The Legacy of Caraka by M S Valiathan

Author:M S Valiathan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Universities Press (India) Private Limited

Fig. 31.1 A woman in labour. Note the physician nearby and attendant women.

Following the non-lubricant enema, the placenta is usually expelled along with flatus, feces and urine, the holding of which contribute to the retention of placenta. While the expulsion of the placenta is being facilitated, the newborn should also be promptly attended to. To stimulate the body, a piece of stone could be gently rubbed at the root of the ear, and cold or warm water sprinkled over the face so that the baby would begin to breath. If he fails to move, he should be fanned till he recovers and shows movement. After breathing becomes regular the baby should be bathed and cleansed with water. A stainless cotton pad wrapped around a finger with the nail pared and cleaned should be used to clean the baby's lips, mouth, tongue and throat. The anterior fontanelle on the head should be covered with a cotton swab dipped in oil. To remove mucus it may be necessary to induce vomiting by giving a combination of ghee and rock salt.

At this stage it is necessary to cut the umbilical cord. At a point eight fingers from the attachment of the cord to the navel, it should be held tightly on either side and divided with a gold, silver or steel knife which is sharp on one side. If the cut section gets inflamed or infected it should be rubbed with an oily preparation or powder of lodhra, madhūka, priyaṅgu, devadāru and haridrā. If the the cord is incorrectly cut, various complications may arise such as inflammatory swellings, hard lump or a hernia. All these conditions would call for specific treatment.

The first feed of the baby should consist of honey and ghee accompanied by the chanting of appropriate mantras, and a jar filled with water and sanctified by mantras should be kept by the side of his head. Breastfeeding begins thereafter, the right breast taking precedence.

AFTER DELIVERY9

The dwelling of the mother and child should be bounded by the branches of medicinal trees and the seeds of mustard, linseed, rice, and kā ṇakaṇikā scattered all over the place. Rice offering to the sacrificial fire should be made twice a day till the child's naming ceremony. A wooden pestle should be placed immediately inside the entrance in a slanted position and a cloth bag filled with medicinal plants and seeds hung at the front door. A similar bag should be worn by the mother as well as the child, and kept in the cooking utensils and water pots. A fire should be lit with kānakaṇikā and tinḍuka wood and tended constantly in the house, and the attendant women should keep vigil near the mother and child all night for ten to twelve days. Gifts, benedictions, religious rituals, and music should make the atmosphere joyful, and the place should be awash with delicious food and drinks. A brāhmaṇa learned in Atharva veda should perform propitiatory rites twice a day for the good of the mother and child.

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