பல திரட்டு

Title in original script: பல திரட்டு The manuscript is formed by sets of palm leaves, numbered and not numbered, belonging to texts written by various cittarkaḷ, whose Akattiyar, Prammamuṉi, Rōmaṛiṣi, Caṭṭamuṉi and Iramatēvar. It is the original text of the copy identified as Suneel_PK_MSS14. The manuscript, very affected by larvae is in bad condition; a part of text is missing on the first 20 leaves as they have been bitten by rodents. The text, containing 205 palm leaves, is written in Tamil prose and verses, excepted for two leaves written in Grantha which explain some śloka-s drawing from ayurvedic texts. The text is written in Tamil prose and verses, excepted for two leaves written in Grantha which explain some śloka-s drawing from ayurvedic texts. The text focuses on formulations of medicines, the measurement of raw materials, the process of incinerating iatrochemical products including the places to conduct this task and the time to finish the process, the appropriate month to prepare medicines, as well as the diseases the formulations target. It provides information on the appropriate time to take remedies made of iatrochemical products, and on the anti-dotes to neutralise the power and adverse effects of these remedies. The medicinal formulations exposed in the text are : Medicated oils: Arukaṉvēr tailam, Kārmēka tailam, Veḷḷai veṅkāya tailam and Pāṣāṇa tailam; Pūvaracaṅkāi eṇṇey, Kiranti eṇṇey, Māntāti eṇṇey, Cañcīvi eṇṇey and Elumiccam paḻa eṇṇey, as well as eṇṇey for treating vāta diseases, flatulence (vāyu), diseases in pregnant women (karppa rōkam), menorrhagia (perumpāṭu), all types of urinary tract infection (cakala mēkam), delirium (caṉṉi), deafness (kātumantam iraiccal), eye diseases (kaṇ nōy), enlargement of lymph node in neck (kaṇṭamālai), swelling (katti), itching (ūral), and eczema (karappāṉ). Pills: Centūra māttirai, Urukkumāṉa māttirai, Pañcikaraṇa māttirai and Kārīya māttirai. Calcined white medicine prepared from metals and minerals: Nāka paṟpam and Tāmira paṟpam; Pāṣāṇa cuṇṇam. Calcined red medicine prepared from metals and minerals: Tāmira vāla raca centūram and 30 types of Centūram (centūram-30). Wax like medicines: Pāṣāṇa meḻuku and Liṅka meḻuku. Stone-like medicine: Raca kaṭṭu, Cātiliṅka kaṭṭu, Liṅka kaṭṭu, Aritāra kaṭṭu, Pāṣāṇa kaṭṭu, Vīra kaṭṭu and Uppu kaṭṭu. The text explains the combination of iron and copper (ayacempu) and the methods of detoxifying arsenic (pāṣāṇa muṟaikaḷ), copper (tāmira cutti), mercury (racam) with ayacempu. The text exposes the methods for maintaining a healthy life which include taking hot bath, drinking milk and adequate amount of water after meals, observing dietary restriction and, for males, having intercourses with younger women. The leaves, written in Grantha, which come from Sanskrit literature, explain the diseases affecting the present life as being the result of sins committed during the previous lives. In order to optimise efficacy of the treatment’s efficacy, individuals have to observe the rules of conduct defined in the ayurveda, i.e. to do charitable actions, to worship gods and to offer food to Brahmins, before taking medicine. The efficacy of treatment is dependent on the appropriate time to take medicine prescribed by the practitioner, on care by both the attendant and the female nursing assistant of the patient, as well as on the quality of remedies. Size of the manuscript: 31,5cm x 3,8cm. The manuscript is formed by sets of palm leaves, numbered and not numbered. The manuscript, very affected by larvae is in bad condition; a part of text is missing on the first 20 leaves as they are broken.