Chapter 6.21: Erysipelas Treatment (Visarpa Chikitsa / विसर्पचिकित्सा)
This chapter deals with detailed description of etiopathogenesis, classification and management principles of visarpa. This is acute disease with a quick spread involving mainly skin, blood, lymph and muscle tissue due to vitiation of all three dosha. Disease is clinically presented in three pathways viz. external, internal and both. Based on the involvement of dominant dosha, it is classified into seven types. Prognosis and treatment duration of disease is proportionate to degree of involvement of dosha and affected internal organs. As the basic nature of disease is rakta and pitta dominant, management is focused on body purification treatments especially therapeutic purgation, blood letting, fasting therapy, medicated ghee, use of bitter drugs and various external applications having soothing and cooling effect. Guidelines for external application in the form of pralepa, pradeha and alepa are enlisted in the chapter. Blood letting is emphasized as most important treatment in visarpa.
Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan by Vagbhata
id="Summary">Summary niruktaM nAmabhedAshca dōṣa dUShyANi hetavaH| Now the summing up verses – Derivation,synonyms, classification, dosha, dushya, etiology, the habitat, the severe and mild gradation, symptoms and signs, complications, the nature of complications, prognosis and treatment of curable ones. All these aspects has been explained by Punarvasu Atreya for the inquisitive and intelligent Agnivesha under the treatment of visarpa. [144-146] Thus ends the twenty first chapter on treatment of visarpa in Chikitsa Sthana in the treatise composed by Agnivesha and redacted by Charak.[21]