Relator photos on Flickr

Nepal - Patan - Kumbeshwar Temple - Ganesha - 4b by Manfred Sommer

Ganesha, also spelled Ganesh, and also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka, is a widely worshipped deity in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations. Devotion to Ganesha is widely diffused and extends to Jains, Buddhists, and beyond India.

Although he is known by many attributes, Ganesha's elephant head makes him easy to identify. Ganesha is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As the god of beginnings, he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies. Ganesha is also invoked as patron of letters and learning during writing sessions. Several texts relate mythological anecdotes associated with his birth and exploits and explain his distinct iconography.

Ganesha emerged as a distinct deity in the 4th and 5th centuries CE, during the Gupta Period, although he inherited traits from Vedic and pre-Vedic precursors. He was formally included among the five primary deities of Smartism (a Hindu denomination) in the 9th century. A sect of devotees called the Ganapatya arose, who identified Ganesha as the supreme deity. The principal scriptures dedicated to Ganesha are the Ganesha Purana, the Mudgala Purana, and the Ganapati Atharvashirsa.

ETYMOLOGY AND OTHER NAMES

Ganesha has been ascribed many other titles and epithets, including Ganapati and Vighneshvara. The Hindu title of respect Shri is often added before his name. One popular way Ganesha is worshipped is by chanting a Ganesha Sahasranama, a litany of "a thousand names of Ganesha". Each name in the sahasranama conveys a different meaning and symbolises a different aspect of Ganesha. At least two different versions of the Ganesha Sahasranama exist; one version is drawn from the Ganesha Purana, a Hindu scripture venerating Ganesha.

The name Ganesha is a Sanskrit compound, joining the words gana, meaning a group, multitude, or categorical system and isha, meaning lord or master. The word gaņa when associated with Ganesha is often taken to refer to the gaņas, a troop of semi-divine beings that form part of the retinue of Shiva. The term more generally means a category, class, community, association, or corporation. Some commentators interpret the name "Lord of the Gaņas" to mean "Lord of Hosts" or "Lord of created categories", such as the elements. Ganapati, a synonym for Ganesha, is a compound composed of gaṇa, meaning "group", and pati, meaning "ruler" or "lord". The Amarakosha, an early Sanskrit lexicon, lists eight synonyms of Ganesha : Vinayaka, Vighnarāja (equivalent to Vighnesha), Dvaimātura (one who has two mothers), Gaṇādhipa (equivalent to Ganapati and Ganesha), Ekadanta (one who has one tusk), Heramba, Lambodara (one who has a pot belly, or, literally, one who has a hanging belly), and Gajanana; having the face of an elephant).

Vinayaka is a common name for Ganesha that appears in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. This name is reflected in the naming of the eight famous Ganesha temples in Maharashtra known as the Ashtavinayak (aṣṭavināyaka). The names Vighnesha and Vighneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) refers to his primary function in Hindu theology as the master and remover of obstacles (vighna).

A prominent name for Ganesha in the Tamil language is Pillai. A. K. Narain differentiates these terms by saying that pillai means a "child" while pillaiyar means a "noble child". He adds that the words pallu, pella, and pell in the Dravidian family of languages signify "tooth or tusk", also "elephant tooth or tusk". Anita Raina Thapan notes that the root word pille in the name Pillaiyar might have originally meant "the young of the elephant", because the Pali word pillaka means "a young elephant".

In the Burmese language, Ganesha is known as Maha Peinne, derived from Pali Mahā Wināyaka. The widespread name of Ganesha in Thailand is Phra Phikhanet or Phra Phikhanesuan, both of which are derived from Vara Vighnesha and Vara Vighneshvara respectively, whereas the name Khanet (from Ganesha) is rather rare.

In Sri Lanka, in the North-Central and North Western areas with predominantly Buddhist population, Ganesha is known as Aiyanayaka Deviyo, while in other Singhala Buddhist areas he is known as Gana deviyo.

ICONOGRAPHY

Ganesha is a popular figure in Indian art. Unlike those of some deities, representations of Ganesha show wide variations and distinct patterns changing over time. He may be portrayed standing, dancing, heroically taking action against demons, playing with his family as a boy, sitting down or on an elevated seat, or engaging in a range of contemporary situations.

Ganesha images were prevalent in many parts of India by the 6th century. The 13th century statue pictured is typical of Ganesha statuary from 900–1200, after Ganesha had been well-established as an independent deity with his own sect. This example features some of Ganesha's common iconographic elements. A virtually identical statue has been dated between 973–1200 by Paul Martin-Dubost, and another similar statue is dated c. 12th century by Pratapaditya Pal. Ganesha has the head of an elephant and a big belly. This statue has four arms, which is common in depictions of Ganesha. He holds his own broken tusk in his lower-right hand and holds a delicacy, which he samples with his trunk, in his lower-left hand. The motif of Ganesha turning his trunk sharply to his left to taste a sweet in his lower-left hand is a particularly archaic feature. A more primitive statue in one of the Ellora Caves with this general form has been dated to the 7th century. Details of the other hands are difficult to make out on the statue shown. In the standard configuration, Ganesha typically holds an axe or a goad in one upper arm and a pasha (noose) in the other upper arm.

The influence of this old constellation of iconographic elements can still be seen in contemporary representations of Ganesha. In one modern form, the only variation from these old elements is that the lower-right hand does not hold the broken tusk but is turned towards the viewer in a gesture of protection or fearlessness (abhaya mudra). The same combination of four arms and attributes occurs in statues of Ganesha dancing, which is a very popular theme.

COMMON ATTRIBUTES

Ganesha has been represented with the head of an elephant since the early stages of his appearance in Indian art. Puranic myths provide many explanations for how he got his elephant head. One of his popular forms, Heramba-Ganapati, has five elephant heads, and other less-common variations in the number of heads are known. While some texts say that Ganesha was born with an elephant head, he acquires the head later in most stories. The most recurrent motif in these stories is that Ganesha was created by Parvati using clay to protect her and Shiva beheaded him when Ganesha came between Shiva and Parvati. Shiva then replaced Ganesha's original head with that of an elephant. Details of the battle and where the replacement head came from vary from source to source. Another story says that Ganesha was created directly by Shiva's laughter. Because Shiva considered Ganesha too alluring, he gave him the head of an elephant and a protruding belly.

Ganesha's earliest name was Ekadanta (One Tusked), referring to his single whole tusk, the other being broken. Some of the earliest images of Ganesha show him holding his broken tusk. The importance of this distinctive feature is reflected in the Mudgala Purana, which states that the name of Ganesha's second incarnation is Ekadanta. Ganesha's protruding belly appears as a distinctive attribute in his earliest statuary, which dates to the Gupta period (4th to 6th centuries). This feature is so important that, according to the Mudgala Purana, two different incarnations of Ganesha use names based on it: Lambodara (Pot Belly, or, literally, Hanging Belly) and Mahodara (Great Belly). Both names are Sanskrit compounds describing his belly. The Brahmanda Purana says that Ganesha has the name Lambodara because all the universes (i.e., cosmic eggs) of the past, present, and future are present in him. The number of Ganesha's arms varies; his best-known forms have between two and sixteen arms. Many depictions of Ganesha feature four arms, which is mentioned in Puranic sources and codified as a standard form in some iconographic texts. His earliest images had two arms. Forms with 14 and 20 arms appeared in Central India during the 9th and the 10th centuries. The serpent is a common feature in Ganesha iconography and appears in many forms. According to the Ganesha Purana, Ganesha wrapped the serpent Vasuki around his neck. Other depictions of snakes include use as a sacred thread wrapped around the stomach as a belt, held in a hand, coiled at the ankles, or as a throne. Upon Ganesha's forehead may be a third eye or the Shaivite sectarian mark , which consists of three horizontal lines. The Ganesha Purana prescribes a tilaka mark as well as a crescent moon on the forehead. A distinct form of Ganesha called Bhalachandra includes that iconographic element. Ganesha is often described as red in color. Specific colors are associated with certain forms. Many examples of color associations with specific meditation forms are prescribed in the Sritattvanidhi, a treatise on Hindu iconography. For example, white is associated with his representations as Heramba-Ganapati and Rina-Mochana-Ganapati (Ganapati Who Releases from Bondage). Ekadanta-Ganapati is visualized as blue during meditation in that form.

VAHANAS

The earliest Ganesha images are without a vahana (mount/vehicle). Of the eight incarnations of Ganesha described in the Mudgala Purana, Ganesha uses a mouse (shrew) in five of them, a lion in his incarnation as Vakratunda, a peacock in his incarnation as Vikata, and Shesha, the divine serpent, in his incarnation as Vighnaraja. Mohotkata uses a lion, Mayūreśvara uses a peacock, Dhumraketu uses a horse, and Gajanana uses a mouse, in the four incarnations of Ganesha listed in the Ganesha Purana. Jain depictions of Ganesha show his vahana variously as a mouse, elephant, tortoise, ram, or peacock.

Ganesha is often shown riding on or attended by a mouse, shrew or rat. Martin-Dubost says that the rat began to appear as the principal vehicle in sculptures of Ganesha in central and western India during the 7th century; the rat was always placed close to his feet. The mouse as a mount first appears in written sources in the Matsya Purana and later in the Brahmananda Purana and Ganesha Purana, where Ganesha uses it as his vehicle in his last incarnation. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa includes a meditation verse on Ganesha that describes the mouse appearing on his flag. The names Mūṣakavāhana (mouse-mount) and Ākhuketana (rat-banner) appear in the Ganesha Sahasranama.

The mouse is interpreted in several ways. According to Grimes, "Many, if not most of those who interpret Gaṇapati's mouse, do so negatively; it symbolizes tamoguṇa as well as desire". Along these lines, Michael Wilcockson says it symbolizes those who wish to overcome desires and be less selfish. Krishan notes that the rat is destructive and a menace to crops. The Sanskrit word mūṣaka (mouse) is derived from the root mūṣ (stealing, robbing). It was essential to subdue the rat as a destructive pest, a type of vighna (impediment) that needed to be overcome. According to this theory, showing Ganesha as master of the rat demonstrates his function as Vigneshvara (Lord of Obstacles) and gives evidence of his possible role as a folk grāma-devatā (village deity) who later rose to greater prominence. Martin-Dubost notes a view that the rat is a symbol suggesting that Ganesha, like the rat, penetrates even the most secret places.

ASSOCIATIONS

OBSTACLES

Ganesha is Vighneshvara or Vighnaraja or Vighnaharta (Marathi), the Lord of Obstacles, both of a material and spiritual order. He is popularly worshipped as a remover of obstacles, though traditionally he also places obstacles in the path of those who need to be checked. Paul Courtright says that "his task in the divine scheme of things, his dharma, is to place and remove obstacles. It is his particular territory, the reason for his creation."

Krishan notes that some of Ganesha's names reflect shadings of multiple roles that have evolved over time. Dhavalikar ascribes the quick ascension of Ganesha in the Hindu pantheon, and the emergence of the Ganapatyas, to this shift in emphasis from vighnakartā (obstacle-creator) to vighnahartā (obstacle-averter). However, both functions continue to be vital to his character.

BUDDHI (KNOWLEDGE)

Ganesha is considered to be the Lord of letters and learning. In Sanskrit, the word buddhi is a feminine noun that is variously translated as intelligence, wisdom, or intellect. The concept of buddhi is closely associated with the personality of Ganesha, especially in the Puranic period, when many stories stress his cleverness and love of intelligence. One of Ganesha's names in the Ganesha Purana and the Ganesha Sahasranama is Buddhipriya. This name also appears in a list of 21 names at the end of the Ganesha Sahasranama that Ganesha says are especially important. The word priya can mean "fond of", and in a marital context it can mean "lover" or "husband", so the name may mean either "Fond of Intelligence" or "Buddhi's Husband".

AUM

Ganesha is identified with the Hindu mantra Aum, also spelled Om. The term oṃkārasvarūpa (Aum is his form), when identified with Ganesha, refers to the notion that he personifies the primal sound. The Ganapati Atharvashirsa attests to this association. Chinmayananda translates the relevant passage as follows:

(O Lord Ganapati!) You are (the Trinity) Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesa. You are Indra. You are fire [Agni] and air [Vāyu]. You are the sun [Sūrya] and the moon [Chandrama]. You are Brahman. You are (the three worlds) Bhuloka [earth], Antariksha-loka [space], and Swargaloka [heaven]. You are Om. (That is to say, You are all this).

Some devotees see similarities between the shape of Ganesha's body in iconography and the shape of Aum in the Devanāgarī and Tamil scripts.

FIRST CHAKRA

According to Kundalini yoga, Ganesha resides in the first chakra, called Muladhara (mūlādhāra). Mula means "original, main"; adhara means "base, foundation". The muladhara chakra is the principle on which the manifestation or outward expansion of primordial Divine Force rests. This association is also attested to in the Ganapati Atharvashirsa. Courtright translates this passage as follows: "[O Ganesha,] You continually dwell in the sacral plexus at the base of the spine [mūlādhāra cakra]." Thus, Ganesha has a permanent abode in every being at the Muladhara. Ganesha holds, supports and guides all other chakras, thereby "governing the forces that propel the wheel of life".

FAMILY AND CONSORTS

Though Ganesha is popularly held to be the son of Shiva and Parvati, the Puranic myths give different versions about his birth. In some he was created by Parvati, in another he was created by Shiva and Parvati, in another he appeared mysteriously and was discovered by Shiva and Parvati or he was born from the elephant headed goddess Malini after she drank Parvati's bath water that had been thrown in the river.

The family includes his brother the war god Kartikeya, who is also called Subramanya, Skanda, Murugan and other names. Regional differences dictate the order of their births. In northern India, Skanda is generally said to be the elder, while in the south, Ganesha is considered the first born. In northern India, Skanda was an important martial deity from about 500 BCE to about 600 CE, when worship of him declined significantly in northern India. As Skanda fell, Ganesha rose. Several stories tell of sibling rivalry between the brothers and may reflect sectarian tensions.

Ganesha's marital status, the subject of considerable scholarly review, varies widely in mythological stories. One pattern of myths identifies Ganesha as an unmarried brahmacari. This view is common in southern India and parts of northern India. Another pattern associates him with the concepts of Buddhi (intellect), Siddhi (spiritual power), and Riddhi (prosperity); these qualities are sometimes personified as goddesses, said to be Ganesha's wives. He also may be shown with a single consort or a nameless servant (Sanskrit: daşi). Another pattern connects Ganesha with the goddess of culture and the arts, Sarasvati or Śarda (particularly in Maharashtra). He is also associated with the goddess of luck and prosperity, Lakshmi. Another pattern, mainly prevalent in the Bengal region, links Ganesha with the banana tree, Kala Bo.

The Shiva Purana says that Ganesha had begotten two sons: Kşema (prosperity) and Lābha (profit). In northern Indian variants of this story, the sons are often said to be Śubha (auspiciouness) and Lābha. The 1975 Hindi film Jai Santoshi Maa shows Ganesha married to Riddhi and Siddhi and having a daughter named Santoshi Ma, the goddess of satisfaction. This story has no Puranic basis, but Anita Raina Thapan and Lawrence Cohen cite Santoshi Ma's cult as evidence of Ganesha's continuing evolution as a popular deity.

WOSHIP AND FESTIVALS

Ganesha is worshipped on many religious and secular occasions; especially at the beginning of ventures such as buying a vehicle or starting a business. K.N. Somayaji says, "there can hardly be a [Hindu] home [in India] which does not house an idol of Ganapati. [..] Ganapati, being the most popular deity in India, is worshipped by almost all castes and in all parts of the country". Devotees believe that if Ganesha is propitiated, he grants success, prosperity and protection against adversity.

Ganesha is a non-sectarian deity, and Hindus of all denominations invoke him at the beginning of prayers, important undertakings, and religious ceremonies. Dancers and musicians, particularly in southern India, begin performances of arts such as the Bharatnatyam dance with a prayer to Ganesha. Mantras such as Om Shri Gaṇeshāya Namah (Om, salutation to the Illustrious Ganesha) are often used. One of the most famous mantras associated with Ganesha is Om Gaṃ Ganapataye Namah (Om, Gaṃ, Salutation to the Lord of Hosts).

Devotees offer Ganesha sweets such as modaka and small sweet balls (laddus). He is often shown carrying a bowl of sweets, called a modakapātra. Because of his identification with the color red, he is often worshipped with red sandalwood paste (raktacandana) or red flowers. Dūrvā grass (Cynodon dactylon) and other materials are also used in his worship.

Festivals associated with Ganesh are Ganesh Chaturthi or Vināyaka chaturthī in the śuklapakṣa (the fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of bhādrapada (August/September) and the Gaṇeśa jayanti (Gaṇeśa's birthday) celebrated on the cathurthī of the śuklapakṣa (fourth day of the waxing moon) in the month of māgha (January/February)."

GANESH CHATURTI

An annual festival honours Ganesha for ten days, starting on Ganesha Chaturthi, which typically falls in late August or early September. The festival begins with people bringing in clay idols of Ganesha, symbolising Ganesha's visit. The festival culminates on the day of Ananta Chaturdashi, when idols (murtis) of Ganesha are immersed in the most convenient body of water. Some families have a tradition of immersion on the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, or 7th day. In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed this annual Ganesha festival from private family celebrations into a grand public event. He did so "to bridge the gap between the Brahmins and the non-Brahmins and find an appropriate context in which to build a new grassroots unity between them" in his nationalistic strivings against the British in Maharashtra. Because of Ganesha's wide appeal as "the god for Everyman", Tilak chose him as a rallying point for Indian protest against British rule. Tilak was the first to install large public images of Ganesha in pavilions, and he established the practice of submerging all the public images on the tenth day. Today, Hindus across India celebrate the Ganapati festival with great fervour, though it is most popular in the state of Maharashtra. The festival also assumes huge proportions in Mumbai, Pune, and in the surrounding belt of Ashtavinayaka temples.

TEMPLES

In Hindu temples, Ganesha is depicted in various ways: as an acolyte or subordinate deity (pãrśva-devatã); as a deity related to the principal deity (parivāra-devatã); or as the principal deity of the temple (pradhāna), treated similarly as the highest gods of the Hindu pantheon. As the god of transitions, he is placed at the doorway of many Hindu temples to keep out the unworthy, which is analogous to his role as Parvati’s doorkeeper. In addition, several shrines are dedicated to Ganesha himself, of which the Ashtavinayak (lit. "eight Ganesha (shrines)") in Maharashtra are particularly well known. Located within a 100-kilometer radius of the city of Pune, each of these eight shrines celebrates a particular form of Ganapati, complete with its own lore and legend. The eight shrines are: Morgaon, Siddhatek, Pali, Mahad, Theur, Lenyadri, Ozar and Ranjangaon.

There are many other important Ganesha temples at the following locations: Wai in Maharashtra; Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh; Jodhpur, Nagaur and Raipur (Pali) in Rajasthan; Baidyanath in Bihar; Baroda, Dholaka, and Valsad in Gujarat and Dhundiraj Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Prominent Ganesha temples in southern India include the following: Kanipakam in Chittoor; the Jambukeśvara Temple at Tiruchirapalli; at Rameshvaram and Suchindram in Tamil Nadu; at Malliyur, Kottarakara, Pazhavangadi, Kasargod in Kerala, Hampi, and Idagunji in Karnataka; and Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh.

T. A. Gopinatha notes, "Every village however small has its own image of Vighneśvara (Vigneshvara) with or without a temple to house it in. At entrances of villages and forts, below pīpaḹa (Sacred fig) trees [...], in a niche [...] in temples of Viṣṇu (Vishnu) as well as Śiva (Shiva) and also in separate shrines specially constructed in Śiva temples [...]; the figure of Vighneśvara is invariably seen." Ganesha temples have also been built outside of India, including southeast Asia, Nepal (including the four Vinayaka shrines in the Kathmandu valley), and in several western countries.

RISE TO PROMINENCE

FIRST APEARANCE

Ganesha appeared in his classic form as a clearly recognizable deity with well-defined iconographic attributes in the early 4th to 5th centuries. Shanti Lal Nagar says that the earliest known iconic image of Ganesha is in the niche of the Shiva temple at Bhumra, which has been dated to the Gupta period. His independent cult appeared by about the 10th century. Narain summarizes the controversy between devotees and academics regarding the development of Ganesha as follows:

What is inscrutable is the somewhat dramatic appearance of Gaņeśa on the historical scene. His antecedents are not clear. His wide acceptance and popularity, which transcend sectarian and territorial limits, are indeed amazing. On the one hand there is the pious belief of the orthodox devotees in Gaņeśa's Vedic origins and in the Purāṇic explanations contained in the confusing, but nonetheless interesting, mythology. On the other hand there are doubts about the existence of the idea and the icon of this deity" before the fourth to fifth century A.D. ... [I]n my opinion, indeed there is no convincing evidence of the existence of this divinity prior to the fifth century.

POSSIBLE INFLUENCES

Courtright reviews various speculative theories about the early history of Ganesha, including supposed tribal traditions and animal cults, and dismisses all of them in this way:

In the post 600 BC period there is evidence of people and places named after the animal. The motif appears on coins and sculptures.

Thapan's book on the development of Ganesha devotes a chapter to speculations about the role elephants had in early India but concludes that, "although by the second century CE the elephant-headed yakṣa form exists it cannot be presumed to represent Gaṇapati-Vināyaka. There is no evidence of a deity by this name having an elephant or elephant-headed form at this early stage. Gaṇapati-Vināyaka had yet to make his debut."

One theory of the origin of Ganesha is that he gradually came to prominence in connection with the four Vinayakas (Vināyakas). In Hindu mythology, the Vināyakas were a group of four troublesome demons who created obstacles and difficulties but who were easily propitiated. The name Vināyaka is a common name for Ganesha both in the Purāṇas and in Buddhist Tantras. Krishan is one of the academics who accepts this view, stating flatly of Ganesha, "He is a non-vedic god. His origin is to be traced to the four Vināyakas, evil spirits, of the Mānavagŗhyasūtra (7th–4th century BCE) who cause various types of evil and suffering". Depictions of elephant-headed human figures, which some identify with Ganesha, appear in Indian art and coinage as early as the 2nd century. According to Ellawala, the elephant-headed Ganesha as lord of the Ganas was known to the people of Sri Lanka in the early pre-Christian era.

A metal plate depiction of Ganesha had been discovered in 1993, in Iran, it dated back to 1,200 BCE. Another one was discovered much before, in Lorestan Province of Iran.

First Ganesha's terracotta images are from 1st century CE found in Ter, Pal, Verrapuram and Chandraketugarh. These figures are small, with elephant head, two arms, and chubby physique. The earliest Ganesha icons in stone were carved in Mathura during Kushan times (2nd-3rd centuries CE).

VEDIC AND EPIC LITERATURE

The title "Leader of the group" (Sanskrit: gaṇapati) occurs twice in the Rig Veda, but in neither case does it refer to the modern Ganesha. The term appears in RV 2.23.1 as a title for Brahmanaspati, according to commentators. While this verse doubtless refers to Brahmanaspati, it was later adopted for worship of Ganesha and is still used today. In rejecting any claim that this passage is evidence of Ganesha in the Rig Veda, Ludo Rocher says that it "clearly refers to Bṛhaspati—who is the deity of the hymn—and Bṛhaspati only". Equally clearly, the second passage (RV 10.112.9) refers to Indra, who is given the epithet 'gaṇapati', translated "Lord of the companies (of the Maruts)." However, Rocher notes that the more recent Ganapatya literature often quotes the Rigvedic verses to give Vedic respectability to Ganesha .

Two verses in texts belonging to Black Yajurveda, Maitrāyaṇīya Saṃhitā (2.9.1) and Taittirīya Āraṇyaka (10.1), appeal to a deity as "the tusked one" (Dantiḥ), "elephant-faced" (Hastimukha), and "with a curved trunk" (Vakratuņḍa). These names are suggestive of Ganesha, and the 14th century commentator Sayana explicitly establishes this identification. The description of Dantin, possessing a twisted trunk (vakratuṇḍa) and holding a corn-sheaf, a sugar cane, and a club, is so characteristic of the Puranic Ganapati that Heras says "we cannot resist to accept his full identification with this Vedic Dantin". However, Krishan considers these hymns to be post-Vedic additions. Thapan reports that these passages are "generally considered to have been interpolated". Dhavalikar says, "the references to the elephant-headed deity in the Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā have been proven to be very late interpolations, and thus are not very helpful for determining the early formation of the deity".

Ganesha does not appear in Indian epic literature that is dated to the Vedic period. A late interpolation to the epic poem Mahabharata says that the sage Vyasa (Vyāsa) asked Ganesha to serve as his scribe to transcribe the poem as he dictated it to him. Ganesha agreed but only on condition that Vyasa recite the poem uninterrupted, that is, without pausing. The sage agreed, but found that to get any rest he needed to recite very complex passages so Ganesha would have to ask for clarifications. The story is not accepted as part of the original text by the editors of the critical edition of the Mahabharata, in which the twenty-line story is relegated to a footnote in an appendix. The story of Ganesha acting as the scribe occurs in 37 of the 59 manuscripts consulted during preparation of the critical edition. Ganesha's association with mental agility and learning is one reason he is shown as scribe for Vyāsa's dictation of the Mahabharata in this interpolation. Richard L. Brown dates the story to the 8th century, and Moriz Winternitz concludes that it was known as early as c. 900, but it was not added to the Mahabharata some 150 years later. Winternitz also notes that a distinctive feature in South Indian manuscripts of the Mahabharata is their omission of this Ganesha legend. The term vināyaka is found in some recensions of the Śāntiparva and Anuśāsanaparva that are regarded as interpolations. A reference to Vighnakartṛīṇām ("Creator of Obstacles") in Vanaparva is also believed to be an interpolation and does not appear in the critical edition.

PURANIC PERIOD

Stories about Ganesha often occur in the Puranic corpus. Brown notes while the Puranas "defy precise chronological ordering", the more detailed narratives of Ganesha's life are in the late texts, c. 600–1300. Yuvraj Krishan says that the Puranic myths about the birth of Ganesha and how he acquired an elephant's head are in the later Puranas, which were composed from c. 600 onwards. He elaborates on the matter to say that references to Ganesha in the earlier Puranas, such as the Vayu and Brahmanda Puranas, are later interpolations made during the 7th to 10th centuries.

In his survey of Ganesha's rise to prominence in Sanskrit literature, Ludo Rocher notes that:

Above all, one cannot help being struck by the fact that the numerous stories surrounding Gaṇeśa concentrate on an unexpectedly limited number of incidents. These incidents are mainly three: his birth and parenthood, his elephant head, and his single tusk. Other incidents are touched on in the texts, but to a far lesser extent.

Ganesha's rise to prominence was codified in the 9th century, when he was formally included as one of the five primary deities of Smartism. The 9th-century philosopher Adi Shankara popularized the "worship of the five forms" (Panchayatana puja) system among orthodox Brahmins of the Smarta tradition. This worship practice invokes the five deities Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Devi, and Surya. Adi Shankara instituted the tradition primarily to unite the principal deities of these five major sects on an equal status. This formalized the role of Ganesha as a complementary deity.

SCRIPTURES

Once Ganesha was accepted as one of the five principal deities of Brahmanism, some Brahmins (brāhmaṇas) chose to worship Ganesha as their principal deity. They developed the Ganapatya tradition, as seen in the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana.

The date of composition for the Ganesha Purana and the Mudgala Purana - and their dating relative to one another - has sparked academic debate. Both works were developed over time and contain age-layered strata. Anita Thapan reviews comments about dating and provides her own judgement. "It seems likely that the core of the Ganesha Purana appeared around the twelfth and thirteenth centuries", she says, "but was later interpolated." Lawrence W. Preston considers the most reasonable date for the Ganesha Purana to be between 1100 and 1400, which coincides with the apparent age of the sacred sites mentioned by the text.

R.C. Hazra suggests that the Mudgala Purana is older than the Ganesha Purana, which he dates between 1100 and 1400. However, Phyllis Granoff finds problems with this relative dating and concludes that the Mudgala Purana was the last of the philosophical texts concerned with Ganesha. She bases her reasoning on the fact that, among other internal evidence, the Mudgala Purana specifically mentions the Ganesha Purana as one of the four Puranas (the Brahma, the Brahmanda, the Ganesha, and the Mudgala Puranas) which deal at length with Ganesha. While the kernel of the text must be old, it was interpolated until the 17th and 18th centuries as the worship of Ganapati became more important in certain regions. Another highly regarded scripture, the Ganapati Atharvashirsa, was probably composed during the 16th or 17th centuries.

BEYOND INDIA AND HINDUISM

Commercial and cultural contacts extended India's influence in western and southeast Asia. Ganesha is one of a number of Hindu deities who reached foreign lands as a result.

Ganesha was particularly worshipped by traders and merchants, who went out of India for commercial ventures. From approximately the 10th century onwards, new networks of exchange developed including the formation of trade guilds and a resurgence of money circulation. During this time, Ganesha became the principal deity associated with traders. The earliest inscription invoking Ganesha before any other deity is associated with the merchant community.

Hindus migrated to Maritime Southeast Asia and took their culture, including Ganesha, with them. Statues of Ganesha are found throughout the region, often beside Shiva sanctuaries. The forms of Ganesha found in Hindu art of Java, Bali, and Borneo show specific regional influences. The spread of Hindu culture to southeast Asia established Ganesha in modified forms in Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. In Indochina, Hinduism and Buddhism were practiced side by side, and mutual influences can be seen in the iconography of Ganesha in the region. In Thailand, Cambodia, and among the Hindu classes of the Chams in Vietnam, Ganesha was mainly thought of as a remover of obstacles. Today in Buddhist Thailand, Ganesha is regarded as a remover of obstacles, the god of success.

Before the arrival of Islam, Afghanistan had close cultural ties with India, and the adoration of both Hindu and Buddhist deities was practiced. Examples of sculptures from the 5th to the 7th centuries have survived, suggesting that the worship of Ganesha was then in vogue in the region.

Ganesha appears in Mahayana Buddhism, not only in the form of the Buddhist god Vināyaka, but also as a Hindu demon form with the same name. His image appears in Buddhist sculptures during the late Gupta period. As the Buddhist god Vināyaka, he is often shown dancing. This form, called Nṛtta Ganapati, was popular in northern India, later adopted in Nepal, and then in Tibet. In Nepal, the Hindu form of Ganesha, known as Heramba, is popular; he has five heads and rides a lion. Tibetan representations of Ganesha show ambivalent views of him. A Tibetan rendering of Ganapati is tshogs bdag. In one Tibetan form, he is shown being trodden under foot by Mahākāla, (Shiva) a popular Tibetan deity. Other depictions show him as the Destroyer of Obstacles, and sometimes dancing. Ganesha appears in China and Japan in forms that show distinct regional character. In northern China, the earliest known stone statue of Ganesha carries an inscription dated to 531. In Japan, where Ganesha is known as Kangiten, the Ganesha cult was first mentioned in 806.

The canonical literature of Jainism does not mention the worship of Ganesha. However, Ganesha is worshipped by most Jains, for whom he appears to have taken over certain functions of Kubera. Jain connections with the trading community support the idea that Jainism took up Ganesha worship as a result of commercial connections. The earliest known Jain Ganesha statue dates to about the 9th century. A 15th-century Jain text lists procedures for the installation of Ganapati images. Images of Ganesha appear in the Jain temples of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

WIKIPEDIA

Cambridge Skyline by Steve Taylor

HIS HOLINESS Hazarat RIAZ AHMAD GOHAR SHAHI(M.A) addressing in Mochi Darwaza Lahore 1996 part 41 by waseem ahmad

1. The spiritual entity Qalb

Prophecy and knowledge relating to this was granted to the Prophet Adam

In the Urdu language the fleshy meat, (the heart) is known as dil, and in Arabic it is called fawad. The spiritual entity that is next to the heart is the Qalb and according to a Prophetic statement the heart and the Qalb are two separate entities.

Our solar system is the physical human sphere. There are other realms and spheres, for example the realm of the angels, the realm of the throne of God, the realm of the soul, the realm of the secrets, the realm of unification and the realm of the essence of God. These spheres and life forms inhabiting these spheres have existed before the eruption of the ball of fire, our Sun, which created our solar system. Ordinary angels were created alongside the creation of the souls when God commanded "Be" but the Archangels and the spiritual entities (which are placed inside the human body at birth) have existed in these realms before the formation of our solar system.

Many planets in our solar system were inhabited but subsequently these life forms became extinct. The remaining planets and their inhabitants are awaiting their destruction. The Archangels and the spiritual entities (of the human body) were created seventy thousand years before the command "Be."

Of these spiritual entities God placed the Qalb in the realm of love. It is with this that a human being is able to become connected with God. The Qalb acts like a telephone operator between God and the human being. A human being receives guidance and inspiration through it. Whereas the worship and the meditation done by the spiritual entities themselves can reach the highest realm, the Throne of God, with the aid of the Qalb. The Qalb itself, however cannot travel beyond the realm of the angels, as its place of origin is the Khuld, the lowest heaven in the realm of the angels.

The Qalb’s meditation is from within and its vibrating rosary is within the human skeleton (the heartbeat). People that failed to achieve this meditation of the Qalb in this lifetime will be regretful, even though they may be in paradise. As God has stated regarding those who will go to paradise, that do they, the inhabitants of paradise think that they will be equal to those who are elevated (reached higher realms by practicing the spiritual disciplines and becoming illuminated). As those that have achieved the meditation of the Qalb, they will enjoy its pleasures even in paradise when their Qalb will be vibrating with the Name of God.

After death physical worship ceases to exist and the people whose Qalb and spiritual entities are not strengthened and illuminated with the light of God are afflicted and distressed in their graves and their spiritual entities waste away. Whereas the illuminated and strengthened spiritual entities will go to the realm where the righteous will wait before the final judgement.

After the day of judgement a second body will be given, the illuminated spiritual entities along with the human soul will enter that body. The people that taught their spiritual entities, meditation, whereby the entities chanted the Name of God Allah in this life time will find that the spiritual entities will continue with this meditation even in the hereafter. Such people will continue to be elevated and exalted in the hereafter.

Those that were “blind of heart” (not illuminated) in this life time will be in darkness in that realm also, as this world was the place of action and effort. Those in the latter category will become quiescent.

Besides the Christians and the Jews the Hindu faith also holds a belief in these spiritual entities. The Hindu faith refers to them as Shaktian and the Muslims know them as Lata’if.

The Qalb is two inches, to the left of the heart. This spiritual entity is yellow in colour. When it is illuminated in a person, that person sees the colour yellow in their eyes. Not only this but there are many practitioners of alternative medicine who use the colours of these spiritual entities to heal people.

Most people regard their heart’s word, “inner feeling” to be truthful. If the hearts of people were indeed truthful, then why are all the people of the heart not united?

The Qalb of an ordinary person is in the sleeping or unconscious state and it does not possess any appreciation or awareness. Due to the dominance of the spirit of the self, the ego, and the Khannas, or due to the individual’s own simple- mindedness the heart can make judgements in error. Placing trust in a sleeping Qalb is foolish.

Only when the Name of God Allah, does vibrate in the heart does an appreciation of right and wrong and wisdom follow. At this stage the Qalb is known as the awakened Qalb. Thereafter due to the increase in the meditation by the Qalb, of the Name of God Allah, it is then known as the God-seeking Qalb. At this stage the heart is capable of preventing the person from doing wrong but it is still incapable of making a right or just decision. Thereafter and only when the Light and the rays of the Grace of God (theophany) start to descend upon that heart, is it known as the purified and illuminated Qalb that stands in the presence of God (witnessing Qalb).

A Prophetic statement:

“The mercy of God descends upon a broken heart and an afflicted grave.”

Thereafter when the heart reaches this stage then one must accept whatever it dictates, quietly without question because due to the rays of the Light and the Grace of God the spirit of the self, (ego) becomes completely illuminated, purified and at peace. God is then closer to that individual than that person’s jugular vein.

God then says, “I become his tongue with which he speaks and I become his hands with which he holds.”

2. The Human Soul

Prophecy and knowledge relating to this was granted to the Prophet Abraham

This is on the right side of the chest. This is awakened and illuminated by the meditation and one-pointed concentration on it. Once it becomes illuminated, a vibration similar to the heartbeat is felt on the right side of the chest. Then the Name of God, Ya Allah is matched with the vibrating pulse. The meditation of the soul is done in this way. At this point, there are now two spiritual entities meditating inside the human body, this is an advancement in rank and status and is better than the Qalb. The soul is a light red in colour and when it is awakened, it is able to travel to the realm of the souls (the station of the Archangel Gabriel). Anger and rage are attached to it that burn and turn into majesty.

3. The spiritual entity Sirri

Prophecy and knowledge relating to this was granted to the Prophet Moses

This spiritual entity is to the left of the centre of the chest. This is also awakened and illuminated by the meditation and one-pointed concentration on it with the Name of God, Ya Hayy, Ya Qayyum. Its colour is white and in the dream state or by spiritual separation from the physical body “transcendental meditation” it can journey to the realm of the secrets. Now there are three spiritual entities meditating within a person and its status is higher than the other two.

4. The spiritual entity Khaffi

Prophecy and knowledge relating to this was granted to the Prophet Jesus

This is to the right of the centre of the chest. It too is taught the Name of God Ya Wahid by meditation. It is green in colour and it can reach the realm of unification. Due to the meditation of four entities one's status is further increased.

5. The spiritual entity Akhfa

Prophecy and knowledge relating to this was granted to the Prophet Mohammed

This is situated at the centre of the chest. It is awakened by meditating on the Name of God, Ya Ahad. It is purple in colour and it too, is connected to that veil in the realm of unification behind which is the throne of God.

The hidden spiritual knowledge relating to these five spiritual entities was granted to the Prophets, one by one and half of the knowledge of every spiritual entity was granted from the Prophets to the Saints of their time. In this way there became ten parts of this knowledge. The Saints in turn passed this knowledge on to the spiritually favoured (Godly) who then had the benefit of the sacred knowledge.

The apparent knowledge of the seen is connected to the physical body, the spoken word, the human realm and the spirit of the self, this is for the ordinary mortals. This knowledge is contained in a book that has thirty parts. Spiritual knowledge was also given to the Prophets by revelation brought by Gabriel and for this reason it is known as the spiritual Holy Scripture.

Many of the verses of the Qur’an would sometimes be abolished, since the Prophet Mohammed would sometimes mention matters relating to this “hidden spiritual knowledge” before ordinary people, which was only meant for the special and Godly. Later this knowledge passed on spiritually from the chest of one Saint to another, and now it has become widespread by its publication in books.

6. The spiritual entity Anna

This spiritual entity is inside the head and is colourless. It is by the meditation on the Name of God Ya Hu that this spiritual entity reaches its pinnacle. It is this spiritual entity that when it becomes illuminated and powerful it can stand in the Presence of God, face to face, and communicate with God unobstructed. Only the extreme lovers of God reach this realm and station. Besides this there are a few and extremely exalted people who are granted additional spiritual entities, for example the spiritual entity Tifl-e-Nuri or a spiritual entity of the Godhead, Jussa-e-Tofiq-e-Ilahi, the spiritual status of such people is beyond understanding.

With the spiritual entity, Anna, God is seen in the dream state.

With the spiritual entity of the Godhead, God is seen in the “physical meditating state” when the spiritual entity itself leaves the human body and transcends to the essence of God.

Those possessing the spiritual entity, the Tifl-e-Nuri, see God whilst they are fully conscious.

It is these people who are the majesty and power of God in the world. They can either occupy the people by prescribing worship and austerities or by their spiritual grace send a person straight to the realm of God’s love. In their sight, concerning dispensing spiritual grace the believers and the non-believers, the dead and the living are all the same. Just as a thief became a Saint, in an instant, by the passing glimpse of the Saint Sheikh Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani, similarly, Abu-Bakr Havari and Manga the thief, became instant Saints by the passing glimpses of such Saints.

The five major Messengers were given knowledge of the five spiritual entities separately and in order of their appearance, as a result of which spirituality continued to prosper. With whichever spiritual entity you practice meditation you will be connected to the corresponding Messenger and become worthy of receiving spiritual grace (from that Messenger).

Whichever spiritual entity receives the rays of the Grace of God (favour), the Sainthood granted to that spiritual entity will be connected to the corresponding Prophet’s spiritual grace.

Access to seven realms and gaining elevated spiritual status in the seven heavens is obtained through these spiritual entities.

The functions of the spiritual entities inside the human body

Akhfa: Due to the spiritual entity, Akhfa a person is able to speak. In its absence a person may have a normal tongue but will be dumb. The difference between human beings and animals lies in the presence or the absence of these spiritual entities. At birth, if the entity, Akhfa was unable to enter the body for whatever reason, then a Prophet appointed for the rectification of this ailment would be called to treat the condition as a result of which the dumb would start to speak.

Sirri: A person is able to see due to the spiritual entity, Sirri. If it does not enter the body the person is blind from birth. An appointed Prophet had the duty to find and place the spiritual entity into the body, as a result of which the blind would start to see again.

Qalb: Without the spiritual entity of the Qalb, in the body, a person is like the animals, unacquainted, far from God, miserable and without purpose. Returning this entity into the body was the task of the Prophets also.

The miracles of the Prophets were also granted to the saints, in the form marvels and mystical wonders as a result of which even the impious and liberal became close to God. When a spiritual entity is returned by any allocated Saint or Prophet, the deaf, dumb and the blind are healed.

Anna: When the spiritual entity, Anna, fails to enter the body, a person is regarded as insane even though the brain may be functioning normally.

Khaffi: In the absence of the spiritual entity, Khafi, a person is deaf, even if the ears are opened wide.

These conditions can be caused by other defects in the body, and can be treated. There is no cure in the case, where the defect is caused by the absence of the associated spiritual entity except where a Prophet or a Saint intervenes and cures the defect.

Nafs, self: As a result of the spiritual entity of the self (ego) a persons mind is occupied with the material world and it is because of the spiritual entity Qalb that a persons direction turns towards God. For more detail visit www.goharshahi.org or visit asipk.com and for videos visit HH rags

This image is taken from United States Naval Medical Bulletin Vol. 10 Nos. 1-4, 1916 by Medical Heritage Library, Inc.

Go to the Book with image in the Internet Archive

Title: United States Naval Medical Bulletin Vol. 10 Nos. 1-4, 1916

Creator: U.S. Navy. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery

Publisher:

Sponsor:

Contributor:

Date: 1916

Language: eng

Vol. 10, No. 1 January 1916 PREFACE .. .... vii SPECIAL ARTICLES: A TECHNIC FOR THE ABS0RPTION TEST FOR SYPHILIS, USING HUMAN COMPLEMENT. By Surgeon C. S. Butler and Hospital Apprentice, First Class, W. P. Landon.......... ....... ......... ...... l THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF TUBERCULOSIS; AS IT RELATES TO THE SERVICE AND TO THE NAVAL HOSPITAL AT LAS ANIMAS, COLO. By Medical Director G. H. Barber...................... . ..... ... ... 9 STUDIES PERTAINING TO LIGHT ON SHIPBOARD. By Surgeon T. W. Richards . . ..... 19 MILITARY ORGANIZATION AND EQUIPMENT IN THE PRESENT WAR. By Surgeon A. M. Fauntleroy......... . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . 34 CLASSIFICATION OF MENTAL DISEASES. By Passed Assistant Surgeon R. Sheehan......... . 61 SECOND REPORT ON THE SCHIER TEST FOR MENTALITY WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE POINT SYSTEM. By Passed Assistant Surgeon G. E. Thomas .. .•..... . . .. . . . . ..... 88 THE TREATMENT OF FRACTURED MANDIBLES. By Acting Assistant Dental Surgeon F. L. Morey.... .... . ...... . . 70 DIVING OPERATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SALVAGE OF THE U.S.S. "F-4." By Passed Assistant Surgeon G. R. W. French. ........... ...... ..... 74 REPORT ON THE RECOVERY, IDENTIFICATION, AND DISPOSITION OF THE REMAINS OF THE CREW OF THE "F-4." By Surgeon W. Seaman....... .. .. .. . ... ...... . ..... .. . . .......... . 91 UNITED STATES NAVAL MEDICAL SCHOOL LABORATORIES: ADDITIONS TO THE PATHOLOGICAL COLLECTION.... ..... 97 ADDITIONS TO THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL COLLECTION.... .... 97 SUGGESTED DEVICES: A SIMPLE TEST OF STERILIZER EFFICIENCY. By Surgeon Edgar Thompson. . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . 99 A HANDY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCE FOR THE SICK BAY. By Surgeon A. Farenholt.. .......... .............. ...... ........... 100 DESCRIPTION OF A HORIZONTAL FLUOROSCOPE AND AN ILLUMINATING BOX MADE IN A NAVAL HOSPITAL. By Hospital Steward H. L. Gall...... . ..... . . . ..... ............... 101 CLINICAL NOTES: CREEPING ERUPTION. REPORT OF A CASE. By Passed Assistant Surgeon J. C. Parham ........ .... 103 A SPORADIC CASE OF TYPHUS FEVER. By Passed Assistant Surgeon R. G. Davis..... . ................ . .... 104 A BRANCHIOGENIC CYST. By Passed Assistant Surgeon L. W. Johnson... ....... . . .. . . . . ...... 106 BILATERAL THROMBOSIS OF CENTRAL RETINAL VEINS. By Assistant Surgeon S. Walker, jr., Medical Reserve Corps . . . . . . . . . 106 INTERNAL HERNIA. REPORT OF A CASE. By Assistant Surgeon W. C. Espach.......... ... ............ ..... ... 108 REPORT OF A CASE OF PSORIASIS LIMITED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TO THE SCALP. By Acting Assistant Surgeon J. H. Harris.. . . . ... .. ........ . .... ... . . .. 109 EDITORIAL COMMENT: PROGRESS OF THE WAR.. ... . ....... . ............. . .. .. ... . ........... 113 PROGRESS IN MEDICAL SCIENCES: GENERAL MEDICINE - The recruit's heart. By E. R. Stitt. Report of cerebrospinal fever in the Royal Navy. Roentgen-ray treatment of leukemia. Chronic lead poisoning in guinea-pigs; with special reference to nephritis, cirrhosis, and polyserositis. Prolonged fasting in diabetes. Proper dosage of antitoxin in diphtheria. By E. Thompson and E. L. Woods.. .. . . . . .. . . . . . . 121 MENTAL AND NERVOUS DISEASES - Clinical lecture on the psychoneuroses of war. By H. Butts. Constructive delusions. Some observations on heroin habitues. A proper classification of borderline mental cases amongst offenders. The feebly inhibited; violent temper and its inheritance. By R. Sheehan....... . ............................. . . 127 SURGERY - Renal pain: Diagnostic and clinical significance. Fulguration in the treatment of bladder tumors. Some details in the surgical treatment of tumor of the bladder. By H. W. Cole. Wound infections. byy L. W. Johnson. On the prevention of "frostbite" and other effects of cold. By C. N. Fiske. Operative treatment of bad results after fracture. End results of bone fractures. A review of the literature of fractures. The clinical status of the autograft. Mesenteric thrombosis. By A. M. Fauntleroy and E. H. H. Old .. . .. ... .. . . ...... . ..........132 HYGIENE AND SANITATION - Hygienic interpretation of recent changes in the field rations and their preparation. by E. W. Brown. Recent additions to the conception of a normal diet. Removing diphtheria bacilli with kaolin. By C. N. Fiske. .. . . . . . . . . .. .. . . ........ . . .. ..... 149 TROPICAL MEDICINE - Bilharzia in Cuba. By L.. W. Johnson. Pellagra a curable diseaese. By E . Thompson. Pellagra. Causation and treatment of pellagra. The occurrence of sprue in the United States. By E. R. Stitt. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 PATHOLOGY, BACTERIOLOGY, AND ANIMAL PARASITOLOGY - Hibernation and the pituitary body. The occurrence of carriers of disease-producing types of pneumococcus. by G. F. Clark. The mode of injection and etiology of epidemic poliomyelitis. by C. N. Fiske. Observations on the proteolytic enzyme of bacillus proteus. Comparative efficacy of benzin and anisol for the destruction of parasites. Technic for culturing typhoid bacilli from stools. Report of an investigation of diphtheria carriers. The presence of acid-fast bacilli in the circulating blood and excretions. The serologic diagnosis of leprosy. The diagnostic value of the placental blood film in estivo-autumnal malaria. A further study of the bactericidal action of ethylhydrocuprein on pneumococci. By C. S. Butler and R.H. Laning.. ... ...... . .... .. ... .. .. . . . ... .. . . .. . . 156 CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY.-A substitute for potassium permanganate to liberate formaldehyde gas from a water solution. The preparation of ammonia-free water. By C. N. Fiske. Chemopathological studies with compounds of arsenic. By R.H. Laning. Laboratory experiments with air. Comparison of the plating and microscopic methods in the bacteriological examination of milk. Beef frozen for 18 years. Tin poisoning after eating canned asparagus. Treatment of typhoid carriers with charcoal and thymol or charcoal and iodin. By E.W. Brown and O. G. Ruge... . .. ... ... .. .... .... 166 EYE, EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT - The present status of tuberculin therapy in ocular tuberculosis. On dissolving senile cataract in the early stages. The treatment of glaucoma simplex. The exploratory opening of the ephenoidal sinus. Tonsillectomy in the adult; are we justified in doing so many indiscriminate tonsillectomies for remote infections. The diagnosis of otoeclerosis. Syphilis of the internal ear. Collapse of the alae nasi, its etiology and treatment. By E. J. Grow and G. B. Trible. .. ... 171 REPORTS: A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE HOSPITAL SHIP "SOLACE" WHILE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE ATLANTIC FLEET, AT GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA, FOR FORTY DAYS. By Medical Inspector R. M. Kennedy.. ... ... . . ... . . . . .. . . . ........ . . 177 SANITARY REPORT ON BARCELONA, SPAIN. By Passed Assistant Surgeon H . L. Brown.... . . ... . . . . . . ... .... . ... .. 183 SANITARY NOTES FROM THE U.S.S. "SARATOGA." By Passed Assistant Surgeon H. R . Hermesch... . .. . . . ... .. . . . . . 186 SANITARY NOTES FROM THE U.S.S. "HELENA." By Passed Assistant Surgeon W. L. Mann, jr.. . . . . . ... . 187 Vol. 10, No. 2 April 1916 PREFACE .. .... v SPECIAL ARTICLES: A GENERAL CONSIDERATION OF THE PRESENT STATUS OF VESICAL PAPILLOMA . By Assistant Surgeon L. C. Lehr, M. R. C.. .... .. . .... . .. . .. . .... . . 191 SUGGESTED USE OF COMBINED TABLE OF OCCUPATIONAL DISTRIBUTION OF PHYSICAL DISABILITY. By Surgeon C. N. Fiske... . .. . . . . ......... . . . . . . .... . . . .... ...... . . 199 EXCLUSION OF THE MENTALLY UNFIT FROM THE MILITARY SERVICES. By Passed Assistant Surgeon R. Sheehan.... .. ...... . . . ... . .... .. .. 213 A GREATER FIELD OF ACTIVITY FOR MEDICAL OFFICERS OF NAVY YARDS. By Medical Inspector N. J. Blackwood and Surgeon W. H. Bell. . . .. . 249 THE HOSPITAL STEWARD; CONCERNING HIS QUALIFICATIONS - PERSONAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND PROFESSIONAL. By Passed Assistant Surgeon W. E. Eaton.. . . .. . . ... ....... .. . ..... 269 STUDIES PERTAINING TO LIGHT ON SHIPBOARD. II. By Surgeon T. W. Richards.... .. ..... .. ... ....... . . . . . . ... .... . . .. 277 FUMIGATION OF THE U. S. S. TENNESSEE BY THE CYANID METHOD. By Surgeon N. Roberts, Public Health Service. Passed ASSistant Surgeon G . E. Robertson, and aSSistant Surgeon A. E. Beddoe. . .. ... . 296 THE NEW HOSPITAL CORPS FORMS. By Passed Assistant Surgeon W. E. Eaton.. . .... . ... . . . ...... ..... . 300 THE DIAGNOSIS OF SYPHILIS BY THE 'WASSERMANN REACTION. By Passed Assistant. Surgeon A. H. Allen... . .. . . .... . .. . . . ........ . 304 UNITED STATES NAVAL MEDICAL SCHOOL LABORATORIES: ADDITIONS TO THE PATHOLOGICAL COLLECTION.... ..... 309 ADDITIONS TO THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL COLLECTION.... .... 309 SUGGESTED DEVICES: APPARATUS FOR FILLING VACCINE AMPULES. By Passed Assistant Surgeon R. G. Davis. .. . . . . . ... .. ... . .. .. ... . .. 311 METHODS OP PREVENTING THE ALTERATION OF TINCTURE OF IODIN IN MILITARY SURGERY. Translation By Passed Assistant Surgeon J. A. Biello. .... ... .. . . . .... 314 CLINICAL NOTES: REPORT OF TWO CASES OF INTUSSUSCEPTION AS A SEQUEL TO WHOOPING COUGH. By Assistant Surgeon C. W. Depping. .. . . .. . ..... . .. ... . . .. . . ..... . 319 TREATMENT OF A FRACTURED FEMUR BY MEANS OF A STEINMANN NAIL. 3y Assistant Surgeon C. W. Depping....... .... .......... . ......... 320 AN UNUSUAL CASE OF HERPES ZOSTER (ZOSTER NUCHAE ET BRACHIALIS). By Passed Assistant Surgeon W. E. Eaton . . . . . . . . .... .......... .... 323 CASE OF HYPERNEPHROMA. By Passed Assistant Surgeons E. H. H. Old and R.H. Laning. . . . . . .. 324 SURGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE KIDNEY. By Surgeon C. G. Smith.. . . ... . . ... .... . .... ... . .... ........ ...... 334 PROGRESS IN MEDICAL SCIENCES: GENERAL MEDICINE.-The bacterin treatment of certain chronic pyogenic dermatoses. By W. E. Eaton. The soldier's heart. The physics of bronchopneumonia. Specific treatment of pneumonia with ethylhydrocuprein. The use of duodenal bucket in search for typhoid bacilli in typhoid convalescents. The treatment of myocarditia. By E. Thompson and J.A. Randall ....343 MENTAL AND NERVOUS DISEASES - Dementia precox and malingering. The distribution of tabetic crises with exhibition of an unusual case. Notes of a conference on medical and social aspects of syphilis of the nervous system. By R. Sheehan.. ...349 SURGERY - A plea for efficiency in the accident ward. Appendicitis as a sequel of tonsillitis. Gasoline, iodin, and alcohol in surgery. Epididymotomy. By L. W. Johnson. The treatment of fracture a lost art. The treatment of complicated fractures and present opinion of operative treatment. End-results in 242 cases of simple fracture of the femoral shaft. The artificial periosteum for fixation of shaft fractures. Talk on syphilis. Correction of depressed fractures of the nose by transplant of cartilage. By A. M. Fauntleroy and E. H. H. Old........ .. . . ................... 353 HYGIENE A.ND SANITATION - Duration of smallpox immunity conferred by successful vaccination. Further experiments in the destruction of fly larvae in horse manure. Biochemical comparisons between mature beef and immature veal. On the influence of alcohol on bactericidal properties, phagocytosis, and resistance of human erythrocytes. By C. N. Fiske and R. C. Ransdell.... .. .................................... 366 TROPICAL MEDICINE - The treatment of dysentery. Further work on the treatment of kala-azar. The treatment of hookworm disease. By E. R. Stitt.. . .. ... ................................ ... ....... .. ... . ....... 369 PATHOLOGY, BACTERIOLOGY. AND ANIMAL PARASITOLOGY - Bacteriological results in chronic leukemia and in pseudoleukemia. The acceleration of esterase action; studies on ferment action. By G. F. Clark. Combined preventive inoculation against typhoid and paratyphoid fever and bacillary dysentery. The complement-fixation reactions of the Bordet-Gengou bacillus. The bacteria of gangrenous wounds. Studies in nonspecific complement fixation. Report on the results of the bilharzia mission in Egypt, 1915. The etiology of rat-bite fever. By C. S. Butler and R.H. Laning................................................. . 374 EYE, EAR. NOSE, AND THROAT - Ethmoiditis; its varied effects and their probable prevention; or, when fully established, their possible cure. Obstruction of the posterior nasal orifice. The space sense and the labyrinth. Acute middle-ear inflammations. Vocal strain from a laryngologist's standpoint . its causes and prevention. By E. J. Grow and G. B. Trible... ....... ... ................. .. ..... . .................. . 382 REPORTS: MILITARY MEDICAL WORK IN CONSTANTINOPLE. By Passed Assistant Surgeon E. P. Huff. ... ......................... 387 Vol. 10, No. 3 July 1916 PREFACE.... . .. .. . ..... . . . . ..... . ........ . ...... . .. . ....... .. ...... . .... vii SPECIAL ARTICLES: A. CONTRIBUTION TO THE STUDY OF ARTIFICIAL ILLUMINATION. By Medical Director J. D. Gatewood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 401 CONCUSSION OF THE BRAIN. By Assistant Surgeon J.C. Dacosta, M. R. C. . ............. . ......... 416 THE ATMOSPHERE AND ITS RELATION TO THE HUMAN MECHANISM, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE NAVAL SERVICE. By Surgeon R. C. Holcomb..... . .. .. . . .. ................ .. . . ...... 430 A SHORT STORY OP MY EXPERIENCE AT THE RED CROSS AUXILIARY NAVAL HOSPITAL OF HAMBURG, GERMANY, DURING THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS OF THE PRESENT WAR. By Medical Director H. G. Beyer, Retired..... . .... . .. . . .. ......... 465 DIAGNOSIS OF ABDOMINAL PAIN. By Assistant Surgeon W. A. Brams. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 476 DOSAGE IN ROENTOENOTHERAPY. By Assistant Surgeon A. Soiland, M. R. C. . ..... ......... . . . ... .... 484 NOTES ON THE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION OF 1,880 APPLICANTS FOR ENLISTMENT IN THE NAVY. By Acting Assistant Surgeon C.H. Lowell. .. . ... . ... . ....... . ..... 487 THE PRACTICABILITY OR DESIRABILITY OF OMITTING FROM THE SUPPLY TABLE CERTAIN DRUGS. By Hospital Steward J. A. Ortolan... . . . ................... . ..... .. 490 UNITED STATES NAVAL MEDICAL SCHOOL LABORATORIES: ADDITIONS TO THE PATHOLOGICAL COLLECTION... . .. . . . . 493 ADDITIONS TO THE HELMINTHOLOGICAL COLLECTION. . .....493 SUGGESTED DEVICES: . FIRST-AID· DRESSINGS ON BATTLESHIPS. By Surgeon G. F. Freeman .. .. . .... . .. . ........ . ..... ... ... .... . .. 495 CLINICAL NOTES: THE LEWISOHN CITRATE METHOD OP BLOOD TRANSFUSION WITH REPORT OF A CASE OF TRAUMATIC GLUTEAL ANEURISM IN WHICH THIS METHOD WAS EMPLOYED. By Surgeon R. B. Williams . . .. .. . . . . .. ..... ... . . ... . ... . ... 503 REPORT OF A CASE OF LUDWIG'S ANGINA. By Assistant Surgeon W. A. Brams. . . ... . 506 RUPTURE OF LIVER; REPORT OF A CASE. By Assistant Surgeon C. W. Depping. .. .. ... . . . . . . . . . . . 510 SYPHILIS IN A CHAMORRO. By Passed Assistant Surgeon L. W. Johnson. . .. . .. . . . ... .. ...... . .. 511 REPORT OF A CASE OP INTUSSUSCEPPTION CAUSED BY A MECKEL'S DIVERTICULUM By Surgeon A. M. Fauntleroy. . ............ . . . . . . . . . . .511 ADVANTAGES NOTED IN THE USE OF McDONALD'S SOLUTION. By Passed Assistant Surgeon P. R. Stalnaker. . .... .. .. . ......... .. .. 514 HEMATOMA OF ABDOMINAL PARIETES. By Surgeon J. S. Taylor........ . ... . . ... . .. .. . ... . . .. .. .. ....... . . . 515 BAYONET WOUND OF THE ABDOMEN. By Assistant Surgeonn W. B. Hetfield... ... . ... . . . . . 516 PROGRESS IN MEDICAL SCIENCES: GENERAL MEDICINE - Gassing accidents from the fumes of explosives. By C. G. Smith. The etiology and experimental production of herpes zoster. By W. E. Eaton. The Allen treatment of diabetes. Chronic arthritis. By E. Thompson and J. A. Randall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 519 MENTAL AND NERVOUS DISEASES - A further study of the diagnostic value of the colloidal gold reaction, together with a method for the preparation of the reagent. Psycho-analytic tendencies. Some considerations of general paralysis from the histological viewpoint. The duration of paresis following treatment. Discussion of treatment in general paresis. By R. Sheehan.. .. . . .... . ... . . . . . ... .. .............................. 528 SURGERY - The artificial limb question. The treatment of war injuries of the upper arm. By P. J. Waldner. The inefficacy of pyloric exclusion by fascial bands. Postoperative intestinal obstruction. Index of toxicity of novocain-adrenalin injected intravenously. Reversal of the circulation in the lower extremity. By A. M. Fauntleroy and E . H. H. Old.. . ... .. . . ..... . 534 HYGIENE AND SANITATION - Report of committees on the resuscitation from mine gases and electric shock. By E. W. Brown. A contribution to the fly campaign. On protection against mosquitoes. By P. J. Waldner. Medical guard. The result of closing the segregated vice district upon the public health of Cleveland. Workshop education in hygiene. By C. N. Fiske and R. C. Ransdell. . . .. .. . ............ 540 TROPICAL MEDICINE - Are there harmful and harmless hookworm infections? By C. N. Fiske. Beriberi, with special reference to prophylaxia and treatment. A method for the preparation of a nontoxic dysentery vaccine. By E. R. Stitt......... . ..................... 546 PATHOLOGY, BACTERIOLOGY, AND ANIMAL PARASITOLOGY - Autogenous vaccines in the treatment of bronchitis and asthma. The practical value of the guinea-pig test for the virulence of diphtheria bacilli. By G. F. Clark. Methods of using diphtheria toxin in the Schick test and of controlling the reaction. Results with cholesterinized antigens in non-syphilitic sera. On the toxicity of various commercial preparations of emetin hydrochlorid. Bactericidal and protozoacidal activity of emetin hydrochlorid in vitro and in vivo. Two chronic amebic dysentery carriers treated by emetin, with some remarks on the treatment of Lamblia, Blastocystis, and E. coli infections. By C. S. Butler and R.H. Laning. ....549 CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY - A discussion of acidosis with special reference to that occurring in diseases of children. By R . H. Laning. Testing distilled water as regards its wit.ability for the preparation of salvarsan solutions. Improved heroin test for blood. Cause and significance of an abnormal reaction obtained in testing urine for sugar with Fehling's solution. New test for reducing sugars in urine. Rapid method of counting bacteria in milk. Estimation of carbon dioxide in air by Haldane's apparatus. By E.W. Brown and O. G. Ruge. . . ... . .. . ........ 555 EYE, EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT - Researches upon the requisite visual acuity and refraction of infantry. Autointoxication and eye diseases. Orientation and equilibration. Deafness due to syphilis. Hay-fever; its cause and prevention. A study of 500 tonsil enucleations with the Beck-Pierce tonsillectome. By E. J. Grow and G. B. Trible..... . .............. . .. 559 REPORTS: SANITATION OF AMERICAN SAMOA. By Surgeon E. G. Parker........... . . ... . . ....... . . ......... . ... ... 563 REPORT OF MEDICAL RELIEF AFFORDED IN FLOODED DISTRICTS OF SAN DIEGO. By Assistant Surgeon C. I. Wood. .. ..... . .......................... 567 THE MARINE DETACHMENT WITH THE PANAMA·PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION By Passed Assistant Surgeon K. C. Melhorn.. . . . . . . 569 EARLY HISTORY OF THE NAVAL HOSPITAL RESERVATION, WASHINGTON, D . C. By Medical Director J. D. Gatewood................. . .... .. .. . . .... . 573 A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES OF THE HOSPITAL SHIP "SOLACE" WHILE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE ATLANTIC FLEET AT GUANTANAMO BAY, CUBA, FOR 61 DAYS FROM FEBRUARY 9, 1916, TO APRIL 9, 1916. By Medical Inspector R. M. Kennedy .......... 574 THE FRENCH HOSPITAL OF CHUNGKING, CHINA. By Assistant Surgeon W. B. Hetfield............................... 583 Vol. 10, No. 4 September 1916 PREFACE................................................................ vii SPECIAL ARTICLES: STUDIES OF INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS WHICH OCCURRED IN THE NAVY YARD AT WASHINGTON, D. C. By Passed Assistant Surgeon W. A. Bloedorn ....... . .. 585 INTOXICATION BY DETONATION AND EXPLOSION GASES ABOARD SHIP. By Surgeon K. OhneSorg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 626 FLAT POOT AND ITS MEASUREMENTS. By Acting Assistant Surgeon M. Clements............................. 634 PREVENTION OF MALARIA IN THE FIELD. By Passed Assistant Surgeon F. X. Koltes........................... 640 A WASSERMANN SURVEY ON 500 APPRENTICE SEAMEN. By Passed Assistant Surgeon C. B. Munger......................... 642 MALINGERING IN MENTAL DISEASE. By Passed Assistant Surgeon R. Sheehan......... . . . . . . . . . . . . 646 THE REORGANIZATION OF THE HOSPITAL CORPS. By Passed Assistant Surgeon W. E. Eaton........................... 654 THE RELATION OF SEPTIC MOUTH TO ARTHRITIS. By Acting Assistant Dental Surgeon F. L. Morey..................... 658 CLIMACTIC BUBO. By Assistant Surgeon C. E. Treibly......... .. . . . . . . . . . . 661 UNITED STATES NAVAL, MEDICAL SCHOOL LABORATORIES: ADDITIONS TO THE PATHOLOGICAL COLLECTION... . .. . . . . 665 SUGGESTED DEVICES: A DENTAL FOUNTAIN FOR THE CREW'S USE. By Passed Assistant Surgeon W. M. Kerr........................... 666 CLINICAL NOTES: A CASE OF GANGOSA. By Passed Assistant Surgeon L. W. Johnson and Assistant Surgeon C. W. Depping................................................. 667 CHRONIC LUMPHATIC LEUKEMIA WITH ACUTE EXACERBATION AND FATAL TERMINATION. By Assistant Surgeon C.H. Weaver................................. 668 CASE REPORTS FROM U.s. NAVAL HOSPITAL, PORTSMOUTH, N. H. By Surgeon F. M. Bogan.......................................... 671 ACUTE INTESTINAL OBSTRUCTION DUE TO VOLVULUS. By Assistant Surgeon C. I. Wood.................................... 673 SPLENITIS. REPORT OF A CASE. By Assistant Surgeon T. Wilson.................................... 674 SOME UNUSUAL CASES OF SYPHILIS. By Assistant Surgeon M. B. Hiden................................. 676 GUNSHOT WOUND OF THE KIDNEY. REPORT OF A CASE. By Assistant Surgeon C. W. Depping................................ 679 VESICAL CALCULUS. REPORT OF A CASE. By Passed Assistant Surgeon T. W. Reed........................... 680 A CASE OF GASOLINE POISONING. By Assistant Surgeon O. C. Foote................................... 681 PROGRESS IN MEDICAL SCIENCES: GENERAL MEDICINE - Coleman diet in typhoid fever. By W. S. Pugh. Cutaneous reaction from proteins in eczema. By W. E. Eaton. Some therapeutic uses for the ultraviolet rays. By E. Thompson and J. A. Randall ........ 683 MENTAL AND NERVOUS DISEASES - Spinal injuries of warfare. Diagnostic value of Lange's gold sol test. Studies on alcoholic hallucinoses. The alcoholic as seen in court. Effects of syphilis upon the central nervous system. The Wassermann test in practical psychiatry. Abstract of a psychological study of 300 prisoners in the Massachusetts State Prison. By R. Sheehan ..................... 689 SURGERY - A canvas sling for loading wounded from barges and boats into hospital transports. By C. B. Camerer. Open wound treatment with cotton rings and gauze cover. By P. J. Waldner. Nitrous oxid-oxygen, the most dangerous anesthetic. The treatment of peritonitis. Localization and extraction of projectiles and shell framents. By A. M. Fauntleroy and E. H. H. Old........................................ 698 HYGIENE AND SANITATION - The Schick reaction and its applications. By J. A. Randall. Diphtheria immunity - natural, active, and passive; its determination by the Schick test. The bacillus carrier and the restaurant. The employment of rat poison as a measure for preventing and exterminating plague. Some observations on causes of high bacterial counts in market milk. By C. N. Fiske and R. C. Ransdell .........708 TROPICAL MEDICINE - On agglutination reactions with normal sera. Memorandum on the prevention of amebic dysentery. By E. R. Stitt...... 712 PATHOLOGY, BACTERIOLOGY, AND ANIMAL PARASITOLOGY -Sputum cultures with subsequent complement-fixation control. A new culture medium for the isolation of Bacillus typhosus from stoole. A new differential culture medium for the cholera vibrio. Therapeutic possibilities of antitetanus serum. Remarks on B. welchii in the stools of pellagrins. By G. F. Clark. Observations on the production of antibodies after antityphoid inoculation. A study of various methods for determining the virulence of diphtheria bacilli. A study of acid production by diphtheria bacilli. The relation of the carbohydrate-splitting ferments to the soluble toxins of diphtheria bacilli. By C. S. Butler and R. H. Laning .. . . . . . 714 CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY - Modification of Rose's method for the estimation of pepsin. Experimental study of fever. Changes in the Ninth Decennial Revision of the U.S. Pharmacopeia. By E.W. Brown and O. G. Ruge........................................................ 720 EYE, EAR, NOSE, AND THROAT - The blood-clot dressing in simple mastoid abecess. Chronic suppurative ethmoiditis. Circumscribed purulent leptomeningitis due to frontal sinusitis. Radium in the field of laryngology. By E. J. Grow and G. B. Trible........................... 72S REPORTS (TOPOGRAPHICAL BXTRACTS FROM ANNUAL SANITARY REPORTS): MONROVIA, LIBERIA. FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE. By Passed Assistant Surgeon W. L. Irvine.......................... 725 THE M0SQUITO COAST AND THE CAYMANS. By Assistant Surgeon W.W. Hargrave.... 737 LA ROMANA, SANTO DOMINGO, ST. MARC AND GONAIVES, HAITI. By Assistant Surgeon J. B. Helm.................................. 741 LA CEIBA, TELA, AND PUERTO CORTEZ, HONDURAS. PUERTO BARRIOS, GUATEMALA. By Assistant Surgeon T. A. Fortescue. ......748 TAMPICO AND VERA CRUZ. By Assistant Surgeon A. E. Younie............................... 761 PROGRESO, CARMEN, AND MERIDA, MEXICO. By Assistant Surgeon J. F. Riordan............764 THE UPPER YANGTZE RIVER. SANITARY NOTES FROM THE U.S.S. MONOCACY. By Assistant Surgeon W. B. Hetfield..... 767 SOME ASPECTS OF MEDICAL INTEREST OF THE RECENT UPRISING IN CHINA. By Assistant Surgeon W. B. Hetfield..... 760 SANITARY NOTES FROM THE UNITED STATES NAVAL TRAINING STATION, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. By Surgeon P. S. Rossiter................ 764 INDEX .................................................... 767

If you have questions concerning reproductions, please contact the Contributing Library.

Note: The colors, contrast and appearance of these illustrations are unlikely to be true to life. They are derived from scanned images that have been enhanced for machine interpretation and have been altered from their originals.

Read/Download from the Internet Archive

See all images from this book

See all MHL images published in the same year

HIS HOLINESS Hazarat RIAZ AHMAD GOHAR SHAHI(M.A) addressing in Mochi Darwaza Lahore 1996 part 3 by waseem ahmad