The organ of touch is skin. You might be surprised to learn that it is the largest organ of the body. As the seat of complexion, it is the index of health and disease. There are various methods present in ayurveda that helps in imparting us with the diagnostic features which helps us in diagnosing certain diseased condition.

If a person has an oily skin he has kapha dosha in dominance. If the person’s skin is dry in nature then he has vata aggression. If a person bears excessive sweating then he must be suffering from pitta dominance. If the skin is of pale color then it shows decreased pitta and increased kapha. If the skin texture is black, yellow or red it is due to pitta dominance.

Aruna (black) or the colour of dawn and sometimes very black colour are attributed to vata pitta predominance. In the sannipaata case i.e. when all the three doshas are involved are seen in various stages of evolution. Shriveling or shrinking of the skin is due to vata dominancy. Signs and symptoms, that can be detected by the sense of touch or by the observation of the complexion or of the sweating apparatus comes under the functions of skin.

When a physician wishes to know about the longitivity of the of a patient by means of touch alone, should touch the body of the patient with his own hand in the normal state or should have the body of the patient touched by another whose hand are ion normal state. A physician who palpates (touches) has to carefully observe the condition of the patient as mentioned below.

• Cessation of the movement of a part of the body that is in normal condition will always have pulsation as an example the carotid arteries in the neck or the radial artery in the wrist, movement of heart and lungs, warmth of the body, softness and tenderness becoming hard and rough, glossiness giving place to dryness, disappearance or deviation of some specific organs as testicles etc, looseness, distraction or side wise dislocation of joints, relaxation or stiffness of muscles, or extreme lack of proper constituents of blood circulation and excessive sweating or cessation thereof. Similar symptoms other than these, if any, are to be discerned by means of palpation.

• If lower portions of legs, thighs, buttocks, feet , abdominal area, side flanks, shoulders breast, chest, neck, throat, lip[s and fore head perspire, becomes cold, stiff or rough or show relaxation of muscles and lack of abnormal constituents of blood, it is to be realized that a patient with such symptoms may die.

• If the joints like knee, ankles and hip organs like rectum, testicles, penis, umbilicus, shoulders, breast, wrist, ribs, jaw bones, nose , ears, eyes, eyebrows, or temples of a person are felt by means of palpation to be very weak and distracted or dislocated, it is to be concluded that [patient may not live long.
  
  
  
• Besides above mentioned areas, one must examine patients’ inhalation and exhalation, neck (arteries and vein in the neck), teeth, eyelashes eyes, heirs on the head and body, abdomen, nails and fingers.

• If there is difficulty in breathing or the breathing is shallow, if the carotid artery is not pulsatile, if the teeth of a patient are very dirty or too much white or as a great amount of tartar on it. It is to be assumed that the patient will die soon.
  
  

• If the eyes lashes are twisted into ropes. It is considered as bad omen.
  

Variation of complexion

Variation of the complexion is included under the examination of skin.

The colour of the skin naturally varies according to the race, country, caste, family, time, occupation age and individuality of the patient. Broadly speaking the races like Aryans, Negroes and Mongolians are recognized by there complexion like fair, dark and yellow respectively. Changes of colors that are directly due to the administration of medicine etc. are to be distinguished from those caused by disease as the colors due to the medicines are liable to revert to the normal hue in due course.

• It is to be carefully understood that the normal colour of half of the body lengthwise, sidewise, front ands back or inside the mouth nose, eyes, ears etc. And the assumed colour on the other half with unusual prominence. Is prognostic of death.
  
  
• The change of face or the body may indicate death in near future.
  
  
• A change of colour may be due to mental depression or jubilation or physical dryness or glossiness.
  
  
• A physician should always be clear in knowing appearance of piplu (scar), vyanga (pigmentation), tilaka (mole), and alaka (peculiar colored spot) on the face of a patient indicates bad prognosis.
  
  
• The appearance of any of the unnatural colors in nails, eyes, face, Urine, Feces, hands, feet, lips etc. in the case of an emaciated patient or a patient whose sense organs have become weak, is the sign of approaching death.
  
  
• The sudden discoloration caused in other ways than by the administration of medicine etc, on the body of a weak patient, is also an indication of approaching death.
  
  
  
  

Bookmark:

Post your Comments below