and the greatest quantity of rich blood, by giving the stomach a long rest from all work during each twenty-four hours." Again in page 221, he says "you cannot possibly err as to eating too little, or in getting those meals too widely separated. You cannot fail to get immediate results for good, if the means are duly applied. You will find the self-denial less a tax than you imagine."
As a means both curative and preventive of diseases, the efficacy of Pranayama or deep-breathing has of late been perceived by a number of celebrated physicians in America and elsewhere and a large number of books and pamphlets have been published and given wide circulation. Another important theory which is expounded in this remarkable treatise and which tends to establish the unity of the curative means of diseases is the unity of the cause of various forms of diseases, the names of which are a legion and the remedies of which are according to both ancient and modern medical works infinite. According to both the text of the Sutras and the Commentary (pp. 172, 176, etc.), all diseases are due to Ajirna, indigestion, which in its turn is brought about by the accumulation of mucus (Ama) in the alimentary canal. A large portion of the treatise is taken up with treating of hygienic dietary and the dietetics laid down in this work seem to be quite in harmony with modern views on the subject. No less emphasis is laid on Samadhi, Yogic concentration of mind with regulation of breathing in and out in view of getting rid of bodily ailments. In connection with this topic the first two Padas of Patanjali's Yogasutra are intermingled with the Sutras and a few Sutras of the first Pada of the Yogasutra are scattered here and there in the first five Prasnas of the text. The Yoga-Tantric cult of Chakras with alphabetical letter-sounds severally distributed among them is described in detail. While diseases in general are all traced to indigestion caused by the accumulation of
