Manahsila.

Realgar is purified by being rubbed with the juice of lemons, or of ginger. It is used internally in fever, skin diseases, cough, asthma, etc, and externally in skin diseases. In fever, it is generally used in combination with mercury, orpiment etc. The following is an illustration.

Chandesvara rasa.3 Take of realgar, mercury, sulphur, and aconite, equal parts, soak in the juice of Vitex Negundo (nirgundi), and of fresh ginger, three times respectively, and make into two-grain pills. This medicine is useful in remittent fever.

Svasa kuthάra rasa.1 Take of realgar, mercury, sulphur, aconite, borax, each one part, black pepper seven parts, ginger, and long pepper, three parts each, rub them together with water, and make into four-grain pills. They are said to be useful in asthma with cough, and in remittent fever with cerebral complications. In coma from remittent fever, these pills are powdered and used as snuff for rousing the patient. They are also used in this manner in cephalalgia, hemicrania, ozaena, etc.

Realgar enters into the composition of numerous applications for skin diseases. Realgar mixed with the ashes of Achyranthes aspera ( apάmάrga) is applied to patches of leucoderma or white lepra. In leprous ulcers a liniment composed of realgar, orpiment, black pepper, sesamum oil and the juice of Calotropis gigantea is used.2

Chandraprabhά varti.3 Realgar enters into the composition of several applications for the eye : the following is an example. Take of realgar, galena, conch-shell lime, seeds of Moringa pterygosperma (sveta maricha), long pepper, liquorice and the kernel of belleric myrobalan, equal parts, rub them together with goat's milk, dry the mixture and make into small pastils or pencils. These are rubbed with a little honey and applied to the eyes as a collyrium in affections of the internal tunics, tumors or other growths, night-blindness etc.

An oil for application to fistulous sores is prepared as follows. Take of sulphur, realgar and turmeric, eight tolas each, mustard-oil one seer, juice of datura leaves one seer, water four seers; boil together in the usual way.1