577 Sillajeet, also Silladeet, Styrax or Storax; a balsam, pungent,
bitter, and stimulating, more pungent in digestion; hot, cures
seminal weakness, piles from cold, Juzam, dropsy, marasmus, difficulty
of breathing, tabes, idiotism, swellings of the body, disorders of
mucus and blood. Is vermifuge, lithontriptic, and otherwise generally
useful. It in one of the most powerful remedies; is stronger than
any other ingredient in whatever formulÊ it may form a part, and it
increases the effects of all others; it is the favorite medicine of
all Indian physicians.
Sut Sillajeet is the strongest, for this means Sillajeet in a refined
state. I have found it excellent in gonorrhoea, and for thickening
the seminal fluid; also for strengthening the kidnies and urinary
bladder. The mode of preparing it, is as follows:
The Sillajeet is dissolved in water and placed in the sun in a new
earthen vessel till it becomes thick, and its color assumes a reddish
or yellowish hue; then it must be taken from the surface as much as
is clean, and preserved in another new vessel; this too is placed
in the sun, well protected from dust, till it becomes dry. This is
the Sut Sillajeet, and what remains in the first vessel is again
purified in the same manner for three different times, and each time
the pure drug is dried as above. It is easily purified by fire, and
more quickly; but this is much to be preferred. It is brought from
the hills ready prepared.
Maadentezerrubad.
"Sillajeet is the urine of the hill wild goat, which when the
animal is rutting, is discharged on the stones and evaporated by the
sun's heat. It is found in small quantities, of a black color. It
is hot in the 3rd, and dry in the 2nd degree. In the opinion of
Indian physicians, it is useful in all kinds of seminal weakness, in
swellings, in Juzam, epilepsy, diabetes, stone in the bladder, and in
gravel. The Sillajeet is often mixed with lime, but the adulteration is
discovered by the change of color. Some have said that it is the urine
of the wild ass, found as above. The purified kind is the best. In
Juzam, if ate for 40 days, it is a cure, and even in the last stages
of the disease it is beneficial. It loosens wind and phlegm."
578 Sillaruss.--Hot and moist; increases eyesight and semen, and
cures Juzam and itch. A. Myasayela.
579 Somooderphill.--A medicine of India, more black in color than
the Hurr, of a square shape, and its corners of a red color; these,
however, also become black from age; mixed with human milk and used as
a cephalic, it will cause a discharge of all phlegm from the head. If
mixed with the juice of the Gooma, it will cure hemicrania. The bark
of the root is very efficacious in swellings of the hands and feet;
and ate with salt and anise seed in warm water, it will be found
excellent in pains of the bowels.
Some have named this Hubbooneel, but how far this is correct I
know not.
Maadentezerrubad.
"Somoderphill is hot and dry; if introduced into the nose with goat's
milk or urine, it will cure head-ache, hemicrania, suppressed mucus,
&c. If mixed with goat's urine and applied to the eyes, it will cure
night blindness, and removes opacities in the cornea. Mixed with human
urine, it is both ate and applied to the nose in bites of snakes, and
with sheep's urine or buffaloe's dung is applied to the pubis in the
cure of diabetes; mixed with turmeric, it is an useful application to
the spots of white leprosy; with sugar, ate for the cure of seminal
weakness; with aniseed, in pains of the bowels; with cow's urine,
in hiccup; with dhaie, as an astringent; with ginger, in rheumatism;
with human urine, in black jaundice; with cow's urine, in mesenteric
obstructions of children; and for those who are dull of hearing,
mixed with Bhangra or honey, as an application to the inside of the
ear. In restrained or obstructed lochia, or retention of the placenta,
with asafoetida; and with cloves and sugar, in intermittent fever."