81. Sataavaari
Names:- Latin Asparagus racemosus
Tamil Tannimuttan Kilangu
Telugu Pillipeechara
Canarese Halavumakkalathayiberu
Malayal Satavari kilangu
Urdu Satavar
Satavaree guruh seta
Tiktaa Swaadwee rasaayani
Medhaagni pushtidaa snigdhaa
Netryaa gulmaatisaarajit
Sukrastanya Karee balyaa
Vaatapittaasra Sodhajit.
Bhaavaprakaash.
Sataavari is guru, seta, tikta (bitter) and Swaadu (sweet). It is Rasaayani (tonic). It improves intellect, promotes digestive power and growth (Pushtida). It is lubricating (Snigdha). It is good for the eyes. It is useful in the treatment of gulma, and Atisaara. It improves sperm, and breastmilk. It gives strength. It checks Vaata, Raktapitta and Sodha.
Dose:- 10 to 60 grains of the powder to be taken with ghee and sugar or with milk and sugar or with milk and honey. Or in combination with other aphrodisiac drugs as compound powders and lehyams. Or ¼ to ½ oz. Of Swarasam with sugar or ghee and sugar.
Action:- Refrigerant, galactagogue, aphrodisiac and nutritive tonic.
Uses:- It is one of the valuable nutritive tonics and for the above purpose, it is used as a lehyam or medicated ghee. Given as a decoction with Gokshura, it is used as a diuretic and soothing agent. In Raktaatisaara, it is recommended to be taken with milk followed by a diet of milk (Charaka). Its use is aso indicated in Apasmaara. Milk boiled with this drug is also used in Raktapitta or haemorrhage. It is specially indicated in discharge of blood from the urinary passages. It is used as a tonic in all wasting diseases such as consumption.
82. Sunthi
Names:- Latin Zingiber officinale
Tamil Shukku
Telugu Sonthi
Canarese Sunthi
Malayal Chukku
Urdu Sont
Snigdhoshnaa Katukaa Sunthee
Vrishyaa Sopha Kaphaarucheen
Hanti Vaatodara swaasa
Paandoon Sleepada naasanee.
Sunthee is oily (Snigdha) and heating. It is pungent. It is aphrodisiac. It checks Kapha and anorexia and aama. It is useful in the treatment of Vaata, abdominal diseases and worms. It is a tonic.
Dose:- 5 to 30 grains of the powder with hot water or salt and hot-water or mixed with Guda or made into a bolus with syrup. Or as an infusion or decoction. Or as a leham with other drugs (Sowbhaagya Sunthi).
Raw ginger (Aardraka) also in a similar manner.
Action:- Internally, stimulant, digestive and carminative and anti-rheumatic.
Externally, a rubefacient and anodyne.
Raw ginger-diuretic and cooling.
Uses:- It is used as a carminative and is very useful in the early stages of gastric disorders. In abdominal distention, it is of great value and may be combined with castor oil. In rheumatism, it seems to have a specific action. Raw ginger seems to act more as a diuretic and the dry ginger more as a carmiantive. Raw ginger is believed to be cooling and the dry ginger heating. The juice of raw ginger and honey in a fairly big dose by itself causes motion and relieves tympanites. It also increases the quantity of urine. Ginger is a home remedy used in a variety of diseases with advantage, among which may be mentioned, colic, diarrhoea, flatulence, dyspepsia, loss of appetite, cough due to sore throat, bronchitis or asthma, heart disease, dropsy, cholera, nausea, bad taste in the mouth, fevers and nervous diseases. So much so, it enjoys the popular names of Visvabheshajam (universal medicine) and Mahoushadhi (the great drug).
Externally, it is used as a paste, cold or hot for relieving pain, swelling, head-ache and tooth-ache. It is used as a counter-irritant by application into the conjunctiva (kalikam) and nose (Nasya) in solution with water, preferably along with common salt in order to relieve headache, heaviness in the head and brain symptoms in fevers, insanity and hyseria. In pain in calf muscles due to weakness or in fevers an external application of ginger with water as a thick hot paste acts as an instantaneous temporary remedy. So also in almost all kinds of pain. In inflammations of liver, it is applied externally as a paste along with Navaasaaram (Ammonium chloride), and Devadaaru mixed with water or cow’s or goat’s urine as Suradaaru lepa choornam.
83. Surakshaaram
Names:- Latin Pottassii nitras
Tamil Vediuppu
Telugu Surekaaram
Canarese Surakhara
Malayal Vediuppu
Urdu Shora
Suraakshaaramcha Katukam
Teekshna mushnamcha Rechakam
Tiktamagner deeptikaram
Sookshmam khaaram Laghu Smritam
Daadhakrith Soshakrit Graahi
Vaatanuth Pitta Kopanam
Pleeha Moorchaa Mootra Kricchra
Netraruk Vaataraktanuth
Kumbhakaamilanuth
Kaasa naasaapaakancha Pootikaan
Sirah paakamcha Soolancha
Aadhmaanamchaiva naasayeth.
Nighantu Ratnaakaram.
Suraakshaaram (Potassium Nitrate) is pungent and bitter, acute and penetrating, heating and laxative. It improves the digestive power. It is subtle (Sookshma). It is Ksharam (caustic) and light. It causes burning sensation, and wasting (Sosa). It is a constrictor (Graahi). It checks vaata and excites Pitta. It is useful in the treatment of Pleeha, Moorcha (fainting), difficulty in passing urine, eye diseases, Vaata Rakta, deep Jaundice (Kumbha Kaamila), cough, inflammation in the nose, abscesses, inflammation in the head (sirah paakam), Colic and distention of the abdomen.
Dose:- 5 to 15 grains.
Action:- Diuretic, diaphoretic, cooling in small doses and irritant in large doses.
Antispasmodic and combustive in Asthma inhalation powders.
Uses:- It is used in combination with other medicines for its diuretic properties. A pinch or two of the powder is given with lemon juice diluted with plenty of water, in certain stages of cholera, to excite the secretion of urine. It is used in the preparation of Sankhadraavakam. It is also used in the preparation of asthma cigars or powders for inhalation along with Vaasa, Datoora, guggulu, devadaru and neem leaf etc. A piece of blotting paper soaked in solution of Suraakshaaram and dried, is burnt and the fumes are inhaled by some for the relief of the fit of asthma.
