Professional Documents
Culture Documents
FORMULATIONS
Content
1. Introduction
2. Materia Medica
3. Charu Juice
4. Karkam- Herbal paste
5. Kudineer - Decoctions
6. Chooranam -Powder
7. Vennai -Medicated butter
8. Manapagu Syrup
9. Ennai-Medicated oil
10. Mezhugu- Waxy pastes
11.Home herbal garden
Trodosha
Apart from this the five elements combine to form the
Tridoshas or humors whose balance is essential for the
maintenance of health.
Representative Dosha
Predominant Mahabhuta
Vaatham (Vayu)
Pitham (Anal)
Fire
Kapham (Iyam)
Water
Fire
Air
Weightlessness,
inhalation
Space
dryness,
exhalation,
Saaram or Rasam
Chyle
Chenneer or Raktham
Blood
Ooun or Mamisam
Muscle
Kozhuppu
Fat
Enbu
Bone
Moolai or Majjai
Bone
Nerves
Venneer
or
Churonitham
marrow,
2. Materia Medica
The Materia Medica of Siddha Medicine is very
vast compared to that of other indigenous systems of
medicine. The materials used by the Siddhars as drugs
could be classified into herbal (Thavaram) inorganic
(Thathu), and animal Products, (Jeevam). The
Dravidian land had all five ecological regions and
therefore had wider variety of plant species including
mangrove species to high altitude species and spices
like cardamom, pepper and ginger.
This also supports fauna some of which are also
used in Siddha medicine. The long coastline
contributed to the use of several marine products as
well. The well developed ports and international trade
enabled introduction of new species into Siddha.
Tropical forests and scrub jungles contribute more
number of medicinal plant species than evergreen
forests
Botanicals:
The herbal products used are based primarily
on herbs that grow all over India and Siddha
physicians not only used herbs that grow in south
India, but also the herbs that grow in the high
altitudes of Himalayas like Saffron, Kuth and Aconite
and imported ones like Asafetida and Licorice. About
900 plants are used in Siddha of which close to 150
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Taste
Bhutas
1.
Sweet (Inippu)
Earth + Water
2.
Sour (Pulippu)
Earth + Fire
3.
Saline (Uppu)
Fire + Water
4.
Bitter (Kaippu)
Air +Space
5.
Pungent (Kaarppu)
Air + Fire
6.
Astringent (Thuvarppu)
Earth + Air
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6. Astringent:
Restores harmony among the faulty
constituents, shrinks the small pores of the
tongue and prevents other taste sense.
The sweet, sour and the saline taste decreases
vaatham, the sweet, bitter, astringent tastes decreases
the pitham, pungent, bitter and astringent taste
decreases kapham. Astringent, pungent, bitter taste
increases vaatham, sour, saline and pungent increases
pitham, and sweet, sour and saline increases kapham.
Apart from their primary functions, intake of each
taste has a good and bad feature.
Sweet taste when used in excess results in obesity,
tenderness, laziness, excessive sleep, heaviness, loss
of appetite, abnormal muscular growth etc.
Deficiency causes lassitude, tiredness, loss of sensory
function and deficiency of the physical constituents.
Sour taste when used in excess cause thirst,
liquefaction of kapham, aggravation of pitham,
vitiation of blood, decomposition of the muscle,
edema of the body. Deficiency causes decrease in
pitham, loss of appetite etc,
Saline taste when taken in excess causes vitiation of
pitham, thirst, fainting, sense of heat, erosion,
depletion of muscle and also causes bleeding from
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vi)
vii)
viii)
ix)
x)
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18
Cheyaneer Prayokam:
The potency of a drug is increased or a superior
medicine is made by the application of Cehyaneer,
which is a liquid obtained by adding some salts and
exposing them to dews. The salts dissolved in the
dewdrops act as catalyst.
Diravaga Prayokam:
This is the application of distillate of certain
upparasams or uppus to drugs, to increase its potency
or to prepare medicines which are otherwise difficult
to prepare. Distilling conch water, potassium nitrate
water in a special pot meant for the purpose and then
adding the distilled water to the drugs, is called as
Diravaga Prayokam.
Siddhars, apart from using herbal products, animal
products and earth products also used amulets,
manthiras and beads made of mercury amalgams for
treatment.
Guidelines for Collection of Herbs:
Many guidelines have been given in the classical
Siddha literature to get the maximum therapeutic
effect. There is a variety of plant tissues used as raw
drugs. They are roots, rhizomes, stems, barks, leaves,
buds, flowers, raw fruits, ripened fruits, seeds, seed
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Dosage forms
1. Charu- Juice
They are juices of fresh plant parts like leaves, roots,
barks, flowers, fruits, etc., obtained by grinding,
crushing or baking. Sometimes juice is also extracted
with addition of catalyst usually astringent substances
or by direct heat application. In plants with minimal
moisture Thurusu chunnam is added to extract juice.
Charu are also widely used as adjuvant with other
internal medicine. Charu are also used in processing
herbal powders and herbo- mineral preparations like
parpam and chenduram. The assimilation time is two
and a half hours.
Equipment required:
1. A mortar and pestle or Heavy duty mixer
Example:
a)Thulasi charu Holy Basil juice
Process; Clean and pound the leaves to extract the
juice
Dose; 5ml to 10 ml with honey
Indication; Cough, Fever
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3. Kudineer - Decoctions
Decoctions are prepared by adding water to
dry herbs/ plant parts or fresh ones and then
dehydrated so that the water content is greatly
reduced to 1/16th or 1/8th or th or of the initial
volume.
Sometimes, herbal substances are not
directly added to the water but instead they are kept in
a clean white cloth pouch, tied and immersed in
boiling water, which is Infusion. This method is
primarily adopted for plant drugs which float in water
and do not get immersed due to their low density.
Decoctions are water based extracts of herbal drugs
which are easily absorbed into the body and enter into
the blood stream quickly which gives faster action
than other forms of medicines.(gets assimilated within
an hour) The input water should be pure and without
hardness. Depending upon the characteristic feature
of the ingredients they may be made into separate premix and blended together.
They also should be used within three hours.
Chemical changes during the preparation of
kashaayams:
The raw drug components when heated with water
two types of changes are taking place hydrolytic and
pyrolitic changes.
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Examples;
a) Nilavembu kudineer :
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
Process:
Coarsely powder and mix. Take 5 gm powder; add
120 ml water into it. Boil it and reduce it 1/4th of
quantity.
Dose; 30 ml twice daily
Indication; Viral fever, Malaria, Fevers of unknown
origin
b) Adhathodai kudineer :
Ingredients:
1. Adathodai - Adathoda leaf
- 1 leaf
3. Thippli
- Long pepper
- Lesser galangal
1 gm
- 1 gm
- 500 mg
Process:
Coarsely powder then adds 160 ml water. Boil it and
reduce it 1/4th of quantity.
Dose; 40 ml twice daily
Indication; Cough, Asthma, Fever,
C) Arathai kudineer ;
Chitharathai - Lesser galangal - 3gm
Water
- 120 ml
Process:
Coarsely powder then adds 120 ml water. Boil it and
reduce it 1/4th of quantity.
Dose; 30 ml twice daily
Indication; Cough, Fever, Body pain, Joint pain
d) Lemongrass tea;
Lemon grass
- 2 gm
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Water
- 100 ml
Tea dust
- 1 pinch
Sugar
- Q.S
e) Arjuna tea ;
Marutham pattai Arjuna bark - 5gm
Water
- 100 ml
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4. Chooranam - Powder
The dried drugs are taken separately, purified, either
by frying or otherwise and made into fine powers
separately and sieved in fine cloth and mixed with
other powder of the drug. The time for assimilation is
five hours.
The purification of the choornam is made by
baking it either in water or in milk.
Baking of milk (Pittaviyal) enables addition of
lactobacillus, which help maintain healthy intestinal
flora and prevent irritation of certain drugs. The drugs
which are to be used in the preparations should be
taken from recently collected material. Drugs which
are aged by prolonged storage or changed in color,
taste, flavor and those that are insect infested or
attacked by fungi should be positively rejected.
In general, the aromatic drugs are slightly
fried, in order to enhance their aroma and milling
properties. Any extraneous material, organic or
inorganic, should be removed from the drugs by close
inspection. The drugs should be separately treated,
powdered, sieved and mixed. The chooranam should
be as fine as to be called amorphous and should be
never damp. The fineness of the sieve should be 100
mesh or still finer.
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- liquorice root
- 100 gm
- 10 gm
- 10 gm
- 10 gm
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d) Thripala choornam:
Ingredients:
1. Nellikai
- dry Embelic myrobalan 50 gm
2. Kadukai thol - Chebulic myrobalans - 50 gm
3. Thandrikaithol - Beleric Myrobalans - 50 gm
Process: Powder the three separately, sieve and Mix
homogenously.
Indications: Astringent, Laxative and anti bacterial.
Relieves constipation. It is given in coughs with
honey. In constipation with hot water, and in
conjunctivitis, its decoction is used.
Used as an adjuvant along with other medicines.
External Use:
Can be used for for gargling purpose also. Used as
a general tonic especially for eyes with equal
quantities of honey and ghee. A decoction of this
choornam is used to wash and clean wounds and
ulcers
Dose: 1 to 2 gms twice or thrice with honey or water
or ghee
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e) Mathumega Chooranam:
1. Nellivatral - Dry Embelic myrobalan - 100 gm
2. Keezhanelli - PhyllanthusWhole plant - 100 gm
3. Karuveppilai Curry leaves
- 100 gm
4. Venthayam
- Fenugreek seed
- 100 gm
5. Manjal
- Turmeric
- 50 gm
-
25 gm
- 25 gm
- 25 gm
- Asafoetida - 25gm
g) Amukkura choornam ;
Ingredients:
1. Lavangam
Cloves
- 10gms
- 20 gm
3. Ela arisi
- Cardamom
- 40 gm
4. Milagu
- Black pepper
-- 80 gm
5. Thippili
- Long pepper
6. Chukku
Dry ginger
- 320 gm
7. Amukkura
- Withania root
640 gm
8. Sarkarai
- Cane sugar
-160 gm
- 1280 gm
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1. Nilaavaarai
- Senna leaves
-10 gm
2. Chukku
- Dry ginger
- 10 gm
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3. Milagu
- Black pepper - 10 gm
4. Ajowan
- Omam
5. Vayuvidangam - Embelia
6. Sugar
- Sarkarai
- 10 gm
- 10 gm
- 50 gm
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Kungiliya vennai
Ingredients:
1. Vellai kungiliyam
- Sal dammar
-- 50gm
2. Nallennai
- Sesame oil
- 100 gm
Process:
Powder 1 and boil with 2. When dissolved, carefully pour
into water and churn. A buttery mass will rise up. Collect
it and repeat churning till no more buttery mass is
obtained. Mix the product thus obtained discarding he
water. Store with water in a cool place.
Indications:
Applied externally on burns, ulcers, and carbuncles. In
case of leucorrhoea, Gonorhoea, Venereal sores, scalding
urine, latent hyper-pyrexia, arthritis, bronchitis, burning
sensation of stomach, face , palm and soles of hand and
feet given with cardamom seeds in the dose of 3- 6 gms
twice a day.
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8. Manappagu- Syrup
Manappaagu is flavored medicinal syrup. This
is the syrup form of a drug that has a life period of six
months. Manappagu is palatable form of medicine
especially suitable for infants and children below 12
years. Herbal drugs are made into decoctions
separately, or fruits juices are taken and boiled adding
sugar or sugar crystals, till an aromatic smell appears,
powdered herbs could also be added at this stage. The
flavor is due to the drug ingredient used in the
particular preparation. The honey and sugar forming a
part of the recipe not only give taste to the medicine
but also preserve it.
Sugar is dissolved in the medium prescribed. It is
better that the medium is warmed and then sugar
added slowly with continuous stirring to avoid
charring of the sugar by sticking to the bottom of
container. If this charring takes place, the syrup will
be spoiled by the development of burnt smoky smell
and bitter taste. Heating should be slow and gentle so
that the mixture is just maintained boiling
continuously, the vessel is removed from the oven or
heat is withdrawn immediately. The consistency of
manappagu is known as Kambi patham.
The syrup is filtered if necessary while quite hot.
As handling of the syrup is usually messy, due care
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Example:
a) Mathulai Manapagu:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Kalkandu
Panneer
Mathulam pazha charu
Then
- Sugar candy
- Rose water
- Pomegranate juice
- Honey
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Process:
The syrup may be prepared by heating 1, 2 and 3and then
honey may be mixed with it after it has cooled.
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a ) Kaiyan Thylam :
Ingredients:
1. Karisalai saru Eclipta juice
2. Nalla ennai - sesame oil
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bronchitis,
Phelegmatic
cough
and
Dose ;
to 1 teaspoon internally twice daily. Can be
used also a bath oil.
b) Pinda thylam ;
Ingredients:
1. Malai nanaari
2. Manjitti
Indian sarsaparilla - 50 gm
- Indian madder
- 50 gm
- 50 gm
- 50 gm
5. Nallaennai
- 800 gm
- Sesame oil
Preparation:
Take Nos. 1 and 2 clean, crush and boil in 3.25 liter of
water .Reduce the decoction to 1/4th of the quantity. Mix
this decoction with sesame oil and prepare taila till the
water evaporates, filter it and then add fine powders of 3
and small chips of 4 and warm gently until the drugs are
dissolved completely.
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Indication;
Used in arthritis, inflammatory swellings, burns and
wounds. Applied to fissured soles.
For external use only.
C ) Moola kudaaara thylam:
1. Kadukaipinju dry tender chebulic myrobalan 350 gm
2. Amanakku ennai Castor oil
- 1400 gm
Process:
Fry the fruits in some oil. When brown and swollen,
take and powder. Mix the powder with oil and keep.
Indications:
Piles, Bleeding piles and constipation
Dose : 1to 2 teaspoonful at bed time
d) Arugan thylam :
1. Arugampul charu - Bermuda grass - 1200 gm
2. Thengayennai
- Coconut oil
- 400 gm
3. Athimathuram - Liquorice root
25 gm
Process:
Mix 1 and 2 and then add 3. Boil it till water
evaporates
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Indication:
Heals up ulcers and encourages tissue formation in
the wounded regions. Useful in itch and other skin
diseases also. External application ony.
e) Avuri ennai Indigo oil
1. Avuri ilai
- 300 gm
Process:
Soak the leaves in coconut oil and put in sunlight for
7 days till the oil color becomes pink. Then filter the
oil and stored it in airtight container.
Indication: Psoriasis and other skin diseases
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tinctoria
Avuri
or
Neeli
This stiff woody herb grows well with the least care.
The leaves as well as the roots are medicinal. They
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- Nilavembu
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prevents
fungal
infection
(Pittvedippu,
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