! 



62 SANSKKIX MAILK1A MEDICA. 



The following is an example of a complex prescription contain- 

 ing silver. 



Vrihat vdta gajdnkusa} Take of mercury, prepared talc, iron, 

 gold, copper and silver, orpiment, sulphur, ginger, coriander, 

 root of Sida cor di folia (bald), bark of Myrica sapida (katphala) , 

 Rhus snccedanea (sringi), aconite, long pepper, black pepper, and 

 borax, each one part, chebulic myrobalans, two parts, powder, mix 

 and rub with the juice of Sphcerauthus mollis (mtindi) and Vtte. 

 N^gundo (iitrgundi) for one day. Divide tha mass into four grain- 

 pills. Tbey are said to be useful in various nervous diseases. 

 Silver enters into the composition of several other remedies in 

 common use, such as the Yogardja (see sildjatu), Jayamangala 

 rasa (see gold) etc. 



COPPER. 



Sails. HTO, Tdmra. Vern. Tdmd. 



Thin plates of copper such as can be pierced by thorns are 

 used in medicine. They are purified by being boiled in cow's 

 urine for three hours. Copper is reduced to powder by smearing 

 its thin leaves with a paste of sulphur and lemon juice, beating 

 them into a mass, and exposing to heat in a covered crucible 

 within a sand-bath for twelve hours. The powder thus produced 

 is rubbed with kdnjika and made , into a ball, which is introduced 

 into a tuber of Amorphophallus campanulalus (oZa), as in a crucible 

 and roasted. This last process is said to render the copper 

 innocuous and prevent it from causing purging and vomiting 

 when taken internally. 



Copper thus prepared is a dark coloured powder, somewhat 

 gritty to the feel. On chemical analysis it is found to consist of 





