Traditional Medicine in Asia

Traditional Medicine in Asia
age urine is pale, watery and of low density.
If it becomes dense it points to stone
formation.
Stools
Quantity
This is judged by taking into consideration
the amount of food consumed. Large stools
indicate abundance of humours while scanty
stools their deficiency. Stools are retained
through obstruction in the caccum, colon
or small intestine as a prelude to colic.
Sometimes the stools may be scanty due to
weakness of the expulsive faculty.
Consistency
Liquid stools point to indigestion or
obstruction. Weakness and obstruction of
the messentric vessels produce liquid
stools by interfering with the absorption
of fluid into the portal vein. Sometimes
catarrh produces liquid stools. Laxatives
also have a similar effect. Viscid stools are
a sign of wasting but the stools then are
foul smelling. When stools are not foul
smelling they indicate excessive quantity
of some abnormal and viscid humour.
Sometimes viscid stools result from the
presence of some mucilaginous matter in
the food which, because of excessive heat,
has not been digested properly. Frothy
stools result from excessive heat or the
excess of reeh. Stools become dry from
exhausting illness or strenuous work
causing dispersion. Dry stools are also
passed during polyuria and in cases of
excessive heat in the body. Dry food and
constipation also make the stools dry.
Hard and dry stools with mucus
indicate delay in the passage of stools or
lack of irritable bile. When there is no
evidence of delay in bowels and no sign of
excessive mucus, the cause is likely to be
the presence of some thin purulent material
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or irritating humour expelled by the liver
into the neighbouring organs being hurried
out with the stools.
Colour
Stools are normally of faint yellow colour.
When they are a darker shade of yellow then
there is excess of bile. Stools which are pale
indicate defective digestion and lack of
maturation. White stools denote obstruction
in the bile duct and jaundice. If stools contain
offensive white pus, it is likely to be from
rupture of an abscess. Stools resembling pus
are often passed by healthy persons of
sedentary habits and those who have given
up exercise. These stools are not bad as they
indicate purification and elimination of the
body rendered sluggish from lack of
exercise, as mentioned in the section on
urine. Deep yellow stools passed at the
height of an illness are a sign of good
maturation. However, these stools may be
a warning of the illness having got worse.
Black stools are generally due to excessive
combustion or maturation. Sometimes the
black colour is due to the intake of coloured
substances or wine having helped in
eliminating sauda. The worst type of black
stool is the one which has been excessively
burnt. This type of stool is, however, not only
black but has acidity and putrefaction as
revealed by the appearance of froth on its
contact with the ground. Such acidity is bad,
whether in stools or vomit. These stools are
also shiny. However, black stools which arise
from destruction from moisture and
excessive dispersion instead of ending in
death have good prognosis. Green and
bluish stools indicate failure of innate heat.
Stools of unusual colours are unhealthy.
Froth
Stools which, instead of being firm and
compact, are puffed up like cow dung are
a sign of reeh.