KALAJAR:

Cause : In 1916 Sir Leonard Rogers discovered the leisman danovan or kalajar bacillus, of which bugs are the carriers. Ayurveda has put this disease in the same as intermittent or chronic fever, claiming category impurity of blood to the cause.

Symptoms: Slow but irregular fever, enlarged spleen, indigestion, dysentery, anaemia (sometimes), enlarged liver, blood trickling from the gums, emaciation, complexion pale and dark. The differences between kalajar and malaria are considerable: 1) In malaria there is high fever with shivering, while in kalajar there is slow fever with slight or no shivering; 2) In malaria the fever comes at regular intervals, while in kalajar it has no fixed time though it generally comes twice daily and increases slowly; 3) After full remission in malaria there are relapses, but this is not the case with kalajar; 4) The liver and spleen do not quickly get enlarged in malaria, while in kalajar they do; 5) In malaria there is loss of appetite with constipation, whereas in kalajar there is appetite with indigestion and dysentery; 6) In malaria the skin is yellowish, whereas in kalajar skin and hair becomes dull; 7) In malaria there are scabies and skin itches, while in kalajar there is bleeding from the nose and from sores on the gums and in the mouth. These are outward symptomatic differences, but the blood should be examined.

Treatment: Same as for simple fever if the temperature is high; i. e., Sarbajwara Bati, Sadhana Panchan, Mritunjoy Ras, and Hinguleswar Ras. See how the teperature falls. When the fever becomes chronic, it falls automatically. But the main symptom of kalajar is slow fever gradually rising. If the patient has enlarged spleen, constipation, anæmia, weakness and medium temperature, prescribe Putpak Bisham Jwarantak Loaha with long pepper powder and honey. When there is dysentery, prescribe fried cummin powder and honey with Sarbajwara Bati and Shdhana Pachan. If he is pale from anæmia, give him Nabayas Lauha with ghee and honey, or with menispermum glabrum extract and honey. If there is slow but repressed fever with biliousness, enlarged liver, and red or yellow urine, use Sarbajwara Bati both in fever and out. Sadhana Pachan and Chandanadi Lauha are two alternatives; all are to be used with menispermum glabrum extract and honey. Abhaya Lavan is good on all occasions of enlarged liver and spleen. When this condition is chronic, give Brihat Jakridari Lauha with long pepper powder and honey. Jakridari Lauha is stomachic and stimulant ; in it there are many substances for the spleen. Some people find that they don’t need Abhaya Lavan when they have Jakridari Lauha.  When there is dropsy, give Punarnabasab or Sothodarari Lauha. In case of tooth sore, gum sore, wizened tooth root, rheumy eyes, loss. of sight, otorrhoea, phlegm prominence, headache, and heavy feeling, with an increase of fever on the dark or full moon, use Slesmasailendra Ras with extract of vitex negundo or of betel leaves with honey. Brihat Khadir Batika cures tooth sore when it is properly retained in the mouth. Brihat Sarbajwarhara Lauha (Sattar Bhabna ) acts excellently in kalajar, especially where there is also dropsy, chronic spleen and liver complaints, diarrhoea, anæmia, and jaundice. Accompanying medicines are: in spleen and liver complaints, long pepper powder and honey; in diarrhoea, cummin powder and honey. When the patient has suffered for 6 or 7 months with kalajar, he should be asked to take Sree Joymangal Ras and Sudarsan Churna.

Diet: When the fever is high, prescribe gruel of puffed rice, sago, barley, arrowroot, etc. When there is little or no fever, prescribe old-stock rice, soup of mugh or mushuri lentils, eggplant, trichosanthes dioica, figs, aram, green maringa sticks, vegetables, kai fish and magur fish soup, and a small quantity of once-boiled milk. At night, if it is not too late, according to his hunger, feed him bread made of sago or suji.