DEFINITION —

निबद्धः श्वयथुर्यस्य मुष्कवल्लम्बते गले |

महान् वा यदि वा हृस्वो गलगण्डं तमादिशेत् || १ ||

A swelling in the neck, big or small hanging like the scrotum has been defined as Galaganda.

This condition is often compared to goiter which is associated with thyroid related disorders.

A clearly defined swelling which appears in the neck, hanging pendulously like a scrotum, either big or small in size is called as Galaganda. 

Master Bhoja defines Galaganda as – A big or small swelling which occurs in the lower jaw, nape of the neck or neck, is elongated and suspends pendulously like the scrotum is called as galaganda.

PATHOGENESIS —

वातः कफश्चापि गले प्रदुष्टो मन्ये च संश्रित्य तथैव भेदः |

कुर्वन्ति गण्डं क्रमशः स्वलिङ्गैः समन्वितं तं गलगण्डमाहुः || २ ||

A morbid excess of Vata and kapha brings about changes in the fat (medas) and causes swellings in the neck and around it. In this morbidity, features of the vitiated doshas manifest gradually. This condition is known as Galaganda.

वैरस्यमास्यस्य च तस्य जन्तोर्भवेत्तथा तालु – गलप्रशोषः |

TYPES OF GALAGANDA

·         Vataja Galaganda

·         Shleshmaja / Kaphaja Galaganda

·         Medoja Galaganda

The author tells that it is the nature of the disease that there is no pittaja type. It is one of the rarest diseases explained in the Ayurveda treatises which don’t have a pittaja subtyp

1. VATAJA GALGANDA —

तोदान्वितः कृष्णसिरावनद्धः श्यावो अरुणो वा पवनात्मकस्तु |

पारुष्ययुक्तश्चिरवृद्द्यपाको यदृच्छया पाकमित्यात्कदाचित् || ३ ||

Features of Vataja Galaganda include the following:

• Bad taste in the mouth,

• Dryness of the palate and throat,

• Swelling associated with a pricking pain,

• Presence of a network of black colored veins,

• Swelling that is blue or red in colour,

• Rough, and slow in growth.

It usually does not form pus. If pus is there, it comes out only occasionally.

2. KAPHAJA GALGAND —

स्थिरः सवर्णो गुरुरुग्रकण्डूः शीतो महांश्चापि कफात्मकस्तु || ४ ||

चिराभिवृद्धिं भजते चिराद्वा प्रपच्यते मन्दरुजः कदाचित् |

माधुर्यमास्यस्य च तस्य जन्तोर्भवेत्तथा तालु – गलप्रलेपः || ५ || 

Symptoms of Kaphaja Galaganda include the following:

• Swelling of the spots that are immovable and that have the same colour as the skin.

• The swelling is heavy, and is cold to touch, big in size, slow in growth.

In addition, there is a severe itching in it. It occasionally suppurates and is accompanied with a mild pain. Moreover, the patient has a sweetish taste in mouth and he feels as if his palate and throat are coated with phlegm.

3. MEDAJA GALGANDA —

स्निग्धो गुरुः पाण्डुरनिष्टगन्धो मेदोभवः कण्डुयुतो अल्परुक् च |

प्रलम्बते अलाबुवदल्पमूलो देहानुरूपक्षयवृद्धियुक्तः || ६ ||

स्निग्धास्यता तस्य भवेच्च जन्तोर्गले अनुशब्दं कुरुते च नित्यम् |

Symptoms of Medaja Galaganda include the following:

• A swelling that is smooth, heavy, and yellowish – white in color.

• It emits unpleasant smell and produces itching and mild pain, it hangs as pitcher gourd (Alabu), it is attached very loosely, it is increased or decreased in accordance to condition of the body.

• He discharges copious salivation and makes a cooing sound in the throat.

These are the additional symptoms of the disease.

PROGNOSIS —

कृच्छ्राच्छवसन्तं मृदुसर्वगात्रं संवत्सरातीतमरोचकार्तम् || ७ ||

क्षीणं च वैद्यो गलगण्डयुक्तं भिन्नस्वरं चापि विवर्जयेच्च | 

The patients of Galaganda who are to be rejected or refused for treatment (as they are practically incurable) include the following:

• One who has difficulty in breathing,

• One having the disease in very soft parts,

• having it more than a year,

• the one who has lost appetite,

• has got emaciated and

• has developed a broken voice.

According to Charaka this condition is curable. But when it is associated with complications like rhinitis, pain in the flanks, cough, fever and vomiting it will become incurable.

TREATMENT

Skilful administration of below mentioned measures –

·         Siravedha – vein puncture

·         Purgation

·         Nasal drops

·         Medicated smoking

·         Oral consumption of ghee

1.Karna prishta siravedha – The three veins situated above both the ears at the joints should be cut.

2. Internal medicine

Jalakumbhi Bhasma

·         Ash of Jalakumbhi – Pistia startiotes mixed with powder of rock salt and Pippali – Piper longum should be consumed every day in the morning.

·         Ash of Jalakumbhi should be boiled in urine of cow and filtered through clean cloth. It should be eaten with food prepared using Kodrava i.e. Paspalum scrobiculatum.

Tiktaka Alabu

Stale water kept in Tiktaka Alabu – bitter gourd for seven days should be consumed along with wholesome food.

Amrtadi Taila

One should drink the oil prepared with the paste of below mentioned ingredients daily for cure of galaganda. The ingredients are –

·         Amrta – Tinospora ordifolia

·         Neem – Azadirachta indica

·         Himsra – Capparis sepiaria

·         Haritaki – Terminalia chebula

·         Vrkshaka – Holarrhena antidysenterica

·         Pippali – Piper longum

·         Bala – Sida cordifolia

·         Atibala – Abutilon indicum

·         Devadaru – Cedrus deodara

Shveta Aparajita

Powder of roots of Shveta Aparajita – Clitoria ternatea should be mixed with ghee and consumed.

Mandura Bhasma

Ash of Mandura – rust of iron mixed in urine of buffalo, kept in pot for one month and burnt in concealed heating method. This should be consumed with honey.

3. External application

Sarshapadi Lepa

Paste prepared from below mentioned ingredients made in sour buttermilk is applied on galaganda –

·         Mustard– Brassica nigra

·         Shigru bija – seeds of Moringa oleifera

·         Shana bija – Crotalaria verrucosa

·         Atasi bija – Linum usitatissimum

·         Barley – Hordeum vulgare

·         Mulaka bija – seeds of Raphanus sativus

The same paste shall be applied on group of swellings i.e. gandamala and complicated cystic swellings.

Jalakumbhi Bhasma

The ash of Jalakumbhi – Pistia startiotes mixed with mustard oil is applied on the swelling over the neck.

Shveta Aparajita

Roots of Shveta Aparajita – Clitoria ternatea are ground, mixed with ghee and applied over the swelling of Galaganda at morning time. The person should consume wholesome food.

Hastikarna Palasha

Roots of Hastikarna Palasha i.e. Leea macrophylla should be rubbed with rice washed water and the resultant paste should be applied on the swelling of galaganda.

Suryavartadi Upanaha

Poultice of Suryavarta – Cleome viscosa and Garlic should be tied over galaganda. This will cause boils with oozing. Consequently the disease will be cured.

Katphala Churna

Powder of Katphala – Myrica nagi should be rubbed inside the throat.

Gandagopalika

After scraping the swelling of Galaganda, paste of a worm named Gandagopalika should be administered over it.

4. Pathya – wholesome things

The below mentioned are said to be wholesome in Galaganda –

·         Barley – Hordeum vulgare

·         Green gram

·         Pointed gourd

·         Pungent tasting and dry foods

·         Vomiting

·         Bloodletting

5. Nasal medication

a. Karkaruka swarasa nasya – Juice of old ripened fruit of Karkaruka – Cucumis melo mixed with rock salt and vid salt should be used as nasal drops in galaganda.

b. Tumbi Taila Nasya – The mustard oil prepared with the paste of the below mentioned herbs should be used for nasal drops –

·         Vidanga – Embelia ribes

·         Yavakshara – alkali of Hordeum vulgare

·         Rock salt

·         Vacha – Acorus calamus

·         Rasna – Pluchea lanceolata

·         Chitraka – Plumbago zeylanica

·         Ginger – Zingiber officinale

·         Maricha – Piper nigrum

·         Pippali – Piper longum

·         Devadaru – Cedrus deodara

·         Katutumbi Rasa – juice of bitter gourd

6. Shastra Chikitsa – surgical treatment

There are 12 veins on the sides of the under surface of the tongue. Among these, the two stout and black veins should be held with vadisha yantra – hook like instrument, and should be slowly cut with the help of kushapatra – razor. When the blood is eliminated the patient is made to eat paste of jaggery and ginger. Along with this he should be served with food which doesn’t cause moistening in the body and kulattha yusha – soup of horse gram.

RASAUSHADHI

Mandura Bhasma

Raudra Rasa

Hiraka Bhasma

Vaikranta Bhasma