Susruta Samhita - Mandhata Global

334 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. Vll.
of the raphe of the perineum at the distance of a barley-
corn and of a sufficient width to allow the free egress of
the stone. Several authorities recommend the opening
to be on the right side of the raphe of the perineum for
the convenience of the operation. Special care should be
taken in extracting the stone from its cavity so that it
may not break into pieces nor leave any broken particles
behind (i.e., inside the bladder), however small, as they
would, in such a case, be sure to grow larger again.
Hence the entire stone should be extracted with the
help of an Agravaktra Yantra (a kind of forceps the
points of which are not too sharp). 13.
Lithotomic Operation in a female : -
In a woman, the uterus (Garbhds'aya) is adjacent to the
urinary bladder, hence the stone should be removed
by making an oblique and upward incision, otherwise
a urine-exuding ulcer might result from the deep
incision in that locality. Any hurt to the urethra
during the operation would be attended with the
same result even in a male patient. An incision
made only on one side of the organ in a disease other
than that of stone, baffles all attempts at healing ;
while an ulcer incidental to an incision made on both
its sides, should be deemed incurable An ulcer
incidental to an incision made on either side of the
bladder in extracting a stone might be healed up, in-
asmuch as medicinal potions and fomentations, etc.,
employed for the healing of a surgical wound, lead
to the healing of the wound in the bladder ; secondly
because the surgical opening is only made large enough
for the extraction of the stone as recommended in the
authoritative books ; and thirdly because an increase
in the quantity of urine contributes to an increase in
the size of the stone and hence a slight secretion of that