Bhasma and Churna

Bhasma and Churna

Content

•       Definition of bhasma and churna

•       Method of preparation of Bhasma and
churna

•       Characteristics of bhasma and churna

Objective

At the
end of this lecture, student will be able to

•       Define bhasma and churna

•       Explain the method of preparation of
Bhasma and churna

Bhasma

Bhasma is a powder of the substance obtained by
calcination

Ø   Metal, mineral and animal products are calcinied
in closed crucibles in pits with cow dung cakes by special process

Method of Preparation:

                       
                                              Sodhana

                                                                       
Marana

Sodhana:

Ø   Sodhana is a purification process, it is a
medicinal purification

Ø  Chemical
purification eliminates only foreign matter, but Sodhana aims

        – To eliminate
harmful matter from the drug

        – To modify
undesirable physical characters of the drug

         – To enhance
the therapeutic activity of the drug

Types of Sodhana:

Samanya sodhana : Heating of thin sheets of metals by
immersing in   

                                     taila /
gomutra

Visesa sodhana : Four types

Ø  Bhavana
– Grinding with special decoctions

Ø  Svedana
– Convert drug into a poultice

Ø  Nirvapana
– Incinerating to red hot and dipping into taila

Ø  Mardana
– Triturating /rubbing with some dravyas

Marana

Ø  Purified
drug obtained from sodhana is placed in kalva

Ø  Ground
with specified quantities of kasaya/swarasa

Ø  Resultant
material is made into small cakes

Ø  Size
and thickness of the cakes – Heaviness of the drug

Ø   Heavier the drug thinner are the cakes and
vice versa

Ø  Cakes
are dried and placed in a shallow earthen plate and closed with another

Ø  Edges
are sealed with a clay smeared cloth in seven consecutive layers and again
dried

Ø  A
pit is dug in an open space

Ø  Half
of the pit is filled with cow dung cakes

Ø  Earthen
plates holding the cakes of metal/mineral is placed on cow dung cakes

Ø  Pit
is then completely filled with cow dung cakes

Ø  Cow
dung cakes are set fire all the four sides and also in the middle of the pit

Ø  After
burning allowed to cool

Ø  Earthen
plates are removed and seal is opened

Ø  Contents
are ground again in kalva into a fine powder

Characters: Bhasma should comply the following

Ø  No
metallic luster

Ø  Float
on cold water

Ø  Not
revert to original state

Ø  Very
fine, so that it get easily to the finger lines when taken between index finger
and thumb

Ø  No
characteristic taste

Storage:

Ø  Should
be stored in airtight glass/earthen containers

Ø  Retain
its potency indefinitely

Examples:

Churna

Churna is a fine powder of drug or drugs

Method of preparation:

Ø  Drugs
are cleaned and dried properly

Ø  Finely
powdered and sieved

Conditions:

Ø  When
more than one drug, each drug is weighed separately according to the formula,
powdered and sieved

Ø  As
some drugs contain more fibrous matter, separate powdering, sieving and mixing
is preferred

Ø  Certain
drugs like  camphor, salt and sugar are
to be powdered separately and mixed at the end

Ø  Drugs
like asafoetida are roasted, powdered and mixed at the end

Ø  Drugs
which are to be taken in the fresh conditions like satavari, guduchi etc are
made in to paste, dried and then added to the rest

Characters:

Ø  Should
be a very fine powder of at least 80# sieve

Ø   Should not be sticky

Storage:

Ø  Should
be stored in airtight containers

Examples:

Summary

Ø  Bhasma
– calcination process

Ø  Metal,
mineral drugs

Ø  Sodhana
and marana

Ø  Sodhana
– medicinal purification, Bhavana, svedhana, nirvapana and mardana

Ø  Kalva,
cakes, sealed with clay smeared cloth

Ø  Pit,
cow dung cakes, fire, cool, grind into a fine powder

Ø  Churna
– fine powder of drug/s, dried, sieved and finely powdered

Ø  Conditions
for preparing churna