12 ' SANSKRIT MATERIA MEDTCA. 



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cffrf^T Kdnjika. This is a sour liquid produced from the 



acetous f armantation of powdered paddy. Two seers of powdered 



du$ dhdn, ( paddy grown in rainy season), are steeped in eight 



Beers 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 Kdnjika or Dhdnydmla, that is, the 



acid produced from paddy. Kdnjika is a clear transparent fluid 



with an acid taste aiid vinous smell. It is cooling, refrigerent, 



and useful as a drink in fever, burning of the body, etc. It is 



BonntimtfS 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 Baphanus sativus 



(mulaka) are added to paddy, the resulting fluid is called Sintdki. 



If the husked grains of barley are boiled and steeped in water, 



the resulting acid liquor is called Sauvira. When tbe husks of 



fried mdshakaldya ( pulse of Phaseolus Roxhurghii ) and barley are 



boiled together for acetous fermentation, the acid is called 



Tushdmvu Arndla is a sour gruel made from fermentation of 



"boiled ri3e. A mixture called Sukta or Ghukra is thus prepared : 



Take of treacle one part, honey two parts, kdnjika 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. 



Tha properties of thes* preparations are similar, they being 



regarded as cool'ng, refrige^eul, diuretic, and useful in nervous 



diseases, rheumatism, dyspepsia, indigestion, urinary diseases, 



intoxication from spirituous drinks, etc. What is ordinarily 



spoken of as crajee water in EngVsh, is a decoction of rice and not 

 the Tcdnjika of Sanskrit Materia Medica. ' 



3TTO Brdvaka or distilled mineral acids. Several formulas 



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are given in different works fir the preparation of mineral acids. 

 A nnmber of mineral snbstances of salts are heated in a retort and 

 the distilled flaid collected in a glass receiver. The test of acids 

 is said to be their property of dissolving a cowrie or ihell 

 thrown into them. The following are two examples of the 

 compositions used for preparing mineral acids. 



