Treatment for fever (82): Pratapa-ravana rasa

Equal quantities of roots of apamarga and bark of the roots of chitraka are to pestled together, and their juice extracted by means of a piece of cloth. Then mix with this juice sulphur, mica, mercury, aconite, borax, and orpiment, each equal in quantity to the juice itself. Then rub all these together for seven days. After which, the substance is to be subjected to bhavana for three days with the juice of musali, and dried in the sun. The substance is then to be confined in a crucible of the shape of a cow’s-teat, the outer surface of which is to be coated seven times with cloth mixed with mud. When dried, the crucible is to be subjected to heat by laghu-puta.

When cooled, the substance is to be taken out and mixed with iron, tin, lead, the sugar-like essence of madhuka, musta renuka, guggulu, realgar, and nagakeshara, each equal in quantity to mercury and aconite equal to half the quantity of the mercury. All these materials are to be rubbed together and subjected to bhavana for seven times in the scorching rays of the sun with the decoction of aconite, and then rubbed for forty-eight minutes. The compound is then to be subjected to bhavana for seven times each with the decoction of trikatu, juice of dhutura leaves, juice or decoction of triphala, juice of vasaka flower, solution of condensed sea foam, juice of leaves of bhanga, decoction of roots of chitraka, juice of langali and the biles of boar, goat, buffalo, peacock, and rohita fish. The substance is then to be kept for some time in a smoke, caused by the burning of aconite equal in quantity to the substance itself, which is next to be rubbed again, and kept in an earthen pot.

Dose, one rakti in weight, to be taken with the juice of chitraka roots or ginger. In case the patient is unable to swallow the medicine, the crown of his head is to be bled by means of a razor, and the medicine mixed with ginger juice, is to be rubbed on the spot.

After the application of this medicine, the patient may be allowed to take boiled rice with curd or butter milk mixed with sugar and powdered jira, etc. He may also be given any other diet he likes. Should the uneasiness and heating sensation felt by the patient be not removed by this process sandal paste and other cooling-unguents should be rubbed all over his body. In all sorts of diseases, this medicine is to be used with a little of rock salt and powdered roots of chitraka; in jaundice and anaemia with honey and pippali; and with adequate accompaniments in all other diseases. This medicine was also invented by the great Ravana, king of Lanka.