Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 3: Metals, Gems and other substances
by Bhudeb Mookerjee | 1938 | 47,185 words | ISBN-10: 8170305829 | ISBN-13: 9788170305828
This third volume of the Rasa-jala-nidhi deals with purification techniques of the Seven Metals (sapta-dhatu) and various Gems (ratna). It also deals with substances such as Alkalis (kshara), Salts (lavana), Poisions (visha) and Semi-poisions (upavisha) as well as various alcholic liquors. The Rasa-jala-nidhi (“the ocean of Iatrochemistry, or, che...
Introduction to Salts (lavana)
There are six different kinds of salts (lavana), viz. (1) samudra (marine), (2) saindhava (rock-salt found in the Punjab and sind), (3) bira (an artificial salt), (4) sauvarchala (salt-petre), (5) romaka (salt obtained from the lake, sambar, in Rajputana), and (6) chulika (nava-sara or sal-ammoniac).
Properties of salts in general.
Salt is purifier, increaser of relish in food, digestive, increaser of kapha and pitta, destroyer of manliness and of vayu. It slackens and softens the body, impairs strength, induces shedding of water through the mouth, and causes inflammation in the cheeck and the neck.
Properties of salt taken in excess.
Salt, taken in excess, causes opthalmia, rakta-pitta, intestinal ulcer, falling off of teeth, greyness of hair, baldness, leprosy, erysipelaus, and thirst.
Conclusion:
This concludes ‘Introduction to Salts (lavana)’ included in Bhudeb Mookerjee Rasa Jala Nidhi, vol 3: 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.