Part 8 - Incineration of essence of mica

First process.

Mica is to be incinerated in the same way as iron.

Second process.

Essence of mica, mercury, and sulphur, each equal in quantity, are to be rubbed with the juice of kanya, and heated in a Baluka-yantra for two days, (confined in samputa consisting of two earthen basins^[1]). The contents of the samputa or “Malla-musha” are then to be taken out and taken in doses of one masha (i.e., six gunjas) a day. Thus taken, it cures in a short time, pthisis, consumption, cough, gonorrhoea of an obstinate type, jaundice, and thinness.

Third process.

Essence of mica is to be powdered very fine and sifted through a piece of fine cloth. It is then to be heated in a piece of earthen vessel, until it gets red hot, or until a straw thrown upon, it is reduced to ashes. The powder is then to be rubbed with sulphur and the juice of the aerial roots of a banyan tree, and subjected to baraha-puta for twenty times. It is then to be rubbed with decoction of triphala and subjected to puta for twenty times more. It is then to be rubbed separately with each of the following, and subjected to puta after every act of rubbing:—triphala, mundiri, bhringaraja, haritaki, bibhitaki, and mula. The essence of mica, thus incinerated, gains in efficacy. If subjected to puta for a hundred times, it proves more efficacious, and acquires the power of digesting food, and increasing appetite. It cures all sorts of diseases, if taken in doses of half a rakti, with suitable anupana.

Fourth process.

Lump of essence of mica is to be heated and cooled by being thrown into unfiltered kanji and broken into pieces immediately by means of an iron bar. The pieces which cannot be finely powdered by hammering are to be again heated, thrown into kanji, and hammered again, as before. The powders, thus obtained, are to be mixed with cow’s ghee, and heated red hot for three times, being rubbed every time with the juice of the fruits or leaves of amalaki after the powder gets red hot, It is then to be subjected to puta for ten times, being rubbed each time with the juice of punarnava, mixed with kanji. It is next to be subjected to puta for ten times more, being rubbed each time with an equal quantity of sulphur. Essence of mica, thus incinerated, becomes the most efficacious, and may be used in the exhaustion of mica, and for purpose of prevention and cure of diseases and senility.

How incinerated essence of mica is to be used.

The general rule with regard to the use of incinerated essence of mica, kanta iron, and tikshna iron is that each of these is to be subjected to bhavana with decoction of triphala for as many times as are necessary for making the incinerated metal assume a black appearance. It is then to be dried, and sifted through a fine piece of cloth, mixed with the juices of bhringaraja, amalaki, haridra, honey, goats’ ghee, cow's urine, and kept for a month inside a heap of paddy, confined within an iron samputa. The mica, thus treated, is a very good medicine. It increases longevity to a great extent, if taken for one year, with ghee and honey.

Softening of essence of mica.

All sorts of hard essences, including those of metals, are softened, if smelted with honey, oil, fat, and ghee, and cooled—all these being done for, ten times.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

See page 260, vol I, under “Another kind of Baluka-yantra,” and page 291, ibid, under “Malla-musha.”