EAP810/10/2

Titles in original script:

நூல் 1: மாட்டு வாகடம்நூல் 2: மாட்டு வாகடம்;

The manuscript contains two texts dealing with veterinary medicine with specific reference to cow (māṭṭu vākaṭam). The texts, written in verses, are incomplete. The text 1 is in excellent condition, while the text 2 is extremely damaged, the leaves being broken and darkened by fungus infestation.

Text 1- The text, entitled Māṭṭu Vākaṭam, is constituted by palm leaves numbered from 1 to 42. It presents the diseases which affect cattle and the appropriate medicines to treat them.

The diseases which are specified are: obstruction of the throat (aṭappaṉ nōy, muṇṇaṭaippaṉ) and of the rectum (piṉṉaṭaippaṉ); respiratory diseases (irumal, cerumal); body heat (veppu nōy); colic (kuḷavi nōy); intestinal parasites (āmai puḻu); liver disorder (īral muṭṭi, caṅkā muṭṭi); bleeding disorder (utira maṇṭali); insect sting (karumāri kāṇā nōy); skin diseases (tōl cilanti, kutirai cilanti); rectal diseases (karunōy, nīrpāṭu nōy); as well as a disease, not identified, naṉavāri takkaṉ.

The medicines, not named (maruntu), which are mentioned in the text aims at treating retention of placenta (koṭi viḻātatam), troubles caused by ingestion of placenta by the animal (koṭi tiṉṟāl), obstruction of the throat (muṇṭaippāṉ), head diseases (maṇṭai nōy), eye diseases (kaṇ viyāti), ulcer in tongue (nāvaraṇai), fever (veppu, utiri veppu), diabetes (nīriḻivu), diseases caused by imbalance of vātam (erumpāṭai vātam, timir vātam), red boils (cenkuru), ulcer in the hoof (paṭuvaṉ), convulsive disorder (utiri nōy), worm infestation (puḻu vaitta māṭu), open wound in intestine (kuṭal piḷavai), diarrhea due to excessive body heat (veppu kaḻiccal, veppeṭuttu pīccum māṭu), dysentery with blood stains (retta kaḻiccal), diseases caused by under-nourishment (tēñca māṭu, melinta māṭu), insect bites (kaṭantai koṭṭiṉa māṭu), as well as diseases of calf caused by imbalance of vātam (kaṉṟukuṭṭi vātam). Some medicines aim at encouraging the milk intake by the calf (kaṉṟu vilakiṉatukku), at reducing excessive colostrum intake by the calf (kaṭumpu kuṭitatukku), at treating cows which refuse to eat (neṭu mayir vaḷarntu mēyāta māṭu). Some oils (eṇṇey) are specified for treating disability (muṭakku) and fractures (ōṭi muṟivu).

Text 2- The text, entitled Māṭṭu Vākaṭam, contains palm leaves numbered from 38 to 42, which are shorter. It describes some diseases such as joint stiffness (pūṭṭaṭaippāṉ), blood disorder (utira maṇṭali), excessive body heat (aḻalu veppu), intestinal obstruction (uḷḷaṭaippāṉ) and rectal disease (kunti nōy). It provides medicinal formulations (maruntu) for cleaning stomach (pīcca maruntu), for treating animals which have ingested placenta (koṭi tiṉṟāl), as well as medicated fumes (pukai) used for maintaining cattle healthy.

Size of the manuscript: 26.2cm x 2.7cm. The two texts are numbered in Tamil respectively from 1 to 42 and from 38 to 42. The palm leaves of the first text which comprise two additional blank leaves are longer than those of the second text. While the text 1 is in excellent condition, the second has been very damaged by larvae and fungus. A blank leaf ends the manuscript.