14 SANSKRIT MATERIA MEDICA. 



ghrita or oil, with the addition of water or other fluids such as 

 K'hijika, milk or a decoction of drupes, etc. As a general rale,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. 



. If more than one variety of fluid is ordered, then up to four 

 sorts the usual proportion of four of fluid to one of ghrita or oil is 

 observed, and these are boiled separately with each fluid; bu% 

 when the number of fluids exceed four, each of the fluids ordered 

 is taken in quantity equal to* the oil or ghrita, and the whole 

 boiled together. 



ydm=*i Ghritapaka or preparation of medicated ghrita. The 

 ghrita or clarified butter is first of all heated on a fire so as to 

 deprive it of any water that may be mixed with it. A little 

 turmeric juice is then added to purify it, as it is said, but the 

 object, I suppose, must be to colour it. Ghrita thus purified is 

 placed on a fire in an earthen, copper, or iron pan and melted with 

 a gentle heat. Then the medicinal paste and fluids to be used are 

 added, and the whole boiled together till the watery parts are all 

 evaporated and the ghrita is free from froth. It is then strained 

 through cloth and preserved for use. Ghrita thus prepared should 

 be imbued with the colour, taste and odour of the medicines with 

 which it has been boiled. It is recommended that the preparation 

 of ghrita by boiling be not completed in one day, and that the 

 medicines be allowed to remain in contact with the butter for 

 some time, so that their active principles may be throughly 

 extracted. The boiling process is carried on to three degrees, 

 called, respectively, mridu, madhyama and khara paht. In the first, 

 the boiled paste in somewhat soft ; in the second, it is dry and 

 just soft enough to be made into pills with the fingers. In the 

 third form, it is turned bard and dry. The intermediate foim is 

 preferred for internal a] ministration and injection into the 

 rectum, wlr le the over-boiled form is used for external application 

 The under-boiled form is said to be suitable for use as snuff. 



