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Anupams
In
Ayurveda, herbal medicines are taken with various mediums of intake like
hot water or milk. Such
vehicles for taking herbs are called anupams.
Importance
of Anupams
1.
Increases therapeutic effects of herbs, e.g., dry ginger given with honey
increases its power
of
expectoration.
2.
Decreases side effects of herbs.
3.
May change the doshas the herbs work upon.
Herbs taken with ghee reduce Pitta and fever;
sesame oil
is for the
reduction of Vata and honey for the reduction of Kapha.
The
simplest way to use anupams is with hot and cold water.
Hot water is best for herbs to reduce Vata and Kapha . Cold water is best to reduce Pitta.
Different
Forms of Ayurvedic Medicines.
1.
Arka : These are distilled essences that contain volatile constituents of the
drugs used in the medium of water.
2.
Asava and Arishta : These
are fermented medicines and, therefore, alcoholic in nature.
The difference between them is that Asavas are made from juices
while Arishtas are from the decoction of drugs.
3.
Bhasma : These are oxides or ash or drugs. They
are in the form of a fine powder with a certain proportion of particles
being in colloidal state .
4.
Churna : These are fine dry powders of drugs.
They may be from a single drug or a mixture of powders from
different ayudvedic drugs.
5.
Ghrita : These are medicated ghee preparations.
Certain fat-soluble parts of drugs are used in the preparations.
6.
Vati : These are in the form of pills, prepared by grinding some drugs with
juices of others and rolling the paste into pills.
7.
Rasa : These are medicines that
contain mercury. Mercury is
first combined with sulphur to form a black sulphide and used as base
material in these preparations.
8.
Sindura : These are medicines that
contain mercury in its red sulphide form.
9.
Taila : These are medicated oils
mostly prepared by using sesame oil.
Other types of oil are also used.
It is used mostly for external application.
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