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...
Part 12 - Semi-poison (12): Ahiphena (opium)
Opium is bitter, intoxicating, inducer of sleep, remover of pain and spasm, destroyer of sensibility, kapha, and asthma, digestive, increaser of hunger, increaser of vayu and pitta, destroyer of the dhatus, depriving the body of its oily substance, and causing inflammation and spermatorrhoea. It is efficacious in diarrhoea, acute as well as chronic, if taken in small quantities. No one who desires to live a healthy, happy, and long life should take opium for a long time.
Purification of Opium.
Opium is purfied, if subjected to bhavana with linger juice for twenty one times.
Remedy of Opium: First process.
Poison of opium is speedily counteracted, if four tolas of the juice of the larger variety of small ambu (karaballi? or thorny tanduliyaka =) is taken with milk.
Poison of opium is destroyed, if saindhava (rock-salt), pippali, and kernel of madana fruit are pestled together and drunk with hot water.
Second process.
Tankana and tutthaka are to he taken with clarified butter. This causes vomitting and thereby removes opium poison from the system.
Conclusion:
This concludes ‘Semi-poison (12): Ahiphena (opium)’ 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.