Introduction to Poisons (visha)

Inorganic poison.

Inorganic poisons are of ten different forms, viz. (1) roots, (2) leaves, (3) fruits, (4) flowers, (5) barks, (6) milk of plants or tree, (7) wood (8) exudations, (9) metals, and (10) tubers.

Of these, poisons in the form of tubers are the best. Such poisons (visha) are of eighteen different kinds, viz. (1) saktuka, (2) mustaka, (3) shringi, (4) baluka, (5) sarshapa, (6) batsa-nabha, (7) kurma, (8) sveta-shringi, (9) kalakuta, (10) mesha-shringi, (11) balabala, (12) dardura, (13) karkata, (14) markata, (15) granthi, (16) haridra, (17) rakta-shringa, and (18) keshara.

Of these eighteen, the first eight are to be used according to directions, whereas the last ten (viz. from kalakuta to keshara) are to be avoided altogether.

Organic poision.

There are sixteen different sources of organic poisons, viz. eye-sight, respiration, teeth, nails, urine, stool, semen, saliva, mense blood, sting, a peculiarly ugly sound made by the rectum, rectum, bone, bile, bristles, and carcases. (For details, see Chapter III, Kalpa-sthana, Sushruta).

Of all the organic poisons, only poison of snakes is to be utilized for medicinal purposes. The poison (visha) obtained from a youthfull black serpent (cobra) is preferable to that obtained from other serpents. This poison also has a great healing property. It gradually pacifies the three doshas. It increases enormously the power of digestion, as soon as it is taken internally (of course, in the manner to he prescribed in vol. IV and the subsequent volumes), In curing diseases due to the abnormal excess of the three doshas, it is the master of all the drugs. Duly applied, it also acts like nectar, and is a reviver of the dead in cholera and in fever due to the three doshas.

Merits of good poisons.

Poison, if taken in the prescribed way, is an increaser of vitality and curer and preventer of diseases and senility. It is an increaser of the properties, good or evil, of a thing which is taken with it. It pacifies the three doshas, is nutritious, and increases semen. The demerits of salutary poisons are removed by their purification (in the way to he described later). Poisons are, therefore, to be duly purified, before they are used as medicine.