There are times when the body’s inner humors—wind, bile, and phlegm—become so disturbed that their ripening drags on, bringing with it relentless drowsiness and a constant croaking sensation in the throat. When all three humors are thrown into turmoil together, vitality itself is threatened and may be destroyed. When the wind is obstructed in the throat and bile is pressed upon within, especially after indulgence in pleasure or intercourse, the body seeks relief by finding another path outward. This leads to the yellowing of the eyes, a sign of fever born from the combined disturbance of the humors. If these humors increase and the digestive fire is lost, and all warning signs are present, such a fever—arising from all three doshas—is considered incurable. If the digestive fire still burns, cure is difficult, but not impossible. Sometimes, fever arises from the mingling of humors, but bile remains separate. In such cases, burning sensations may flare up in the skin or abdomen, either before or after the fever’s onset. Similarly, when wind and phlegm combine, coldness prevails. If both wind and bile are involved, burning and related symptoms are especially hard to overcome. At the start of coldness, bile is present; with phlegm, there is oozing and dryness. When bile is pacified, fainting, intoxication, and thirst arise. But at the onset of burning, and in other cases, drowsiness, lethargy, and vomiting appear in due order. Fever is said to have four main causes: external injury, contact, curses, or sorcery. Fever from injury is marked by burning and similar symptoms. Excessive exertion can disturb the wind, which then corrupts the blood, resulting in pain, sorrow, discoloration, and fever accompanied by pain. Fever can also arise from possession by spirits, from medicines, poison, anger, fear, grief, or desire. In these cases, sudden possession or contact may occur, or even the mere scent of certain medicines can bring on fainting, headache, vomiting, and wasting. Poison brings fainting, diarrhea, darkening of the complexion, burning, and dizziness. Anger leads to trembling and headache, while fear and grief cause delirium. Desire can cause dizziness, loss of appetite, burning sensations, shame, sleep disturbances, and loss of intellect and memory. In cases of possession and similar causes, symptoms of combined humors appear, and at the beginning, those of wind and the others. Of all fevers, those arising from anger—especially excessive anger of bile—and those caused by curses and black magic, as well as the two severe fevers of deranged humors, are considered the most unbearable. When afflicted by spells and incantations of sorcery, the body is tormented, first suffering physically, then breaking out in eruptions and confusion. For one constantly seized by burning and fainting, the fever increases day by day. Thus, fever is seen in eight forms, but in essence, it is of two kinds: bodily or mental. Each may be gentle or intense, internal or external in origin, natural or unnatural, curable or incurable, simple or complicated. In bodily fever, heat arises first in the body; in mental fever, it arises in the mind. When wind predominates, coldness results, especially if phlegm is present. Burning arises when bile is involved. When all are mixed, the fever again seeks refuge within, leading to greater disorders, inner agitation, and retention of wastes. When the cause is external, the heat is also external and remains so. During the rainy, autumn, and spring seasons, fever arises from wind and the other humors in their proper order. The unnatural type of fever is distinct and difficult to cure, while the natural kind mostly arises from wind. In the rainy season, disturbed wind causes fever, often accompanied by bile and phlegm. In autumn, bile predominates, followed by phlegm. Because of the nature and release of these humors, there is little danger from eating various foods at that time. In spring, phlegm predominates, and then wind and bile may follow. When the disorder is mild, the fever is curable and without complications. Yet, in all cases, if the disorder is recognized early, it is said to be incurable beforehand. Severe fever brings weak digestion and excessive urination. Appetite fades, digestion is impaired, hunger disappears, and the fever takes on a distinct appearance. Its intensity grows, marked by thirst, delirium, labored breathing, and dizziness. The urge to pass waste, or its disturbance, signals the fever’s maturation. If there is no improvement, fasting for seven nights can bring resolution. Fever is described in five kinds, depending on waste, time, strength, and weakness; but most often, it is said to arise from the derangement of all three humors. There are fevers that are continuous, constant, every other day, on the third day, and on the fourth day. These are carried by the humors, urine, and feces, and are widespread because of the wastes. They heat the entire body, growing equally from the start. They are strong and heavy, residing in the vital fluids without distinction. Such unopposed, constant fever is extremely hard to endure; fever, heat, or the disturbed humors quickly destroy the body. In all forms, whether the vital fluids and others are pure or impure, wind, bile, and phlegm can cause fever in seven, six, or twelve days. Generally, a boundary is observed for both recovery and destruction; this is the view of Agnivesha and the tradition of Harita. The seventh day, and its double, as well as the ninth and eleventh days, mark the boundaries of the three doshas for both recovery and destruction. Depending on purity or impurity, fever may persist for a long time, especially in those who are emaciated, afflicted by disease, or who indulge in improper diet and similar habits. Even a small defect, strengthened by impurity or other causes, becomes antagonistic and irregular, increasing and decreasing unpredictably. With such disturbance, fever increases and decreases irregularly; the dosha acts in its own time, causing strong fever. It ceases again with the strength or weakness of its opponent. When the dosha is diminished, the subtle fever lingers only in the fluids and so forth. Because of this merging, it causes emaciation, discoloration, dullness, and similar conditions, due to the altered mouths of the channels carrying fluids. The defect does not quickly spread throughout the whole body; those who are virtuous are always thus, but the contrary is true for others. Fever can be irregular, with irregular onset, often appearing at night. The dosha, residing in the blood, generally produces continuous fever. At the junction of day and night, fever may occur once, and on another day it may be based. In this, the flesh-carrying channel and the fat channel are involved in the third instance. Thus, the nature, causes, and progression of fever are revealed, showing its many forms and the profound influence of the humors and one’s own constitution.