Vansa. Vern. Bans, Beng. Hind.

The siliceous concretion found in the joints of the female bamboo is called

Bansa rochana in Sanskrit, and is described as sweet, cooling, tonic, aphrodisiac and useful in cough, consumption, asthma, fever, etc. It enters into the composition of numerous compound prescriptions for affections of the lungs. The following is an illustration.

Sitopalάdi churna.3 Take of bamboo-manna eight parts, long pepper four parts, cardamoms, two parts, cinnamon one part, sugar sixteen parts; powder the ingredients and mix. Dose, about a drachm with honey and clarified butter. This preparation in given in phthisis with pain in the sides, haemoptysis, loss of appetite and burning of the hands and feet.