In the ancient teachings, it is described how certain signs and symptoms reveal the presence of disease within the body. For instance, pain in the breast—whether it is felt or not—indicates the formation of an external abscess. Yet, because the blood in women is subtle and delicate, such a condition does not occur in maidens. When the wind within the body is disturbed or its natural movement is obstructed, it can cause swelling at the root of the penis. This swelling may extend to the scrotum and groin, leading to an excessive enlargement of the testicular sac. As the wind compresses the area, the veins within the sac become engorged, and the faulty humors, or doshas, accumulate in the fatty tissues there. The resulting disease manifests in seven distinct forms, each marked by swelling. Sometimes, because of wind, swelling appears at the ends of the urinary tract, either on the outside or within. Such swellings are filled with air, rough and dry to the touch, and produce a burning sensation due to the influence of wind. When this swelling matures under the influence of pitta, or bile, it takes on the appearance of a fig, accompanied by heat, burning, and the discharge of pus. If kapha, or phlegm, is predominant, the swelling is more severe and heavy, unctuous, itchy, and hard, yet causes little pain. When the swelling is due to an excess of blood, it appears black, is covered with eruptions, and shows signs of growth. If both kapha and fat are involved, the swelling increases further, becoming soft and resembling a ripe palmyra fruit. In those who habitually retain their urine, the flow of urine is disturbed. The absence of greed and the steadiness of mind are lost, and the gentle stream of urine becomes agitated. This leads to difficulty in urination, swelling of the scrotum and testicles, and an aggravation of wind, especially after immersing in cold water. Furthermore, by retaining feces and urine or by irregular movement of the limbs, the vital energies within the body become disturbed and depleted. The wind, now disordered, drives the blood downward, causing swelling at the joints that resembles a knot. If such a condition is neglected, a lump may develop and grow, causing distension, pain, and various diseases. When the affliction becomes severe, there is a noise within, and the swelling may move upward, even reaching the head. This increase of blood is incurable, and its appearance is like that of a wind disorder: the veins are dry, black, or reddish, and covered as if by a layer of wool. Wind, when combined with various faulty humors in eight different ways, accumulates in the body. In women, the eighth type of this disorder arises due to menstrual irregularities. Those afflicted may experience fever, fainting, diarrhea, vomiting, and other disturbances. Even if the person is emaciated but strong, they become cold and hungry. Consuming food and drink, or practicing fasting, swimming, and similar activities, weakens perception and further provokes the disorder. If one applies oil and sweat therapies, or instead undertakes drying therapies, and if purification is lost or not achieved, or if there are spasms, the excretions become dominated by wind. These excretions may be separate or mixed with blood, following the course of wind throughout the body. When wind blocks the upward and downward channels, it causes pain, and a lump arises that is hot to the touch and swollen. With wasting, obstruction from phlegm and feces, or blockage of the channels, wind may take refuge in the abdomen, becoming hard due to dryness. When wind acts independently, it is corrupted in its own abode; when dependent, it is corrupted in another’s abode, and then phlegm mixes with the excretions, forming a mass. This condition is known as 'gulma.' It may be situated in the bladder, navel, heart, or side. When caused by wind, symptoms include headache, fever, noises from the spleen and intestines, piercing pain like that of a needle, loss of feces, difficulty in passing urine, swelling of the limbs, face, and feet, and a loss of digestive fire. The skin becomes dry and black due to wind, and restlessness sets in. The lump may have no definite form and produces various kinds of pain. Sometimes, it throbs and shifts, as if ants were crawling over it. If bile is involved, there is burning, sourness, fainting, diarrhea, sweating, thirst, and fever. A yellowish discoloration may appear over the body, with swelling and tumors. Phlegm may diminish or flare up, burning its own seat, as though consuming itself. When phlegm predominates, there is heaviness, loss of taste, a sense of sinking, headache, fever, nasal congestion, lethargy, nausea, and changes in the skin’s color—pallor or darkness. The tumor becomes deep, hard, and heavy, resembling a fetus or a child in the womb. Those tumors that remain in their original place and move within are considered fatal. Generally, tumors arising from the combination of two doshas, or from mixed causes, are severe. They cause intense pain and burning, mature quickly, and are dense and elevated. A blood-tumor, in particular, is incurable and arises only in women, especially those who suffer from menstrual pain or diseases of the womb. If a woman, in anger, engages in intercourse during her period, the wind in her body obstructs the menstrual flow, which is regularly established in the womb each month. This obstruction causes dryness in the womb, exposes the sexual organ, and brings about nausea, cravings, the appearance of milk, and behavior driven by desire. Gradually, with the mingling of wind, bile accumulates in the womb, producing the tumors described as caused by wind and bile. This results in severe pain in the womb and especially in the blood-vessels, along with vaginal discharge, foul odor, and increased burning sensation. Sometimes, the tumor resembles a pregnancy. All these conditions arise from sexual intercourse, and as the tumors mature, they may develop into abscesses. Such abscesses ripen very quickly, being rooted in impure blood, and because they rapidly cause burning and destruction, they are called abscesses. When the tumor is located deep within, there is burning in the bladder, pain in the spleen, loss of digestive power and strength, or abnormal urges. Conversely, if it is in the outer abdominal wall, there is not much pain, but there may be discoloration, cough, or greater outward swelling. With tension and very severe pain, the abdomen becomes markedly distended. When wind is obstructed either upward or downward, this condition is known as tympanites. The swelling may resemble a sack of wealth, be nodular, or rise like a pestle. When all these signs are present, it is called a pestle-shaped tumor. If the tumor arises from the colon, severe pain from wind is present, along with frequent belching, constipation, early satiety, inability to digest, and gurgling of the intestines. Thus, the ancient wisdom carefully describes the origins, signs, and transformations of these swellings and tumors, revealing the intricate interplay of the bodily humors—wind, bile, and phlegm—and the importance of balance and attention to the body’s natural functions.