There are certain medicines that are prepared from natural alkali based drugs. They are known as kshaar. The kshaar are used place of the surgical instruments. The caustics are superior to the sharp instruments and their substitutes because of their power to alleviate all the three doshas, and moreover they can be used for some special procedures. The alkalis are compounds of many salts form different drugs. They are generally white in color and placid in appearance.
The alkali based medicines are digestive and in action and they can split different type of lesions. The kshaar or alkali based medicines are supposed to act as cauterizing agents in ayurveda. Commonly they are made up of drugs having that produce heating effect and induce cauterization procedure. The kshaar are pungent (in taste); hot (in potency) sharp (in properties); therefore they are digestive and liquefier of the granulation tissues of human body.
According to ayurveda related texts the kshaar are mainly used in the place of surgical procedures for treatment of wounds. When kshaar is applied on the wounds externally then it has cleansing, healing, adsorbent, styptic scraping properties. On taking parentally it has Krimighna (destroyer of worms; wormicide), acting on ama dosha (digestion improvisers), kapha (phlegmatic complication destroyers) skin diseases poisons, obesity, and also hampers sexual potency after prolonged administration.
Normally the topical use of kshaar causes black spots created after burning. Its application on the diseased portion lefts a black mark; this is known as the sign of caustic burn. To reduce this burning effect the ayurveda physicians combine the alkali-based medicines with the honey and ghee type substances. These are having opposite properties as that of the alkali like it is sweet, cold and soothing thus they neutralize the alkali up to some extent that reduces the chances of caustic burn.
The kshaar treatment is supposed to be properly performed if the patient is having relief from the disease and the discharges are ceased. If the kshaar is applied in improper manner or the treatment is inadequate then the patient suffers from pain, irritation, disease aggravation, and heaviness are the symptoms. Though the kshaar treatment is more convenient then surgery it has some difficulties as at certain cites it cannot be applied.
It is difficult for Kshaar treatment to be applied on the vulnerable, areas, vessels, ligaments, joints, cartilages, sutures, arteries, throat, umbilicus, nailed, penis, orifices, and at the thin musculature sites and eyes except in the disease of the eyelids. This is most appropriate in the weak patients,the children and the decrepit, as they are afraid of the surgical procedures to be done by the sharp instruments. In these cases the external application of caustic is more useful.
In ayurveda related text this process of Kshaar Karma is one of the most important para-surgical procedures. Kshaar means concentrated or strong salts and alkalis made mainly out of herbs it is sometimes derived from the minerals. Kshaar on topical application carries out the function of incision, excision, and scraping hence the name.
The procedure of Kshaar karma is described as Tridosha shamak (vata, pitta and kafa) as it subsides all of the three vitiated Doshas. The importance of the Kshaar is in its action of dislodging, melting, to kill and to destroy the lesions and the doshas.
According to ayurveda there are following type of kshaar-
- External application (pratisaraniya)
- Internal administration (panya)
For treatment of various diseases these alkalis are used for internal administration and topical application it is generally used in following conditions-
- Abdominal swellings and other disorders,
- Dyspepsia,
- Indigestion,
- Loss of appetite,
- Constipation,
- Urinary gravel and stones,
- Deep seated abscesses,
- Worms,
- Poisons and
- Piles
Apart from aforesaid benefits the kshaar treatment is avoidable for certain patients. Those who are weak, the very young the very old, the timid and those suffering from general Anasarca, abdominal disease, hemorrhoid diseases, the pregnant, menstruating women, those having hyper pyrexia or urinary abnormalities, the dehydrated, the cachetic due to chest lesions, the thirsty, those having downwards or upwards displacement of the ovaries and the uterus should not be given the kshaar treatment. If they are complicated by edema, pain in the bones then the kshaar treatment is not effective. This is the description of kshaar-based treatment in ayurveda.
|
