EAP810/1/1/81

Title in original script: நாலு மாத்திரை வர்ம நூல்

The manuscript is composed of a text whose the palm leaves are numbered from 1 to 108. Except that the leaf 96 is missing, the text is complete. The manuscript is in excellent state.

The text, written in prose and verses, deals with varma practice, for which it describes diverse acupressure on vital points (varma): tuṭi kālam, kompēri kālam, tilarta kālam, naṭcattira kālam, cevi kuṟṟi kālam, uṟakka kālam, caṅkutiri kālam, cōrai kālam, kaṇṇāṭi kālam, cuṇṇāmpu kālam, mañcal kālam, amirta kālam, kamala kālam, kirumi kālam, icaivu kālam, keruṭa kālam, pīcāti kālam, toppiḷ kālam and kompēri kālam; ceppu varmam, talaiyil eṭṭu varmam, eṭṭeḷḷu varmam, narampu varmam, puca varmam, kūmpu varmam, neñcu varmam, maṇipanta varmam, kārelumpil varmam, mūṭṭil varmam, mārpil varmam, caruti varmam, kōṇacaṉṉi varmam, pirāntu varmam and akkiṉi varmam; koṇṭai kolli and cīṟum kolli; uḷvarma viparam.

The text informs on the number of varma points in the body (varma tokai, perukkam), on incurable (acāttiya) and curable (cāttiya) varma injuries as well as trauma in archery (vil vicai tiṟavukōl). It also describes nerves (narampu).

The text presents external therapy procedures such as oletion (tuvālai muṟaikaḷ) and cupping methods (kūmpu muṟaikaḷ), as well as physical manipulations (aṭaṅkaḷ) used for relaxing injured varma and trauma in great toe (peruviral aṭaṅkaḷ, perunarampil piṭi koṇṭāl), for treating retracted penis (liṅkam uḷvāṅkiṉāl), injury in hip bone (kuṟukkiṉ tārai muṟintāl), dislocation of bones (pucam vilakiṉāl), fractures (peṭṭi muṟivu), locked jaw (vāy pūṇṭāl), and protrusion of tongue (nākku cāṭināl).

The text indicates medicines for healing varma injuries, among them:

Decoctions: Varma kaṣāyam, Kuṭal varma kaṣāyam and Aṟukōṇ varma kaṣāyam.

Dry plant powder for external application: Varmatukku pōṭi, Aṉattu poṭi

A paste made of plants (pūccu) for fracture at the head (talai muṟivu).

Oils for external application: Tārai vacaveṇṇey, Tēyttu kuḷikka eṇṇey and Muṟiveṇṇey, and an internal oil.

This text provides some information on the anatomical development of the fetus (uṭal tōṟṟam), pregnancy (kerppa uṟpatti), and body gases (vāyukkaḷ). Additionally, it describes the six chakras (ātāra viparam).

Size of the manuscript 25,2cm x 3,4cm. The palm leaves are numbered from 1 to 108 in Tamil and Arabic. There is an additional leaf placed at the end; a leaf is missing. The manuscript is in good condition despite the leaves are more and less darkened by fungus infestation. Two leaves are slighly broken.