The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c4.s19: Chloride of Sodium

The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c4.s19

Language: English

Chloride of Sodium

SUSRUTA describes the following varieties of salts, viz., 1 Sáindhava, 2 Sámudra, 3 Vit or Vid, 4 Sauvarchala, 5 Romaka, 6 Audbhida, 7 Gutiká, 8 Pánsuja, also called Ushasuta. The first five in the above list generally pass by the name of pancha lavana or the five salts, and are often used in combination. The other varieties are rarely used in medicine.

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सैन्धव Saindhava literally means produced in Sinde, or the country along the Indus. The term is applied to rock salt which is regarded as the best of salts. Three varieties of rock salt are recognized, viz., white, red and crystalline. The pure white crystalline salt is preferred for medicinal use. For alimentary purposes also, rock salt is considered superior to the other varieties. It is regarded as digestive, appetizing, sweet and agreeable, and is much used in dyspepsia and other abdominal diseases.

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सामुद्र Sámudra literally means produced from the sea. The term is applied to sun-dried sea-salt, manufactured in the Madras Presidency. It is called karkach in the vernacular. Orthodox natives, who consider common salt as impure from the circumstance of its having undergone the process of boiling, and who take only rock salt, substitute karkach for rock salt, if the latter is not available. Sun-dried sea-salt is described as somewhat bitter and laxative. In other respects its properties are said to resemble those of rock salt.

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विट्लवण Vit lavana occurs in dark red shining granules somewhat resembling coarsely powdered lac in appearance. It has a mild, saline and somewhat nauseous taste. Dr. Fleming says "that the following process for making this salt was communicated by a native druggist to Mr. Turnbull at Mirzapore and was actually performed in his presence. Fifty six pounds of sambar salt are mixed with twenty ounces of dried aonlás (emblic myrobalans.) One fourth of these materials is put into a round earthen pot with a narrow mouth, which is put in a fire-place made of clay. The fire-place has a hole at the bottom for introducing the firewood. After the fire has been lighted about an hour, and the materials, in the pot, appear to be heated, the rest of the materials is added by degrees. The whole is then exposed to a strong red heat for about six hours. The fire is then allowed to die away, and the pot to cool; which upon being broken is found to contain about forty-eight pounds of *calanemuc* or *bitlaban*.”*

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*Vit lavana*, besides possessing the properties of salts in general, is said to be carminative and stomachic, and to be useful in enlarged spleen, dyspepsia, indigestion, bowel complaints, etc.

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सौवर्चल *Sauvarchala* called *sonchal* or *kálánimak* in Hindustani is said to be aromatic, agreeable and digestive, and useful in the same sort of cases as *vitlavana*. It is described in the Report on Punjab Products as “a dark colored salt said to be made by dissolving common salt in a solution of “*sajimáti*” (crude soda) and evaporating it; this salt contains chloride of sodium, sulphate of soda, caustic soda and a little sulphate of sodium, but no carbonate of soda.” *Sonchal* salt is not available in the drug shops of Calcutta. Some Bengali physicians give this name to a crystalline form of rock salt, but up-country physicians always translate *sauvarchala* as *sonchal* or *kálánimak*. The latter interpretation appears also to obtain in the Punjab where a specimen of *sonchal* salt from Ram Sing, a noted druggist, is said in the Report on Punjab Products, “to be a salt of the same kind as *kálánimak*.”

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रोमक *Romaka*, also called शाकम्बरी *Sákambari*, is the salt produced from the Sambar Lake near Ajmere. The name *romaka* is said to be derived from a river called Rumá. It is obtained by the evaporation of salt water in the shape of clear rhomboidal crystals. It has a pungent taste, and is considered laxative and diuretic, in addition to possessing the other properties of salts. It is said to be the best and purest of evaporated salts.

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औद्भिद *Audbhid*, that is, produced of itself from the earth, is the name applied to a salt produced as an efflorescence on *reh* lands. The salt is called *reha* or *kalar* in the vernacular. It consists principally of sulphate of soda with a little chloride of sodium, and is described as alkaline, bitter, pungent and nauseating. It is said to be so abundant in some parts of the Punjab as to render the soil quite barren. Some physicians or rather writers substitute this article for sambar salt in the composition of pancha lavana or the five salts.

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∗ Asiatic Researches Vol. XI. Page 192.

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गुटिका *Gutiká*. This salt, mentioned by Susruta and some later writers, cannot be identified at present. In the treatise called *Dravyaguna* by Chakra Datta, his commentator Siva Dass says that the name *gutiká* is derived from the circumstance of the salt assuming a hard, granular or nodular shape from boiling. So that it is a sort of boiled salt. Susruta describes it as stomachic digestive and laxative.

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पांसुज *Pánsuja* or *Ushasuta* literally means, salt manufactured from saline earth. *Pángá* or common salt, manufactured from earth impregnated with salt water, would come under this head.

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Rock salt with warm water is used as an emetic.¹ The different varieties of salt enter into the composition of a great many medicines for dyspepsia, indigestion, enlarged spleen and other tumours in the abdomen. The following are a few illustrations.

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¹ वमनं त्वलसे पूष्पं लवणेनोष्णवारिणा चक्रदत्तः।

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*Nárikelakshára*.² Take a cocoa-nut fruit full of water, make a hole in it and fill the cocoa-nut with rock salt, that is, dissolve the salt in its water. Then close the opening, cover the nut with a ayer of clay and roast it in a pit of fire. The salt thus roasted is esteemed as a valuable medicine in the form of dyspepsia which is attended with pain, two or three hours after meals. It is given with the addition of long pepper. Dose about a quarter tolá.

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² नारिकेलक्षारः। नारिकेलं स तोयञ्च लवणेन प्रपूरितम्। विपकमग्निना सम्यक् परिष्कामजशूलनुत्। वातिकं पैत्तिकञ्चैव श्लेष्मं सान्निपातिकम्। चक्रदत्तः।

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*Bháskara lavana*.³ Take of karkach salt sixteen tolás, sonchal salt ten tolás, black salt, rock salt, coriander, long pepper, long pepper root, leaves called *tejpatra*, seeds of *Nigella sativa* (*krishnajiraka*), leaves of *Pinus Webbiana* (*talisa patra*), flowers of *Mesua ferrea* (*nágakesara*), fruits of *Calamus fasciculatus* (*amlave-asa*), four tolás each, black pepper, cumin seeds and ginger, two tolás each, pomegranate seeds eight tolás, cinnamon and cardamoms one tolá each, powder, mix and soak seven times in lemon juice. Dose about a drachm with whey or wine, in enlarged spleen and other tumours in the abdomen, dyspepsia, loss of appetite, constipation etc. Rock salt is applied to opacities on the cornea, either singly or in combination with other drugs, as in the following. Take of the seeds of *Acacia Lebbek* (*sirisa*), long pepper, black pepper and rock salt in equal parts, rub them together with water, and make into pellets or pencils. These are rubbed on opacities of the cornea.

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³ भास्करलवणचूर्णम्। सामुद्रलवणं कार्यमष्टकर्षमितं बुधैः। पञ्चसौवर्चलं पाद्यं विड् सैन्धवधान्यकम्। पिप्पलीपिप्पलीमूलं कृष्णजीरकपत्रकम्। नागकेशरतालीसञ्चलवेतसकं तथा। द्विकर्षमात्रण्येतानि प्रत्येकं कारयेद् बुधैः। मरिचं जीरकं विश्वमेकैकं कर्षमात्रकम्। दाडिमं स्याच्चतुष्कर्षं त्वगेलेचाईकार्षिके।

Linked texts (2)

Cakradatta (Cikitsāsaṅgraha) — Cakrapāṇidatta, Sanskrit
Dravyaguṇa