Article: A REVIEW ON TRANSFORMING METALS INTO MEDICINES: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES DURING DHATU SHODHANA

Article Category: Review articles

DOI: 10.7897/2277-4343.17278

Pages: 197-201

Author: Meenal Singal * and Vidushi Tyagi

Abstract: Dhatus have been used as medicine for a long time. But before being administered internally, these metals must undergo various processing steps to leach out toxins and impurities. Apart from the samanya shodhana process, every dhatu has a specific shodhana process known as vishesh shodhana, such as Nirvapana, Swedana which includes various processes and materials or media. These processes have specific therapeutic values, including micro-reduction of particles, leaching out impurities, evaporation of volatile toxins, and introduction of various organic elements. Vishesh shodhana has to be applied to derive certain special gunas, i.e., qualities. Each drug from dhatu varga may have different types of impurities, and has to be removed via different types of vishesh shodhana. Each process and media leads to some specific physical and chemical changes, which aid in the further process and internal intake by medicine preparation. Nirvapana. Puta, Swedana: every process has its own identity, methodology, and end product.

Keyword: Shodhana, Dhatu Varga, Physical changes, Chemical changes, Nirvapana, Puta, Swedana, Pithara Yantra