Lauha.

Three varieties of iron are used in Hindu Medicine, namely, Kάnta lauha or cast-iron, Mandura or iron rust, and Lauhasάra or salts of iron produced by iron being kept in contact with vegetable acids. The form of cast iron used in the manufacture of pans for boiling milk is considered superior to all others for medicinal use. The small particles of iron which are scattered around when hot iron is beaten on the anvil, are called mandura. They are allowed to remain in contact with the earth till they become very rusty and brittle, when they are considered fit for use. The properties of mandura are said to be analogous to those of cast iron. Lauhasάra or the granules produced on iron plates, smeared with vegetable acids, are also used in medicine. This variety of iron is said to be especially useful in diarrhoea, chronic bowel-complaints, dyspepsia and nervous diseases.

Cast iron is purified by beating it into thin plates, heating the plates in fire and sprinkling them with cow's urine, sour conjee, oil, and a decoction of the pulse of Dolichos uniflorus (kulattha), seven times in succession. The plates are reduced to powder by pounding them in an iron mortar, rubbing them with cow's urine, and roasting the powder in a covered crucible repeatedly till it is reduced to a fine impalpable powder, that will float on water and will not irritate the eyes when applied to them. It is usual to rub the iron with cow's urine and roast it about a hundred times in succession. In some cases it is recommended that iron should be thus roasted repeatedly for a thousand times. Mandura is purified and prepared for uselike cast iron. Prepared iron is a fine impalpable powder of a reddish grey or brick-dust colour. On chemical analysis it is found to be a mixture of the proto and peroxide of iron. Dose grains six to twelve.

Iron, it is said, increases strength, vigour and longevity, cures all sorts of diseases and is the best of tonics. When gold and silver are not available, iron is substituted for them. It is used in painful dyspepsia, chronic fever, phthisis, anasarca, piles, enlarged spleen and liver, anaemia, jaundice, obesity, urinary diseases, diseases, of the nervous system, skin diseases etc. When iron is administered, the following articles of diet should be avoided, namely, kushmάnda (fruit of Benincasa cerifera), sesamum oil, hulattha (pulse of Dolichos uniflorus), mustard, wines and acids.

In chronic fever with anaemia, debility, emaciation, enlarged spleen or other complications, several preparations of iron are used, such as the Vrihat sarvajvara hara lauha, Chandanadya lauha, etc.

Vrihat sarvajvara hara lauha.1 Take of purified mercury and sulphur, prepared copper, iron pyrites, talc, gold and orpiment, each two tolas, prepared iron eight tolas, mix them together, and soak the mixture for seven days, in each of the following fluids, viz, fresh juice of the leaves of Momordica Charantia (kάravella), decoction of dasamula or ten roots (see Hedysarum Gangeticum), decoction of parpata (Hedyotis biflora), and of the three myrobalans, fresh juice of guruchi, (Tinospora cordifolia), of betel leaves, of kάkamάchi (Solanum nigrum), of nirgundi, (Vitex Negundo), of punarnavά (Boerhaavia diffusa) and of ginger. Divide the mass into two-grain pills, and administer with long pepper and treacle. The dose of the medicine may be gradually increased. It is used in all sorts of intermittent fevers, in emaciation, wasting, hectic fever, enlarged spleen, anaemia, loss of appetite etc. A light diet consisting of fine rice and poultry meat should be adopted during the use of this medicine, and all undigestible food should be avoided.

Chandanάdya lauha.1 Take of red sandal wood, Pavonia odorata (bala), Cissampelas hernandifolia (patha), Andropogon inuricatus (usir), long pepper, chebulic myrobalan, emblic myrobalan, ginger, Nymphaea cyanea (nilotpala), Chavica officinarum (chai), Plumbago Zeylanica, (chitraka), and baberung seeds, each one part, prepared iron twelve parts, rub them all together. Dose about ten grains to be taken with the fresh juice of Tinosphora cordifolia (guruchi) and Hedyotis biflora (parpati). This medicine is said to cure all sorts of chronic intermittent fever and fever with enlarged spleen.

Vishamajvarantaka lauha.2 This is another compound metallic preparation containing iron and much used in chronic fever. To prepare it, take of mercury obtained by sublimation of cinnabar, and sulphur, each one tola. Rub them together and melt over the fire in an iron ladle as in the preparation called Rasaparpati, described under mercury. Then take of prepared gold, one quarter of a tola, prepared iron, copper, and talc, two tolas each, prepared tin, red ochre, and corals, half a tola each, roasted pearls, conch-shell and bi-valve shell, each a quarter of a tola. Beat all these ingredients together into a mass with the aid of water. Inclose the mass within bi-valve shells, cover the shells with a layer of clay and roast them lightly in cow-dung fire. This medicine is given in doses of four grains with the addition of long pepper, rock salt and assafoetida, each four grains, and a little honey. It is taken once daily in the morning and is said to be useful in chronic fever, spleen and liver diseases etc.

Several preparations of iron are used in piles, such as the Mana suranάdya lauha, Arsάri lauha, Agnimukha lauha etc. The first mentioned compound is prepared as follows.

Mana suranadya lauha.1 Take of the root-stocks of Colocasia Indica (mana) and Amorphophallus campanulatus (surana), of the roots of Ipomoea Turpethum (trivrit) and Baliospermum montanum (danti), marking nuts, the three myrobalans, black pepper, long pepper, ginger, seeds of Embelia Ribes {baberung), root of Plumbago Zeylanica (chitraka) and the tubers of Cyperus rotundus (mustaka), equal parts, prepared iron in quantity equal to all the above ingredients. Powder and mix. Dose about a scruple. This medicine is said to be useful in piles with constipation.