Ear disorders (karnaroga)

When the vata in the ear is aggravated and moves the wrong way, severe pain arises in the ears; this is called karnashula.

The same aggravated vata reaching the sound-carrying channels makes various false sounds be heard, like those of the mridanga drum, kettledrum and conch; this is called karnapranada or karnanada.

Tumours, swellings, abscesses and piles also arise in the ear and are called by those names, such as karnarbuda and karnavidradhi.

The ear section ends by saying twenty-eight ear diseases have been described, and the wise physician should treat them by his own judgement after weighing their doshas.

A footnote lists the twenty-eight as earache, ringing, deafness, roaring, discharge, itching, blockage, suppuration, foul discharge, two abscesses (from doshas and from injury), four kinds of piles, seven tumours (vata, pitta, kapha, blood, flesh, fat and, as the shalakya texts add, combined) and four swellings (vata, pitta, kapha, combined).

Falling of water into the ear (as in diving), a blow to the head, or a boil or abscess that ripens and bursts is said to cause constant pus discharge from the ear.

The treatment of ear diseases is laid down according to the dosha involved.

For piles and abscesses in the ear, the treatment sequences given for piles and for abscess are to be applied repeatedly.