Sans.

Vasaka,

Atarusha. Vern. Bάkas, B. Arusha. H.

This is a bushy shrub common in most parts of India and used in making fences. The leaves and roots of this plant are considered expectorant and antispasmodic and are much used in a variety of forms in cough, consumption, catarrhal fever and asthma. This medicine was considered so serviceable in phthisis that it was said no man suffering from this disease need despair as long as the vasaka plant exists.

The fresh juice or decoction of the leaves in doses of one tola, is given with the addition of honey and long pepper in cough. A decoction of vasaka root, chebulic myrobalan and raisins is used in the same cases. Another compound decoction much used in fever with cough, is as follows. Take of vasaka root, gulancha, and the root of Solarium Jacquinii (kantakάri) in equal parts, two tolas in all and prepare a decoction in the usual way. This is given with the addition of honey.1 A ghrita is prepared with clarified butter, a decoction of the plant and a paste of the root taken in the usual proportions and is used in phthisis.

Vάsάvaleha2 or electuary of vάsaka. Take of the juice of vasakca leaves four seers, white sugar one seer, long pepper sixteen tolas, clarified butter sixteen tolas, boil them together till reduced to the consistence of an extract. When cool add honey one seer, and stir with a ladle till intimately mixed. Dose, one to two tolas in phthisis, cough with pain in the sides, haemoptysis and asthma.

Vάsάchandanάdi taila.1 Take of vάsaka plant, twelve seers and a half, water sixty-four seers; boil till reduced to one-fourth. Take of lac eight seers, water sixty-four seers; boil down to sixteen seers. Take of red sandal wood, gulancha, root of Clero-dendron Siphonanthus {brahmayashti), the ten drugs called dasama-la and Solarium Jacquinii (nidigdhikά), each two seers and a half, water sixty-four seers; boil down to sixteen seers. To these decoctions, add of whey and prepared sesamum oil sixteen seers each and the following substances in the form of a paste, namely, red sandal wood, liquorice, wood of Berberis Asiatica, long pepper, black pepper, ginger, turmeric, pachak root, emblic myrobalans, tejapatra leaves, wood of Cedrus Deodara, cinnamon, and cardamom, seeds called renuka, pouch of civet cat, root of Withania somnifera (asvagandhά), Poederia foetida (prasάrani), Vanda Rox-burghii (rάsna), saileya (a sort of lichen), zedoary root, and the fruit of Aglaia Roxburghiana (priangu), each eight tolas; and boil them together in the usual way. This oil is rubbed on the body in affections of the chest and especially in phthisis.