Susruta Samhita - Mandhata Global

366 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. t^hap. X.
many times (i. e., seven days) saturated with the decoc-
tion of the drugs of the Ara^vad/iddt group (and dried).
Then the prepared compound should be taken with the
vehicle of the decoction of the drugs of the said S'd/a-
sdnidi group. A pulverised compound {Chiirna) may be
as well prepared in the above manner from the fruits
of the Nyagrodddhi group or frcm the flowers of the
Aragvadhddi group. lo.
IVIedicinal Ayaskriti : — Now we shall de-
scribe the process of preparing an Ayaskriti (iron com-
pound). Thin leaves of steel should be plastered with the
(five officinal kinds of) salts and heated in fire a of dried
cow-dung. When red-hot, they should be immersed in a
decoction of Triphald and the drugs of the S'dla-sdrddi
group. The above process should be repeated sixteen
times in succession after which they should be heated and
burnt in a fire of Khadira wood. When cooled down,
the iron foils should be pounded into fine powder and
passed through a piece of thick linen. The patient should
be made to take this powder with honey and clarified
butter in an adequate dose suiting his capacity. After
the digestion of the medicine, he should take such a meal
as is not hostile to hisparticular disease and is devoid
of salt and acid articles. The use of a Tula measure
of this medicinal iron preparation in the above manner
leads to the recovery of Kushtha, Meha (urinary com-
plaints), obesity, cedima, jaundice, insanity and epilepsy
and makes the patient live for one hundred years. The
use of each additional Tula weight of the preparation
adds a century to the duration of the user's life.
This is the mode of medically preparing all kinds of
Loha (zinc, copper, lead and gold). 11-12.
Aushadha Ayaskriti :— A ball of iron
^\veighing fifty Palas) heated and made red-hot in a