15. General Methods of Preparation of Herbal Medicine in Ayurveda

Mr. Laxmi Narayan Tiwari

Different parts of plants are used in medicine. In the case of small herbs or bushes, the whole plant is generally used along with the leaves, stems, roots and flowers. Different parts of big trees like flowers, fruits, seeds, barks, heartwood (pith) and leaves are used in medicine. The exact parts of the plant, which are therapeutically very efficacious and, therefore, should be used in medicines (are described in the respective monographs).

These plants and their parts are generally available from forests, fields, parks, road sides, grocer shops and even form the kitchen. Generally, these are naturally mixed with sand, mud, dust particles, extraneous material like stalks and leaves of the same plant or other plants. Sometimes, in grocer shops and the kitchen, these plants or parts of plants get mixed up, knowingly or unknowingly, with other harmful things. Therefore, before processing it is essential to clean these plants or plant-parts carefully by winnowing or hand-picking. Green herbs should be washed with clean water before use.
These plants and their parts are processed in several ways before administration to a patient. Those which can be done at home are described below.

PASTE:
The plant or plant-part should be soaked in water for sometime before making a paste. Green herbs, leaves and flowers generally contain a lot of water in them and, therefore, need not be soaked for long. Dry barks, fruits, roots and stems should be soaked for about half an hour and then crushed through a stone grinder (paste and mortar).
During grinding some more water should be added. The paste should be uniformly fine. Roots and barks take a long time to be reduced to a paste. It should be ensured that during grinding no extraneous matter, like dust and sweat fall, into the drug. The paste should be collected in a metallic or clay cup and covered with a lid. Generally such pastes should be used within 24 hours. For the next day, fresh paste of drugs should be prepared.

JUICE:
Generally juice of green herbs, leaves, flowers and juicy fruits is used in medicine. Leaves, etc. should be made to a paste in the first instance and this paste should be squeezed through a clean, but tough piece of clothes. The juice thus collected should be kept in a glass, metallic or clay container covered with a lid. Like paste, the juice should be prepared only for 24 hours, requirement because it gets spoiled thereafter.

INFUSION OR TEA:
Some leaves, barks and roots like Ocimum sanctum (tulsi), Terminalia arjuna (arjun), and ginger can be used in the form of a tea. For this purpose, these plant-parts are crushed and reduced to a coarse powder form and kept in a tea-strainer. Hot water is poured over it. To the liquor, thus obtained, adequate quantity of milk and sugar or salt as par taste can be added. The coarse powder of these plant-parts can also be added to water, boiled for a short time and then strained through a tea-strainer or clean cloth. To the liquor thus obtained adequate quantity of milk and sugar or salt can be added. Every time fresh tea should be prepared and given to the patient.

POWDER:
For preparing powder, the plant or the plant-part should be well dried. Generally, it is done by exposing to sun. But for better therapeutic efficacy some plants are required to be dried only in shade (this has been specified in the respective monograph). Unless, it is urgently required, exposure to fire through a frying pan should be avoided because such exposure spoils some of the useful medicinal components.
After proper drying, the plant should be pounded and fine powder should be prepared by sieving through a cloth or metallic sieve. This powder should be stored in a clean dry glass container properly corked. Such powder can be used up to three months.

DECOCTION:
The most common method of using the plant or plant-parts like barks, wood and seeds is by way of preparing a decoction. For this purpose three teaspoonfuls (15 g) of the coarse powder of the plant or plant-part should be boiled in a metallic or earthen pot by adding four ounces (120ml) of water and boiled over mild to moderate fire till one-fourth of the water remains. The powder should then be strained through a clean piece of cloth. The liquid, thus obtained, can be given to the patient. At a time, decoction required for 24 hours can be prepared. Next day it should be prepared a fresh.

OTHER METHODS:
Plants are also used in the form of a syrup, linctus (thick syrup), pills, tablets, medicated ghee (ghrita), medicated oil (taila) and medicated wine (aasava and arista). Such preparations of these medicinal plants are available with commercial manufacturers.

Reference:    WHO SEARO Regional Health Papers No 19
The Use of Traditional Medicine in Primary Health Care- A Manual for Health Workers in South East Asia, 1992

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