Insect poison (kita visha)

All insects are divided into three kinds: fire-born, wind-born and water-born, of pitta, vata and kapha nature.

Very poisonous insects of many kinds are said to arise from the faeces, urine, corpses, semen and eggs of snakes, and others by spontaneous generation in poisonous plants and sharp substances.

At the bite, the poison of spiders and other insects, acting mildly or moderately, spoils the blood and provokes the doshas, causing round patches, swollen pimples, lumps, severe swelling, ringworm, leucoderma, itching, kitibha and hard karnika marks.

Insect poison is said to be cold, so it increases kapha and causes vomiting.

It is to be treated quickly with fire sudation, fumigation, pastes, poultices and other poison-removing measures; the verse calls the pastes and poultices hot.

People who unknowingly eat insect bodies in food develop diseases with severe complications and are to be treated with the remedies given for dushivisha.

In insect poison all hot food, sudation, pastes and the like are to be used, because insect poison is said to grow with cold treatment.

If the poison from bites of poisonous insects, spiders and the like reaches a fierce stage, it is said to kill the person.