Insanity:

Causes: Hard labor, anxiety, excessive sex enjoyment, irregular eating and moving, frequent intoxication, breakdown in health, despondency, fear, grief, inherited epilepsy, bites, brain fever, spinal weakness, male sexual debility, puerperal insanity, mal-nutrition, remittent fever, anemia after longstanding fever, etc.

Symptoms: Loss of intellect and reasoning, restless mind, perplexed look, irrelevant talk, empty heart. The patient sometimes laughs, dances, sings, grumbles, thrashes, gets angry, gets temperature, looks pale, sleeps deeply or fails to sleep, and loves loneliness.

Treatment: Soothing medicines for insanities caused by air and bile, and strong drugs where insanity has been caused by phlegm. In the former case the patient should take Saribadi Salsa, Aswagandharista, Unmad Bhanjan Ras with Bhringaraj Ras and honey, Bat Kulantak with ginger extract and honey, and Siba Ghrita or Mahachaitas Ghrita. Where there is both severe air and bile, instead of Bat Kulantak, employ Brihat Batchintamani with the juice of tarifala and honey. Mornings and evenings Madhyamnarayan Taila or Mahanarayan Taila should be rubbed on the head for one hour. If insanity is due to heavy discharge of semen, rub head with Brihat Bisnu Taila, and use Sukrasanjiban. For the phlegmatic maniac, Saribadi Salsa, Aswagandharista, Naradiya Mahalakshmibilas, with ginger juice and honey are prescribed. Chaturbhuj Ras, with juice of the tender palm fruit seed, and honey, Unmadgajakesari with ghrita, and honey are also to be taken. Chaturbhuj Ras is a very good medicine in the early stages of insanity. If the early stage has passed, give Brihat Bat Chintamani instead. In either case accompany the medicines with ground cardamom seed (big size) and honey. For the chronic patient, Siba Ghrita is the best medicine. For barren women this medicine is excellent. Mornings and evenings Brihat Dasamula Taila or Mahabhringaraj Taila is to be rubbed on the head for at least an hour. If the insanity is due to gonorrhoea, consumption, or leucorrhea, the patient should be given Brihat Chhagaladya Ghrita or Sukrasanjiban.

Diet: rice (old stock), mugh and gram lentil soup, patal, brahmi leaves, beto shag, notay shag, old gourd, turtle, goat or deer soup, pure cow ghee, tepid warm milk, raisins, cocoanut, jackfruit, mar-melos fruit. Rubbing oil on the body, putting cool things on the body, bathing in rain water are very good. Fun, joy, enjoyments, dance, songs and heart rejoicings are the best things. If the cause of the mental disorder is rightly known, the insanity should be easily cured.