Procedure for removing piles

After preparatory oleation, sudation, emesis and purgation and a light meal, the patient is laid in an attendant's lap with the anus towards the sun, bound and held; the ghee-smeared instrument is inserted, and the piles that appear in its side opening are cut with the kartari knife and bled, burnt, or treated with caustic alkali until they look like ripe jambu fruit. The burning is soothed with cold washes and licorice-sandalwood paste in ghee, the patient is bathed, rested in a draught-free house and fed rice, barley, ghee and milk; one pile is removed every seven days. The commentary (PDF 287) then explains which piles suit medicine, alkali, cautery or the knife.