Storage & Purification of Herbs
Submitted by divine_sysop on November 4, 2009 - 23:20
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Consideration of state of herbs (Collection & processing)
- Ayurveda recommends to use fresh herbs for any processing purposes but except the following herbs
- Vidanga - Embelia ribes
- Pippali - Long pepper
- Guda - Jaggery
- Dhanyaka - Coriander
- Ghee
- Honey
These above drugs always used dry or collected & kept.
- Ayurveda recommends that the fresh herbs should be taken double the quantity always (mentioned in the formulations), except the following herbs, even they should be taken fresh always, but the quantity can be of one time, they are
- Guduchi - Tenospora cordifolia
- Kutaja - Hollarhena antidysentrica
- Vasa - Adhatoda vasica
- Kushmanda - Benincasa hispida
- Satavari - Asparagus racemosus
- Aswagandha - Withania somnifera
- Sahachara - Barleria cristata
- Prasarini - Paederia foetida
- Any compound processing the following rules should be followed
- In a compound formulation if no quantity is specified, - Take all herbs in equal quantity
- In a compound formulation / single drug usage if the part of the drug is not mentioned - take the root of the herb
- In case of vessel for processing is not mentioned - use the mud vessel (earthen one)
- In a compound preparation if the liquid is not specified - use water
- In a compound preparation if the specific oil is not mentioned - use the sesame oil
- In a compound preparation if the drug is mentioned twice, add the drug in double quantity
- Generally, white sandal is used for internal medicines like powders, decoctions, ghee etc. and red sandal is used for external uses like applications, oil etc
- Expiry date of formulations
|
Preparations
|
Expiry Date
|
|---|---|
|
Herb
|
One year (unprocessed)
|
|
Powders (Choorna)
|
2 months
|
|
Pills, tablets (Gutika) and Elincture (Lehya)
|
12 months
|
|
Oil and Ghee (Thaila and Gritha)
|
4 months
|
|
Medicines prepared with light melting processes (Guggulu)
|
1 Year
|
|
Alcoholic preparations (Asava, Arishta), drugs containing metals and minerals
|
Forever can be used
|
Rules for Drug Collection
The herbs should be collected always in the morning time in a auspicious day. The person who collects the herb should clean in mind and body and maintain silence. He should face the eastern direction and pay salutes lord Shiva.
Herbs growing in snake shelters, dirty places, marshy lands, graveyard, non-arable lands and those affected by worms, fire and fog etc should be avoided.
Time Specification for Collection of Herbs
The best period for the collection of herbs is early winter (sharad ritu) and spring (Vasanta ritu)
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