In the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, the sages observed the signs by which the body reveals its inner imbalances. When phlegm predominates, stillness settles upon the person, a sense of dissatisfaction lingers, and heaviness arises from swelling and oiliness. Itching, drowsiness, and lethargy become evident, marking the disturbance caused by phlegm. Diseases do not always arise from a single source. Sometimes, two humors combine, and their causes and symptoms intermingle, revealing a dual-natured affliction. When all three—wind, bile, and phlegm—are involved, the disease is triple-marked and is known as sannipātika. The body itself is the foundation for humors, tissues, and wastes. When these elements remain in balance, health is maintained; but when they either decrease or increase beyond their natural measure, disease follows. The tissues of the body—fat, blood, flesh, marrow, bone, and semen—are the building blocks. The humors are wind, bile, and phlegm, while wastes include feces, urine, and other excretions. Each humor possesses distinct qualities. Wind is cold, light, subtle, and steady, yet strong; it can cause loss of voice. Bile is sour, pungent, hot, and foul-smelling, and is a frequent cause of disease. Phlegm is sweet, salty, unctuous, heavy, and exceedingly slimy. Wind resides in the rectum and hips, bile is situated in the colon, and phlegm finds its seat in the stomach, throat, and the joints of the head. The tastes of foods have profound effects on the humors. Pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes provoke wind. Pungent, sour, and salty tastes increase bile. Sweet, hot, and salty tastes increase phlegm. By using tastes opposite to those that provoke a humor, one can pacify it—calming the sick and promoting well-being in the healthy. Sweet taste is especially beneficial for the eyes and increases the body's tissue fluids. When sour predominates, it brings pleasure to the mind and heart, and stimulates digestion. Bitter taste stimulates digestion, destroys fever and thirst, purifies, and dries the body. Astringent taste reduces bile, scrapes, constricts, absorbs, and dries. Substance is the primary support for taste, potency, and post-digestive effect; it remains stable even as tastes transform, and is the quick support for all substances. Potency is classified as cold, hot, or salty, and the transformation of tastes is twofold, with pungency being especially notable. In treatment, four limbs are essential: the physician, the medicine, the patient, and the attendant. If any of these are contrary, success cannot be achieved. Before beginning treatment, one must understand the region, season, age, digestive fire, constitution, medicine, body, mind, strength, and diseases. Regions with mixed characteristics are called common. Childhood lasts up to sixteen years, middle age up to seventy, and after that is old age. Phlegm, bile, and wind manifest generally in that order, and in advanced age, treatments avoid alkali, fire, or surgery. For the emaciated, nourishing therapy is prescribed; for the obese, reducing therapy; and for those of medium build, protection. These are the three types of bodies. Strength must be carefully understood—by firmness, exercise, and contentment. A person who is unchanging, highly energetic, and courageous possesses true strength. When a person consumes food and drink contrary to their nature, yet does so for their own comfort, this is considered a state of equilibrium. The constitution of the child is influenced by the pregnant woman’s diet: if she eats foods that increase phlegm, the child will have a phlegmatic nature; if foods that increase wind or bile are consumed, or if nourishment is balanced, the child’s constitution reflects this accordingly. Those with a windy nature are thin and dry, with scant hair, an unstable mind, fond of much talking, and in dreams see movement. Those with a bilious nature are prematurely gray, fair-skinned, sweat easily, quick to anger, intelligent, and in dreams see radiant things. Those with a phlegmatic nature have a steady mind, gentle and pleasant voice, smooth hair, and in dreams see water or stones. If signs of two or three humors are present, a person has a mixed constitution; but if one humor predominates, that is considered the main constitution. The digestive fire is of four kinds: weak, sharp, irregular, and balanced, each arising from the predominance of phlegm, bile, wind, or their equilibrium. In the balanced type, maintenance is required; in the irregular, wind should be subdued; in the sharp, measures against bile are needed; and in the weak, purification of phlegm is prescribed. Indigestion is the root of all diseases, for it destroys the digestive fire. Its signs are heaviness, sourness, and obstruction, and these are of four types. From indigestion arise ailments such as cholera and heart fatigue; in such cases, vomiting should be induced with vacā, salt, and water. Sourness leads to loss of semen, dizziness, fainting, and thirst; remedies include drinking cold water and using treatments for wind. Fracture of the limbs, heaviness of the head, and disorders from improper food are ailments where daytime sleep should be avoided and fasting observed. Colic and abdominal tumors, marked by obstruction of urine and stool, require fomentation and drinking saline water. For heaviness, sourness, and obstruction caused by phlegm, bile, or wind, one should anoint the abdomen with asafoetida, black salt, and long pepper. Daytime sleep may be practiced to destroy indigestion, but unwholesome food causes many diseases and must be avoided. Warm water as an after-drink and honey act as digestives, while milk generally does not agree with radish, curd, or fish. To kindle the digestive fire and destroy phlegm and wind, the five great roots—bilva, śoṇā, gambhārī, pāṭalā, and gaṇikārikā—are used. The five lesser roots—śālaparṇa, pṛśniparṇa, the two kinds of bṛhatī, and gokṣura—remove wind and bile and are invigorating. Both types of daśasūla are effective in alleviating fever caused by the convergence of diseases, and are recommended for cough, breathlessness, lethargy, and pain in the sides. With these medicinal oils, one should perform fomentation and apply ointments to overcome alopecia. The decoction water should be four times the quantity, and likewise for foot application. Equal parts of oil and milk, with paste as a quarter of the oil, should be cooked with the prescribed medicines. For enema and oral administration, the preparation should be equal; for massage, it should be rough; for nasal application, gentle; and the preparation should be suitably adjusted. Finally, those with robust bodies and senses, whose natural constitution is firmly established, are to be regarded as healthy. Such persons should be cared for as those blessed with longevity, for they embody the ideal of well-being in the tradition of Ayurveda.