EAP810/1/1/56

Titles in original script:

நூல் 1: வியாதி வரலாறுநூல் 2: திருமந்திரம்- 8நூல் 3: மணி சூத்திரம்- 8நூல் 4: தலைப்பு இல்லை (மருந்து செய்முறைகள்)நூல் 5: நந்தீசர் ஞானம்- 100நூல் 6: ஞான சுருக்கம்- 15நூல் 7: தலைப்பு இல்லை (திராவக முறைகள்)நூல் 8: வைத்தியம்- 100;

The manuscript is formed of eight short texts composed by, or attributed to, various authors, or are anonymous. It is in bad condition with numerous broken leaves. The texts are written in verses. They are complete. The numbering begins at the palm leaf 7 and ends to the leaf 69. The major topics approached in the texts are philosophy and medicine.

Text 1 - The text contains two palm leaves numbered 7 and 8 which explain the history of diseases in human beings.

Text 2 - The text contains one leaf numbered 9 dealing with philosophy.

Text 3 - The text, entitled Maṇi Cūttiram-8, is formed of two leaves (10-11) concerning vakāra vittai (not identified).

Text 4 - The text containing two leaves (12-13) describes medicinal formulations for reducing swelling in legs and hands.

Text 5 - The text, entitled Nantīcar Ñāṉam-100, comprises 23 leaves numbered from 14 to 37. It presents medicinal formulations for preparing: Poṉṉāvārai cūraņam, Nāval paṭṭai cūraņam and Karuṅkōḻi cūraņam (dried plant powders); Ārōkkya tailam and Amirta cañcīvi tailam (medicated oils); Koṭuppai ney and Mātuḷai ney (medicated ghī); and Karuvaṅka paṟpam, Kaṭalāṭi kaṟpam, Veḷvaṅka paṟpam and Taṅka paṟpam (highly calcinated medicine). The text describes two herbs: nattaicūri mūli (Borreria hispida) and Cāraṇai mūli (Trianthema decandra). It exposes also how to combine silver and lead (vaṅka veḷḷi), to purify copper (cempu cutti) and to obtain pure silver (cuya cempu). Lastly, it gives information on how to perform citampara pūcai (for Śiva) and to do yogāsana.

Text 6 - The text, entitled Akattiyar Ñāṉa Curukka- 15, is composed of three leaves numbered from 38 to 40. The text deals with philosophy.

Text 7 - The text, entitled Tirāvaka muṟaikaḷ, is composed of thirteen leaves numbered from 41 to 53. It describes various acids (tirāvakam) made from minerals: ōma tirāvakam, uppu tirāvakam, vāluḻuvai tirāvakam, cāttira pēti tirāvakam, caṅku tirāvakam, veṭiyuppu tirāvakam, kalluppu tirāvakam, cīṉappa tirāvakam, kaṟiyuppu tirāvakam, intuppu tirāvakam and uppu tirāvakam, and some acids made from vegetal products such as miḷaku tirāvakam, cumaikku tirāvakam and cēṅkoṭṭai tirāvakam. It presents some medicated oils such as Liṅka tailam, Karu tailam and Vāluḻuvai tailam.

Text 8 - The text, entitled Tēraiyar Vaittiyam-100, contains seventeen leaves numbered from 54 to 70. The text describes some medicinal formulations such as Cīraka tailam (medicated oil); Tāmpira paṟpam, Tāḷaka paṟpam and Palakaṟai paṟpam (highly calcinated medicine), Cuyamākkiṉi centūram and Raca centūram (red medicinal powder), and Pācāṇa kaṭṭu and Raca kaṭṭu (stone-like medicine).

Some medicines are specified to treat certain health conditions: medicines against intestinal worms (kirumi viḻa), renal calculus (kallaṭaippu), snakebite (pāmpu kaṭi), dysmenorrhoea (pērum pāṭu), venereal diseases (ratta piramiyam), pain in eyes due to the increase of pressure intrinsic to eye balls’ swelling (nēttira vayu), swelling in abdomen (vayiṟu vīkkam); nasal drops (naciyam) and an oil (tailam) for sinusitis (pīṉica), as well as medicines to induce diarrhea (cukapēti).

This text describes also the purification of seeds of Semicarpus anacardium (nērvāla cutti).

Size of the manuscript 35,8cm x 3,0cm. The palm leaves of the 8 texts are numbered in Tamil and Arabic from 7 to 70. There are 5 leaves placed at the end: one, without number belongs to another manuscripts, three are blank. The leaves are very dark due to fungus infestation. The reading is not affected.