love) in which he exposed the importance of sexual intercourse between men and women. It describes the female genitalia (peṇkaḷiṉ amirta nilai), the types of males and females (āṇ, peṇkaḷiṉ vakaikaḷ). The four types of females, patmiṉi, caṅkiṉi, citiṉi and attiṉi, are described according to their characters, physical appearance, style of walking, intelligence, quality of odour emanating from them, and classified as utamam (good), matimam (no good no bad), atamam (bad) and atamātamam (very bad) (hierarchy of classification based on their characteristic features mentioned above as perfect, normal and poor) The types of males are classified in the same manner. The sexual intercourses have to be practised between partners belonging to the same classification in order to optimise the pleasure. The appropriate time and place for sexual intercourse, as well as gestures and postures before, during and after and intercourse are detailed. MSS18B- The part is composed of two incomplete texts which deal with mantiram. Text 1- The text, containing 41 palm leaves, concerns the Mantira Cāstira, a subdivision of Sanskrit literature, comprising mantiram, yantiram and tantiram. The text explains how to worship by chanting mantiram specific to Kaṇapati (Ganeṣa), Lakṣmi, Naracimmaṉ (Narasimha), Cupramaṇiyam (Subramanya), Kāḷi and Patrakāḷi (Bhadrakali) and deities such as, Caṇṭikar, Kuṭṭiccātāṉ, Yaṭciṉi and Karṇa Yaṭciṉi. The text explains that the individuals, who have attained citti (state of high knowledge, of perfection) through this form of worship, may use their power to perform good and bad deeds. The good deeds are illustrated as to reunite husband and wife by finding a compromise to their quarrels, to compensate loss in business and to earn huge amount of money, to ward off evil power from the body, and to turn up things or animal which were stolen. The examples of bad deeds which are provided are to mesmerize women, to make enemies to run out from their place, to burn enemies’ house, in desire of fame or huge amount of money. Text 2- The text, composed of 15 palm leaves, describes various mantiram used to attract the attention of the goddess Malayāḷa Pakavati; to mesmerise (vaciyam) the world (jaka), the three world (tirilōka), the god Nīlakaṇṭa, women and animals; to ward off evil spirits from the body (pēy oṭṭa) and those who affect children (piḷḷaikaḷ tōṣam); to win legal cases (vaḻakku jeyamāka); to make a women pregnant (kaṟppam tarikka); to treat poisonous bites of snakes (pāmpu) and scorpions (tēḷ) and to heal carbuncle (piḷavai karaiya); to beautify the face of a person; to avoid a new knife to rusting (putu katti turupiṭikkātiruka); and to dye clothes (tuṇikaḷukku cāyamiṭa). The text describes a method to prepare a collyrium (añcaṉam) use in magic. It informs also on the way to make yantiram by providing examples of pictures and letters (bījākṣaram) inscribed in yantiram. Four leaves, dealing with mantiram, have been added at the end this part, MSS18B MSS18C- The text, composed of 15 palm leaves, is complete. It deals with animals and insects responsible of poisoning and health issues. The category of snakes is developed by describing their sloughing (caṭṭai uri), their system of reproduction (avaṉṉiṉ uṟpatti), the period of laying eggs (muṭṭaiyiṭum kālam) and their number and the smell (ataṉ vācaṉai). The text lists the types of venomous snakes: cārai pāmpu, cevi pāmpu, puṭaiyāṉ pāmpu, kūlai pāmpu and puṭaiyām pāmpu. It describes how to identify the venom (viṣa pariṭcai), and how to detect the symptoms of an individual bit by a snake and to evaluate his/her chance to be cured and provides some medicines. It mentions the predators of snakes: a red variety of dog (cennāy), peacock (mayil), hen (kōḻi), mongoose (kīri), bear (karaṭi), pig (paṉṟi), vulture (karuṭan), and a red variety of bird looking like the vulture (cempōttu), crocodile (mutalai), owl (āntai) and barn owl (kūkai) and deer (māṉ). The other categories of animals and insects that the text details for their venom or bites are: dog (nāy) and wolf (nari); rat; lizard (vīṭṭu palli), garden lizard (oṇāṉ) and common skink (araṉai); a red variety of leech (cevvaṭṭai), two species of millipede (cītamaṇṭali, rattamaṇṭali), of scorpion (tēḷ, naṭṭuvākkāḷi) and of centipedes (pūrāṉ and ceñcaṭā); frogs (tavaḷai); fly (ī); honey bee (tēṉī); wild variety of wasp (kāṭṭu kuḷavi), of mosquito (kāṭṭu kocu) and of red ant (kāṭṭu ciṟu eṟumpu); spider (cilanti); and bed bug ( mūṭṭai pūci). MSS18D- The part is composed of three texts which concern medicine and care. Text 1- The text, composed of 7 leaves numbered from 1 to 7, is complete. It describes modern as well as siddha methods for treating some diseases for which it provides the clinical features: common cold (jalatōṣam); sore throat (toṇṭai kaṭṭu); bronchial asthma (cuvāca kuṟai nōy); wheezing (iḷaippai); tuberculosis with blood (ratta kācam); epistasis (mūkkil rattam varutal), fever (curam) and exanthematous fever (vaicūri), malaria (written in English); male veneral disease (āṇ mēka veṭṭai) and vaginal diseases (yōṉi nōy); and tumours (kiranti). The text presents the formulation to prepare Tāḷicapattiri curaṇam and Pūnāka paṟpam. It describes the method to prepare some medicinal acids. Text 2- The text, containing 3 palm leaves, is incomplete. It describes, according to the health conditions, the methods of taking bath such as using oil or massage, washing partly the body, using a seat or washing with a sponge; the technique of bath for pregnant women is also indicates. The text additionally presents some physical and breathing exercises. Text 3- The text, containing 6 palm leaves, is incomplete. It is a compilation of disparate leaves concerning pediatric diseases which are described with their treatment. The child’s diseases which are mentioned are: whooping cough (kakkuvāṉ); indigestion (māntam), fits (kaṇai), fever (curam), diseases caused by kapa imbalance; oliguria (ciṟunīr kaṭṭu); and ceṅkiranti and karuṅkiranti, two diseases not identified. The text describes some diseases which may occur during pregnancy (kaṟppa kāla piracava kaṇitam). MSS18E- The part is composed of two texts, incomplete, which concern medicine. Text 1- The text, composed of 13 palm leaves, is a compilation of texts copied by a siddha practitioner who lived at Suchindram (village located to 5km East from Nagerkovil reputed for its Thanumalayan temple). The set of texts lists diseases and the medicines to treat them, and provides some information on the modern methods of treatment. Text 2- The text is composed of 19 palm leaves numbered from 2 to 19. The name of the text is Kuḻantai Vaittiyam, child’s diseases. The text describes pediatric diseases which occur from delivery and provides formulation of medicines and adjuvant for treating them. It contains information on both modern and siddha method of treatment. It also defines some medicines for adults. Interestingly, the name of diseases or ingredients is sometimes mentioned in English, such as, for example, cirrhosis of liver for apāṇṭa rōkam, ether or potassium iodide. MSS18F- The part is composed of three texts, incomplete, whose two (1st and 3rd) are related to medicine. Text 1- The text is a compilation of 9 disparate palm leaves. It provides information on diseases and treatment collected orally from six practitioners (vaittiyar) whose the name of five is mentioned in the text: V.S. Vāriyār; Māṇikkam Piḷḷai (from Pūntoṭṭam, Malabar); Palāri Paḻaṉi pūsāri; Ammāpaṭṭiṇam Kantacāmi and Mārikkuppam Lakṣmi Ammāḷ. The date of the creation of the text given in the text is 15th July of the year 34. Text 2- The text, composed of 8 palm leaves, is incomplete. The 1st leaf informs that the text in Sanskrit on the Kāmasāstra written by the Ṛṣi Kokkōkar was translated in Tamil by Cankarāccāriyār (Sankaracharya). This leaf is written in verse while the others are in prose style. The text, inscribed in the leaves which are very disparate, describes the categories of women (see the MSS18A). Text 3- The text contains 2 leaves. The first leaf explains the precautions to be taken in order to prevent cough (irumal), wheezing (īḷai), and diseases resulting from kapa imbalance for which clinical features are described. The second leaf concerns mantiram. MSS18G- The part is composed of three texts dealing with medicine, rituals and mantiram. Text 1- The text, incomplete, contains 15 palm leaves numbered from 2 to 16. It describes the appropriate method of worshipping gods (upācaṉai muṟai), the mantiram chanted to specific gods (mūla mantiram) and the food items prepared to the god (nivētaṉam). On the second hand, it presents the clinical features and treatment of the following diseases and troubles: types of urinary tract infections (mēkavāyu and vayira mēkam), of venereal diseases (veḷḷaiveṭṭai, tanti mēkam, piramiya mēkam and mēka cūṭu), and body heat (kāṅkai). Text 2- The text, composed of 7 palm leaves, is complete. This text echoes the text 1 as it describes the method of worshipping god (tēyva vaḻipāṭu), the mantiram specific to each god (atarkāṉa mūla mantiram), and notably that “om, ciṅk, kiṅk, caṅk, caṅk,cāmpavi putra, namaha, vā, vā, cuvākā” which has to be chanted 1008 times, in sitting position in front of the northern direction. 102 types of mantiram are listed. The text presents also some food items offered to gods (nivētaṉam), notably raw sugar (vellam) and raw rice (paccārici). Text 3- The text, incomplete, is composed of 2 leaves related to diseases. Those which are exposed in the 1st leaf are: heart attack (māraṭaippu); dysmenorrhoea (cūtaka vāyu), and kuṇṭala vāyu (not identified). The second leaf concerns a medicine recommended to treat eight types of gastric ulcer (aṭṭa kuṉmam). The price and name and address of the place where this medicine is sold, is provided. MSS18H- The part is composed of three texts dealing with medicine and physiology. Text 1- The text, constituted of 26 palm leaves, is incomplete. It describes the clinical features and treatment of diseases. The studied diseases are classified by Tamil alphabetical order. The remedies, which are presented, are very simple. Text 2- The text, containing 6 palm leaves, is incomplete. It deals with the 96 physiological basic concepts in siddha tradition, which are divided into three sets. Only the first set which is presented in the text. It describes the five elements (pūta tattuvam), the five motor organs (kaṉmayentriyam), the five sense organs (poṟikaḷ), the five senses (pulaṉkaḷ), the five sensory perceptions (ñana intiriyam), the four mental faculty (antakaraṇam), and intelligence (arivu). Text 3– The text, composed of 3 palm leaves, is complete. It presents the process of purification of metals, minerals and vegetable kingdom: zinc (nākam), iron (irumpu), magnet (kāntam), lead (vaṅkam and karuvaṅkam), and mercury (racam); cinnabar (liṅkam), mercuric chloride (vīram), mercurous chloride (pūram), lead monoxide (mirutārciṅki), arsenic pentasulphide (kauri pāṣāṇam), arsenic disulphide (maṉōcilai), arsenic trisulphide (tāḷakam), asbestos (kalnār), gypsum (cilācattu), borax (cīṉākkāram), potash alum (paṭikāram), alum (veṅkāram), copper sulphate (turucu), and 94 types of poisons (94 vakai pāṣāṇam); and seeds of croton tiglium (nervālam), of semicarpus anacardium (cēṅkoṭṭai) and root of withania somnifera (amukkarā vēr). Size of the manuscript: 32.0cm x 4.0cm. The condition of the manuscript is average, the leaves being more and less afected by larvae. Details on the composition of the manuscript are provided in the description.