Kάnjika. This is a sour liquid produced from the acetous fermentation of powdered paddy . Two seers of powdered aus dhan (paddy grown in rainy season), are steeped in eight seers of water and laid aside in an earthen pot for fifteen days and upwards, when the mixture undergoes acetous fermentation. The resulting fluid is called Kάnjika or Dhάnyamla, that is, the acid produced from paddy. Kάnjika is a clear transparent fluid with an acid taste and vinous smell. It is cooling, refriger-ent, and useful as a drink in fever, burning of the body, etc. It is sometimes applied externally upon the principle of wet-sheet packing, cloth steeped in the fluid being wrapped round the body for relief of high fever and heat of body. It is also used as a vehicle for other medicines and for preparing decoctions, oils, etc. Other grains besides paddy are sometimes used for acetous fermentation. If mustard or the seeds of Raphanus sativus (mulaka) are added to paddy, the resulting fluid is called Sintάki. If the husked grains of barley are boiled and steeped in water, the resulting acid liquor is called Sauvira. When the husks of fried masha-kalάya (pulse of Phaseolus Roxburghii) and barley are boiled together for acetous fermentation, the acid is called Tushάmvu. A'rnάla is a sour gruel made from fermentation of boiled rice. A mixture called Sukta or Chukra is thus prepared:- Take of treacle one part, honey two parts, kanjika made as above described, four parts, whey eight parts, mix together in a clean earthen pot, and bury the pot in a heap of paddy for three days. The properties of these preparations are similar, they being regarded as cooling, refrigerent, diuretic, and useful in nervous diseases, rheumatism, dyspepsia, indigestion, urinary diseases, intoxication from spirituous drinks, etc. What is ordinarily spoken of as conjee water in English, is a decoction of rice and not the kάnjika of Sanskrit Materia Medica.

Drάvaka

Drάvaka or distilled mineral acids. Several formulae are given in different works for the preparation of mineral acids. Anumber of mineral substances or salts are heated in a retort and the distilled fluid collected in a glass receiver. The test of acids is said to be their property of dissolving a cowrie or shell thrown into them. The following are two examples of the compositions used for preparing mineral acids.

Svalpadrάvaka

Svalpadrάvaka. Take of alum,chloride of ammonium borax, sulphide of antimony, impure carbonates of potash and soda called yavakshara and svarjikashara, and rock salt, each eight tolds, nitre six tolas, orpiment four tolas; powder, mix and rub them together repeatedly with lemon juice and dry. Introduce the mixture into the receptacle of a distilling apparatus, and distill over the fire. The dose of the acid thus distilled is two drops. It should be taken with six grains of long pepper. One week's use of this medicine is said to cure spleen disease, dyspepsia, etc.

Sankhadrάvaka

Sankhadrάvaka. For this preparation take of sulphate of iron thirty-two tolas, alum and rock salt sixteen tolas each, nitre one hundred and twenty-eight tolas, powder, mix and distill the mixture from a glass retort. The dose of this acid is said to be twelve minims. The tongue should be anointed with clarified butter before using this medicine. It should not also touch the teeth.

Asava

Asava and arishta or medicated spirituous liquors. These are prepared from honey and treacle, with the addition of various medicinal substances. They are all steeped in water and aid aside in earthen jars for vinous fermentation. The proportion of the different ingredients, as a general rule, is as follows: -Water thirty-two seers, treacle twelve seers and a half, honey six seers and a quarter, medicinal substances one seer and a quarter, in powder or decoction. When raw vegetables are used for fermentation, the resulting fluid is called A'sava. When the decoction of drugs only is added, the fermented liquor is called Arishta. These preparations combine the properties of spirituous drinks and those of the drugs used in preparing them. They are heating, stimulant, easily digested and stomachic. The preparation called Drakshάrishta is made with honey, sugar and decoction of raisins, with the addition of a few aromatics, (see Vitis vinifera ). Its action must be analogous to that of wines. It is used as a stimulant in exhausting diseases.

Medicated oils and Ghritas

Medicated Oils and Ghritas. These are decoctions of vegetable drugs in oil or ghrita (clarified butter) and form a prominent feature of native practice. They are prepared in great varieties and are extensively used in almost all sorts of diseases. The ghritas are chiefly used internally, and the oils are rubbed on the body. They are prepared by boiling vegetable drugs in ghrita or oil, with the addition of water or other fluids such as kάnjika, milk or a decoction of drugs, etc. As a general rule, the proportion of the different ingredients used is as follows: -Medicinal substances, in form of paste, one part, ghrita or oil four parts, water or other menstruum sixteen parts. When the fluids used are thick, such as decoctions or the expressed juice of vegetables, the proportion of solid paste is reduced from one-fourth to one-sixth and one-eighth respectively of the oil or ghrita. Sometimes no solid paste is used at all.