Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 2: Minerals (uparasa)
by Bhudeb Mookerjee | 1938 | 28,803 words | ISBN-10: 8170305829 | ISBN-13: 9788170305828
This second volume of the Rasa-jala-nidhi deals with the purification, incineration and medicinal uses of various minerals (uparasa), as well as preventing faults due to misuse. It is continued in the third volume which deals with the various metals. The Rasa-jala-nidhi (“the ocean of Iatrochemistry, or, chemical medicine) is a compendium of Sansk...
Part 1 - Characteristics of Gairaka (red ochre)
Gairika is of two kinds, viz,, pashana gairika and svarna-gairika. The former is hard and copper-coloured. The latter is very red, soft, smooth, sweet and astringent in taste, having a cooling effect, and improves eye-sight. It is efficacious in rakta-pitta, hiccough, vomiting, poison, fever, and an excess of pitta. Pashana-gairika is inferior to svarna-gairika.
Conclusion:
This concludes ‘Characteristics of Gairaka (red ochre)’ included in Bhudeb Mookerjee Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 2: Initiation, Mercury and Laboratory. The text includes treatments, recipes and remedies and is categorised as Rasa Shastra: an important branch of Ayurveda that specialises in medicinal/ herbal chemistry, alchemy and mineralogy, for the purpose of prolonging and preserving life.