The Haritaki Ghrita

A Prastha measure of powdered Haritaki should be mixed with an Adhaka measure of clarified butter and heated over a charcoal fire by stirring it up quickly with a ladle; when well mixed, the compound should be poured into an earthen pitcher, which should be kept well corked and buried in a heap of barley for a fortnight. The pitcher should then be taken out and the compound should be strained and cooked again with an adequate * quantity of the decoction of Haritaki, Kánjika (fermented rice-gruel) and curd. The patient should use this medicine for a month or a fortnight in proper doses and with adequate vehicles. II.

The Mahá-Vriksha Ghrita

A quantity of the milky juice (one fourth of the cow's milk in quantity) of the Mahá-vriksha (Snuhi plant), should be boiled with cow's milk. Then it should be removed from the oven, cooled down and churned (with a churning rod). The butter thus prepared and cooked again with the milky exudations of the Mahá-vriksha (and an adequate quantity of water) should be given to the patient for a month or a fortnight in adequate doses and with proper vehicles. 12.

The Chavyádi Ghrita

Half a Karsha (one Tolá) measure of each of the following drugs,viz., Chavya, Chitraka, Danti, Ativishá, Haridrá, S'amkhini, Trivrit and Trikatu, together with an eight Karsha measure of the inner pulps of the fruit (seeds) of the Rája-vriksha, two Pala weight of the milky juice of the Mahá-vriksha, eight Pala weight of cow's milk and eight Pala weight of cow's urine, should be cooked * with a Prastha measure (four seers) of clarified butter. The medicated Ghrita, thus prepared, should be given in convenient doses to the patient for the period of a month or a fortnight. 13.

* Each of the three things (liquids) should be four times as much as the clarified butter.

The aforesaid three Ghritas (Haritaki-Ghrita, Mahá-vriksha-Ghrita and Chavyádi-Ghrita) and the Tilvaka-Ghrita (mentioned in the chapter dealing with Váta-vyádi) should be employed, whenever purgatives would be necessary in cases of Udara, internal tumour (Gulma), abscess, Ashthilá, Anáha, Kushtha, insanity and epilepsy. 14.

Constant use of (cow's) urine or (any kind of) Asava, Arishta or wine, cooked with the milky exudation of Mahá-vrikshá, † is recommended. A decoction of purgative drugs, thickened with an admixture, in copious quantity, of powdered S'unthi and Deva-dáru, may be used with advantage in this desease.

Anáha Varti

A Pala weight of the emetic and purgative drugs and the same weight of the fine powders of the drugs of each of the Vachádi,. Pippalyádi and the Haridrádi group, and all the officinal kinds of salt should be mixed (with four or eight times that of) the urine (of a cow, buffalo, etc.). Then this (mixture) compound should be boiled and cooked over a gentle fire with a Prastha measure of the milky juice of Mahá-vriksha Asavas, Arishtas and Suras should be prepared with urine (instead of the liquid i.e., water) and the milky exudation of Mahá-vriksha (as an after-throw), and should be constantly used.

* In the absence of any mention about the quantity of water to be added, four times as much of water should be added for the completion of the preparation according to the general maxim. - Ed.

† Dallana explains the sentence as follows: by constantly stirring it with a ladle Precaution should be taken so that the Kalkas may not be scorched or burnt. This medicinal compound, when properly prepared, should be removed from the fire and when cooled should then be made into pills (Gutiká), each being an Aksha (two Tolas) in weight. These pills should be given once, twice or thrice daily according to the exigency of the case and the capacity of the patient for a period of three or four consecutive months. The medicine is known as the Anvha-varti, and is specially beneficial in cases of Mahá-vyádhi, and is equally efficacious in destroying intestinal worms. These pills, if regularly used, prove beneficial in cases of cough, asthma, Kushtha, parasites, catarrh, indigestion, aversion to food and Udávarta. 15.