Abstract

Dr. Niraj Kumar Pandey*, Dr. Chandra Shekhar Pandey and Dr Santosh Kumar Vishwakarma

ABSTRACT

Alarka Visha is a disease of sangyavha srotas in ayurveda. Alarka visha is correlated with Rabies according to modern science. According to WHO, there are about 10 million cases of rabies reported every year. Annually there are about 55,000 human deaths worldwide due to rabies. India has been reported as having the highest rabies cases in the world. Rabies is also an acute, highly fatal viral disease of the central nervous system caused by Lyssavirus type-1. According to Sushruta, when vata gets aggravated in the body of the dog, fox, jackal, bear, tiger etc. combines with aggravated mulates in the channels of their sense organs resulting in loss of sensation. Deprived animal runs with dropped tail, lowered jaw and shoulder, oozing excessive saliva from mouth and biting tendency. Animals most likely to transmit rabies include bats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons and most importantly stray dogs. It is spread when an infected animal bites or scratches a human. Saliva from an infected animal can also transmit Rabies if the saliva comes into contact with the eyes, mouth, or nose. Symptoms of rabies are fever, headache, excess salivation, muscle spasms, paralysis and mental confusion. Ayurvedic management of Alarka Visha is described by Acharya Sushruta. It includes pouring hot ghee on bite site, drinking of old ghee for Purgation, Agada pultis, Propitiatory bath, Sanshodhana therapy, Dhatura-Sharpunkha yoga, Piplyadi yoga, Jatamanshi yoga and Tagar, Kapith, Khadiradi various agada yoga.