Small Pox:

Small elevations on the skin containing matter show the presence of pox. Pox germs are the origin of the disease.

Symptoms: Rising temperature within two weeks of germ’s entry in the body, shivering, burning, headache, coated tongue, retching, body pains (especially in loins and backside), eruptions on face, temples, palms, soles of feet, and extending to the whole body within two or three days from the onset of fever, pus in the eruptions, bad body odor, drying up of the pox after tenth day, sometimes re-eruptions from the purulent matter with high temperature. If the disease is virulent, eruptions occur in eyes, mouth, throat, on tongue, and in the nose. It becomes difficult to swallow and to breathe. The eyes become ophthalmic, and children in the womb die. It is very hard for the very young and very old to recover from the disease.

Treatment: Makaradhwaja. To prevent the spread of the disease, everyone in the locality should take 1.875 grains of Makaradhwaja with extract of the roots of kantikari or karala leaf juice or juice of the leaves of mordica charantia and honey. The patient too should take Makaradhwaja twice daily in this manner. Pox grows due to unbalance in the three temperamental factors. If these are set right, the pox will be off. Nor will there be pox if pox-pills are taken. Brihat Guruchyadi Lauha, taken thrice daily, is excellent for the diagnosed case. Accompany it with raw saffron juice, karala leaf juice, and molasses cane. Don’t be anxious for medicines to deal with the fever. If the temperature is high, give Chandanadi Lauha or Jwarchuramani with juice of menispermum glabrum and honey, helencha juice and honey. If there is phlegm in the lungs, give Sringadi Churna with hot water. For cough prescribe Chandramrita Ras or Talisadi Churna, and for diarrhea give Mahagandhak with raw saffron juice and a little molasses of the sugar cane. Where there is both diarrhea and lung infection, use Kafa Chintamani. When the eruptions come use the raw saffron juice mixed with the juice of the karala leaf as an ointment. This will burst the eruptions and heal the sores. Even though the sores are healed, wash them twice daily with water boiled with azadirachta leaves and give a half a pill of Brihat Guruchyadi Lauha thrice daily. If raw saffron powder mixed with mustard oil is put on the sores, the pox marks will vanish. Anti-pox pills will chase the disease away for once and all. Brihat Guruchyadi Lauha is a specific pox-medicine. Precautions to observe: Everyone in the family of the patient should stay clean and neat, the patient’s beddings, clothes, dishes, etc. should not be used by others, the patient’s room must be airy, all rooms should be smoked with Sulphur and incense, nurses must always wash their hands with carbolic soap, after attending the patient, nurses with dirty and old clothing should not attend the patient’s bed, and all people generally should be vaccinated. Vaccination is the best precaution against pox. The virus of cow-pox is inserted into the blood-stream to prevent the disease. It may not absolutely prevent the disease, but it will prevent death from the disease. Children of 1 to 1.5 months should have their first vaccination; at the ages of seven and twenty there ought to be the second and third vaccinations. Then there is no fear of the disease. After vaccination there may be a slight temperature and rapid pulse. Don’t be anxious for that. Use anti-pox-pills also.

Diet: Sago, barley, arrowroot, soda water, milk, grapes, apples, pomegranate, cocoanut water, etc. while there is fever. After symptoms have vanished, give a light but nourishing diet.