EAP810/3/16

Titles in original script:

நூல் 1: வாத நிதானம்நூல் 2: சென்ம நிதானம் - 50நூல் 3: பால நிதானம்

The manuscript comprises three texts written in verses; they are incomplete. The palm leaves come from the talipot tree (Corypha umbraculifera). The manuscript is in good condition; only a few leaves are slightly damaged by rodents.

Text 1- The text contains 24 palm leaves numbered from 1 to 27; the leaves 8; 9 and 19 are missing . It concerns the humour vāta. The text mentions the names of eighty types of vāta diseases and describes the characters of vāta, the changes of pulse when vāta dominates and medicines to treat vāta imbalance.

Text 2- The text is entitled Ceṉma Nitāṉam– 50. It comprises 16 leaves, numbered from 1 to 18; the leaves 6 and 17 are missing. This text is a guideline to maintain good health from birth (ceṉma). It informs on healthy food to be consumed and the appropriate time and frequency to consume food for avoiding diseases. It prescribes the code of daily conduct for maintaining a healthy life.

Text 3- The text comprises 34 leaves; the leaf n°30 containing five verses is missing. The text deals with diseases of children for which clinical features are described. It examines the medicinal values of plants such as puḷiyam vitai (tamarind seeds), māvitai (mango seeds), atti vitai (fig seeds), vilāti (Feronia tree), nelli ilai (leaves of gooseberry tree), ilantai (jujube tree), paruti varukkam (a variety of cotton plant), vempu (neem tree), akati (august tree), mātulai varukkam (a variety of pomegranate tree), mūruṅkai nitāṉam (the characteristics of drumstick tree), teṅkāy pāl (coconut milk), ilanīr (tender coconut water) and and also of water (taṇṇīr).

Size of the manuscript: 19.5cm x 4.2cm. The leaves are from the Corypha umbraculifera. The manuscript is in good condition, some leaves are little damaged by rodents. The texts are incomplete; the text 1 is constituted of 24 leaves numbered from 1 to 27 (leaves 8, 9 and 19 are missing); the text 2 has 16 leaves numbered from 1 to 18 (leaves 6 and 17 are missing); the text 3 is composed of 33 leaves numbered from 1 to 34 (leaf 30 is missing.