The Diagnosis of Hiccup

Verse 1 (garuda.1.151.1)

धन्वन्तरिरुवाच । हिक्रारोगनिदानञ्च वक्ष्ये सुश्रुत ! तच्छृणु । श्वासैकहेतुः प्राग्रूपं संख्या प्रकृतिसंश्रया

dhanvantariruvāca hikrāroganidānañca vakṣye suśruta ! tacchṛṇu śvāsaikahetuḥ prāgrūpaṁ saṁkhyā prakṛtisaṁśrayā

Dhanvantari said: O Sushruta, I shall declare the diagnosis of the disease Hikka, hiccup; listen. Its cause and premonitory signs are the same as those of Shvasa; the number of its varieties depends on its nature.

Verse 2 (garuda.1.151.2)

हिक्रा भक्ष्योद्भवा क्षुद्रा यमला महतीति च । गम्भीरा च मरुत्तत्र त्वरयायुक्तिसेवितैः

hikrā bhakṣyodbhavā kṣudrā yamalā mahatīti ca gambhīrā ca maruttatra tvarayāyuktisevitaiḥ

Food-born, minor, paired, great, and deep — these are the kinds of hiccup. There, Vata, aggravated by hastily and improperly taken —

Verse 3 (garuda.1.151.3)

रूक्षतीक्ष्णखराशान्तैरन्नपानैः प्रपीडितः । करोति हिक्रां श्वसनः मन्दशब्दां क्षुधानुगाम्

rūkṣatīkṣṇakharāśāntairannapānaiḥ prapīḍitaḥ karoti hikrāṁ śvasanaḥ mandaśabdāṁ kṣudhānugām

dry, sharp, rough, and unwholesome food and drink, being thus disturbed, the breath produces a hiccup that is faint in sound and accompanies hunger —

Verse 4 (garuda.1.151.4)

समं सन्ध्यान्नपानेन या प्रयाति च सान्नजा । आयासात्पवनः क्रुद्धः क्षुद्रां हिक्रां प्रवर्तयेत्

samaṁ sandhyānnapānena yā prayāti ca sānnajā āyāsātpavanaḥ kruddhaḥ kṣudrāṁ hikrāṁ pravartayet

and this, which subsides evenly with regular food and drink, is the food-born type. Vata, aggravated by exertion, produces the minor, Kshudra, hiccup —

Verse 5 (garuda.1.151.5)

जत्रुमूलात्परिसृता मन्दवेगवन्ती हि सा । वृद्धिमायासतो याति भुक्तमात्रे च मार्दबम्

jatrumūlātparisṛtā mandavegavantī hi sā vṛddhimāyāsato yāti bhuktamātre ca mārdabam

which arises from the base of the collarbone and is of mild force; it increases with exertion and softens immediately after eating.

Verse 6 (garuda.1.151.6)

चिरेण यमलैर्वेगैर्या हिक्रा संप्रवर्तते । परिणामान्मुखे वृद्धिं परिणामे च गच्छति

cireṇa yamalairvegairyā hikrā saṁpravartate pariṇāmānmukhe vṛddhiṁ pariṇāme ca gacchati

The hiccup that arises slowly, in paired spasms, is the Yamala, the paired type; it increases in force at digestion's onset and again at its completion —

Verse 7 (garuda.1.151.7)

कम्पयन्ती शिरो ग्रीवां यमलां तां विनिर्दिशेत् । प्रलापच्छर्द्यतीसारनेत्रविप्लुतजृम्भिता

kampayantī śiro grīvāṁ yamalāṁ tāṁ vinirdiśet pralāpacchardyatīsāranetraviplutajṛmbhitā

and shakes the head and neck — this should be identified as the Yamala. It is accompanied by delirium, vomiting, diarrhea, disturbance of the eyes, and yawning —

Verse 8 (garuda.1.151.8)

यमला वेगिनी हिक्रा परिणामवती च सा । ध्वस्तभ्रूशङ्खयुग्मस्य श्रुतिविप्लुतचक्षुषः

yamalā veginī hikrā pariṇāmavatī ca sā dhvastabhrūśaṅkhayugmasya śrutiviplutacakṣuṣaḥ

the Yamala hiccup is forceful, and it too follows the course of digestion. In severe cases, the eyebrows and both temples are affected, and hearing and vision are disturbed —

Verse 9 (garuda.1.151.9)

स्तम्भयन्ती तनुं वाचं स्मृतिं संज्ञां च मुञ्चती । तुदन्ती मार्गमाणस्य कुर्वती मर्मघट्टनम्

stambhayantī tanuṁ vācaṁ smṛtiṁ saṁjñāṁ ca muñcatī tudantī mārgamāṇasya kurvatī marmaghaṭṭanam

it stiffens the body and robs the patient of speech, memory, and consciousness; it pierces one gasping for breath, striking at the vital points —

Verse 10 (garuda.1.151.10)

पृष्ठतो नमनं सार्ष्यं महाहिक्रा प्रवर्तते । महाशूला महाशब्दा महावेगा महाबला

pṛṣṭhato namanaṁ sārṣyaṁ mahāhikrā pravartate mahāśūlā mahāśabdā mahāvegā mahābalā

bending the back, with a creaking sound — this is Mahahikka, the great hiccup, marked by great pain, a great sound, great force, and great strength.

Verse 11 (garuda.1.151.11)

पक्राशयाच्च नाभेर्वा पूर्ववत्सा प्रवर्तते

pakrāśayācca nābhervā pūrvavatsā pravartate

It arises, as before, from the stomach or from the navel.

Verse 12 (garuda.1.151.12)

तद्रूपा सा महत्कुर्याञ्जृम्भणां गप्रसारणम् । गम्भीरेण निदानेन गम्भीरा तु सुसाधयेत्

tadrūpā sā mahatkuryāñjṛmbhaṇāṁ gaprasāraṇam gambhīreṇa nidānena gambhīrā tu susādhayet

Sharing the same form, it produces great yawning and stretching of the limbs. The Gambhira, deep, hiccup, arising from deep-seated causes, should be treated with the greatest care —

Verse 13 (garuda.1.151.13)

आद्ये द्वे वर्जयेदन्ये सर्वलिङ्गां च वेगिनीम् । सर्वस्य संचितामस्य स्थविरस्य व्यवायिनः

ādye dve varjayedanye sarvaliṅgāṁ ca veginīm sarvasya saṁcitāmasya sthavirasya vyavāyinaḥ

the severe forms of the first two types should be abandoned as untreatable, as should the others when they show every sign and full force — in one already diseased, aged, and given to excess indulgence —

Verse 14 (garuda.1.151.14)

व्याधिभिः क्षीणदेहस्य भक्तच्छेदकृशस्य च । सर्वेऽपि रोगा नाशाय न त्वेवं शाघ्रकारिणः

vyādhibhiḥ kṣīṇadehasya bhaktacchedakṛśasya ca sarve'pi rogā nāśāya na tvevaṁ śāghrakāriṇaḥ

whose body is wasted by other diseases and emaciated by loss of appetite — for such a person, all these diseases prove fatal, though they do not all act with equal speed.

Verse 15 (garuda.1.151.15)

हिक्राश्वासौ यथा तौ हि मृत्युकाले कृतालयौ

hikrāśvāsau yathā tau hi mṛtyukāle kṛtālayau

But hiccup and breathlessness, indeed, of all diseases, are held to be those most certain to take up residence at the time of death.