Mercurial Preparations Research Articles

Kasaharadravya in rasashastra- A review

Rasashastra is the most ancient method of medicine which comprises use of herbo-mineral preparations, along with the safe use of mercurial preparations. History of Rasashastra traced to be pre- vedic period, Budhhist Sage Nagarjuna (6th- 7th Cent.), was the inventor of Rasashastra. It is also known as “science of mercury” and iatrochemistry of Ayurveda. Rasashastra includes Dehasidhhi and Lohasidhhi, dehasidhhi means the use of metals or minerals for the balance of deha- rejuvenation of the mind- body- spirit, and lohasidhhi means the use of mercury for turning it into gold or higher metal. Rasaaushadhis come under daivichikitsa. Rasaushidhis has merits like instant effectiveness, no particular taste, required in less amount/ dose. Rasadravyas generally classified under four class- Rasa, Uprasa , Dhatu, Updhatu , Ratna, Upratna, Visha, and Upvisha.

A Review on Pottali Kalpana

Pottali Kalpana is a consolidated form of mercurial preparation which incorporates the Pota Bandha of Parada. Pottali is a type of preparation which is emerged as a result of Parada Murchana. Murchana is a procedure in which mercury is ground thoroughly with other herbo-mineral drugs to make it therapeutically efficient. Pottali is a highly potent, concise form of medicament which depicts maximum potency in low dosage form. The peculiarity of Pottali lies in its typical shape, form and preparatory methods. The present article gives a review on different preparatory procedures, types mentioned in various classical text books, dosage, mode of administration and significance of Pottali Kalpana.

Specificity of Mercury Detecting Reagents for Skin Lightening Creams

Inorganic mercury compound have been used for long time in cosmetics preparations for its skin lightening effect. The used of mercury in cosmetics has been prohibited as stipulated in the decision of the BPOM RI (Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency) No.HK.00.01.432.6147. Based on health department research from various countries, there are a number of skin lightening products containing mercury between 660-57.000 μg/kg. People needs a quick and easy way to detect mercury in a lightening cream, so that people can test the safety of cream that used. One alternative that can be used to detect mercury in skin lightening cosmetics is using detecting reagents. The aim of this study was preparation of specific and sensitive mercury detecting reagents. The detecting reagents consisted mixtures of diphenylcarbazone and acetic acid in 96% of ethanol. The specificity test is performed by adding diphenylcarbazone solution into a lightening cream containing whitening agents such as mercury, hydroquinone, bangkuang extract and mixture of these substances. Assay was also performed on simulated cream that contained mercury, zinc oxide, bismuthsubnitrate, and mixture of mercury, zinc oxide and bismuthsubnitrate. The mercury detecting reagents gives a distinctive result that shown by the formation of purple mercury complex in less than 3 minutes.

Standardization and evaluation of Ayurvedic Medicines – Needs

Rasa Shastra or preferably called as the ancient Indian Alchemy, deals with the preparation of medicines that has helped mankind since thousands of years. Rasa which means Mercury has been the chief area of interest for the Ancient Alchemists of Rasa Shastra. Along with safe use of Mercurial preparations as medicines since many years, Rasa Shastra also deals with preparation of other herbo-mineral compounds using varied drugs of plant as well as animal origin. One of the drug, that has been used widely in Rasa Shastra is Mukta or Pearl. There are several categories or groups of drugs (Varga) used in Rasa Shastra viz. Maharasas, Uparasas etc. whereas Mukta is classified under Ratna (precious gems) Varga. Mukta is a shining off white coloured hard spherical object found in sea shells. Due to its lucrative appearance it is widely used in jewelry, cosmetics, as well as in clothing. It is formed by deposition of several concentric layers of calcium carbonate and conchiolin around central nucleus. According to Rasa Shastra classics, Mukta has Madhura, Sheeta and Laghu properties. And so is widely used as a potent Pitta Shamaka. Its purification and Pishti processes are also mentioned in Rasa Shastra classics which makes pearl more potent to cure diseases. Mukta is also widely used in conditions like Amlapitta, Jwara, Daha etc.

A review of Mukta : An Ancient drug in Rasa Shastra

Rasa Shastra or preferably called as the ancient Indian Alchemy, deals with the preparation of medicines that has helped mankind since thousands of years. Rasa which means Mercury has been the chief area of interest for the Ancient Alchemists of Rasa Shastra. Along with safe use of Mercurial preparations as medicines since many years, Rasa Shastra also deals with preparation of other herbo-mineral compounds using varied drugs of plant as well as animal origin. One of the drug, that has been used widely in Rasa Shastra is Mukta or Pearl. There are several categories or groups of drugs (Varga) used in Rasa Shastra viz. Maharasas, Uparasas etc. whereas Mukta is classified under Ratna (precious gems) Varga. Mukta is a shining off white coloured hard spherical object found in sea shells. Due to its lucrative appearance it is widely used in jewelry, cosmetics, as well as in clothing. It is formed by deposition of several concentric layers of calcium carbonate and conchiolin around central nucleus. According to Rasa Shastra classics, Mukta has Madhura, Sheeta and Laghu properties. And so is widely used as a potent Pitta Shamaka. Its purification and Pishti processes are also mentioned in Rasa Shastra classics which makes pearl more potent to cure diseases. Mukta is also widely used in conditions like Amlapitta, Jwara, Daha etc.

Role of Gandhaka Jarana in the Mercurial preparations of Indian Medicinal Alchemy (Rasashastra)

Background: Mercurial preparations are used as medicines in Ayurveda. Many procedures are mentioned in the texts to purify and detoxify mercury before its use as a medicine. Gandhaka Jarana viz. treating Parada with Gandhaka is one of them. It is claimed that, it not only implants the property of bioavailability to Parada but also increases its therapeutic efficacy. As per textual claims of Rasashastra, there is difference in the products of respective Gandhaka Jarana. To know details and rationality of Gandhaka Jarana, it was decided to screen and review the studies related with it. Materials and Methods: Few studies were carried out in the department of Rasashastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana of our institute like concept of Gandhaka Jarana, pharmaceutical procedures, chemical characterization, experimental and toxicity studies, study of therapeutic efficacy, etc for dissertation and thesis work. These studies were collected through departmental library, screened and reviewed. Along with this published research articles related with Gandhaka Jarana were reviewed. Results and Conclusion: Gandhaka Jarana having definite role in the mercurial preparations. The screened and reviewed studies showed that increase in number and quantity of Gandhaka Jarana induces major differences in the finished mercurial products. Rasasindura prepared Samaguna Gandhaka Jarana and Shadguna Gandhaka Jarana shows major difference in the analysis of finished product. Analytical studies of Makaradhwaja revealed that Makaradhwaja prepared by Triguna Balijarana shows 300.1 ppm of gold in finished product, whereas 12131 ppm of gold in Shadguna Balijarita Makaradhwaja. Scholars have also mentioned that increase in the number of Gandhaka Jarana of Makaradhwaja reduces the concentration of Parada (Mercury) in the finished product. Clinical and experimental studies of the same products also indicate that increase in number of Gandhaka Jarana increases the efficacy of product. All reviewed studies in different aspects viz. analytical, experimental, and clinical shows that Gandhaka Jarana has a definite role in the mercurial medicinal preparations.

Toxicological Studies of Rasasindura, an Ayurvedic Formulation

Rasasindura is a unique, Ayurvedic mercurial preparation widely used by practitioners. Thi investigation is an attempt to perform acute and chronic oral toxicity evaluation of Rasasindura along with an adjuvant Guduchi Ghana (solidified aqueous extract of Tinospora cordifolia Will.) in rats. Oral acute toxicity study of test drug was carried at the limit dose of 2000 mg/kg orally in rats. For chronic toxicity, Rasasindura with adjuvant was administered at therapeutic equivalent dose (45 mg/kg, orally), therapeutic equivalent dose×5 (225 mg/kg, orally), therapeutic equivalent dose×10 (450 mg/kg, orally) for 90 days and an additional recovery group of therapeutic equivalent dose×10 for 30-day observation after the treatment period. Acute toxicity result showed that drug did not produce any signs and symptoms of toxicity or mortality up to an oral dose of 2000 mg/kg in rats. Chronic toxicity results showed that Rasasindura, even at a level as high as therapeutic equivalent dose×10 level, had no significant effect whatsoever on the ponderal and hematological parameters. Although the drug produced mild to moderate adverse changes (in kidney, liver, intestine, and stomach) at therapeutic equivalent dose×10 dose level, equivalent of which are unlikely to be ever employed in a clinical trial. The observed changes were not seen at the lower dose levels as well as in the recovery study. Hence, it is suggested that the Rasasindura, along with the adjuvant prepared as per the customary method, is safe for consumption at the therapeutic dose level.

Fourier Transforms Infrared Spectroscopy Study on Shadguna Makaradhwaja - An Ayurvedic Mercurial Drug Compound

Background: Shadguna Makaradhwaja (SM) (a sublimated mercurial preparation with gold, sulphur and mercury in the ratio 1:8:48) is a well known and frequently used formulation especially in the treatment of diabetes mellitus and impotency. Ayurvedic classical texts advocates preparing of SM from thin foils of gold. However there is a significant quantity of gold which remains at the bottom of glass bottle as residue which can be utilized again to prepare SM. Aim: To identify the functional group and organic ligands present in samples of SM prepared from gold foils and from residual gold by using Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Material and methods: SM prepared from Swarna Varkha (thin foils of gold) (SM V) was taken from previous research of Shraddha Dhundi et. al. and one sample of SM prepared from bottom residue (Apakwa Talastha Swarna powder) (SM R) were subjected to FTIR analysis. Results: The analysis of both samples of both samples showed large number of peaks showing presence more functional groups. Intensity of peaks in SM R was slightly higher than SM V which may be due to repeated heating as it is prepared from bottom residue. Conclusion: Both samples contain few functional groups with complicated structure. SM R showed more peaks in double bond region which indicated its higher stability compared to SM V. Presence of different functional groups indicates their difference in pharmacological action.

Role of Ghandhak Jarana in the prepration of Malla Sindura -A Kupi pakwa rasayan

Background: Mercurial preparations known by the name of Kupipakwa Rasayana are prepared in a glass bottle by adopting gradual temperature gradient. Aims and Objectives: To elucidate the jarana process (role of temperature and time) process in kuipakwa rasayan. Materials and Methods: Two sample of Malla Sindura was prepared by heating a mixture of Parada (mercury), Gandhaka (sulfur), and Malla (arsenic) in a Kupi (glass bottle covered with mud smeared cloth) placed in an electric muffle furnace at two different temperature and time duration ie 24 and 48 hrs. Final product deposited at the neck of bottle was collected as Malla Sindura. Results and Conclusion: Three batches of each sample of Malla Sindura was prepared by adopting gradient temperature pattern for 24 hrs and 48 hrs i.e., 8 h of mild (120-250°C), moderate (250-450°C) and strong heating (450-600°C) for SDMS and 18 hrs of mild (140-250°C), 22 hrs moderate (250-450°C) and 8 hrs strong heating (450-630°C) for LDMS each. Average yield of Malla Sindura in two samples is 151.33 g (37.83%) and 237.7 g (59.42%) using 400 g Kajjali in each batch respectively.

Is mercury in Tibetan Medicine toxic? Clinical, neurocognitive and biochemical results of an initial cross-sectional study.

Mercury an important therapeutic substance in Tibetan Medicine undergoes complex "detoxification" prior to inclusion in multi-ingredient formulas. In an initial cross-sectional study, patients taking Tibetan Medicine for various conditions were evaluated for mercury toxicity. Two groups were identified: Group 1, patients taking " Tsothel" the most important detoxified mercury preparation and Group 2, patients taking other mercury preparations or mercury free Tibetan Medicine. Atomic fluorescence spectrometry of Tibetan Medicine showed mercury consumption 130 µg/kg/day (Group 1) and 30 µg/kg/day (Group 2) ( P ≤ 0.001), levels above EPA (RfDs) suggested threshold (0.3 µg/kg /day) for oral chronic exposure. Mean duration of Tibetan Medicine treatment was 9 ± 17 months (range 3-116) (Group 1) and 5 ± 1.96 months (range 1-114) (Group 2) (NS) with cumulative days of mercury containing Tibetan Medicine, 764 days ± 1214 (range 135-7330) vs. 103 days ± 111 (range 0-426), respectively ( P ≤ 0.001). Comparison of treatment groups with healthy referents (Group 3) not taking Tibetan Medicine showed no significant differences in prevalence of 23 non-specific symptoms of mercury toxicity, abnormal neurological, cardiovascular and dental findings and no correlation with mercury exposure variables; consumption, cumulative treatment days, blood/ urine Hg. Liver and renal function tests in treatment groups were not significantly increased compared to referents, with mean urine Beta2 Microglobulin within the normal range and not significantly associated with Hg exposure variables after correcting for confounding variables. Neurocognitive testing showed no significant intergroup differences for Wechsler Memory Scale, Grooved Pegboard, Visual Retention, but Group1 scores were better for Mini-Mental, Brief Word Learning, Verbal Fluency after correcting for confounding variables. These results suggest mercury containing Tibetan Medicine does not have appreciable adverse effects and may exert a possible beneficial effect on neurocognitive function. Since evidence of mercury as a toxic heavy metal, however, is well known, further analysis of literature on mercury use in other Asian traditional systems is highly suggested prior to further studies.

A scientific review of gold containingherbo-mineral preparation: Makaradhwaja

Makaradhwaja is a popular medicine of Ayurveda used for vigor and vitality. It is mentioned in classical texts of Rasashastra that Makaradhwaja increases longitivity of life and contest aging process. It is used internally for wide range of disorders like Jwara (fever), Prameha (diabetes mellitus), Agnimandya (loss of appetite) etc. Makaradhwaja is gold containing mercurial preparation. As it is prepared by using metals like Swarna (gold), Gandhaka (sulfur) and heavy metal like Parada (mercury) with adopting typical procedure of Kupipakwa Rasayana. As it is containing heavy metal like mercury, different issues arises regarding its safety and toxicity. Here an attempt made to review work carried out on Makaradhwaja for its different aspects like literary, pharmaceutical, analytical experimental and clinical studies. By screening all the relevant classical texts of Rasashastra and scientific work available it was found that Makaradhwaja not only safe but also therapeutically effective in disorders like diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis etc.

Anti-diabetic activity of traditional Indian gold containing preparation: Shadguna Balijarita Makaradhwaja on streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

Background:Makaradhwaja a gold containing mercurial preparation used for diabetes mellitus in indigenous system of medicine. It is a popular aphrodisiac and rejuvenator traditional medicine. It is prepared by using processed gold, mercury and sulfur in different ratios by applying intermittent heating pattern in Valuka Yantra.Objectives:The aim of the study was to evaluate anti-diabetic effect of Shadguna Balijarita Makaradhwaja (SBM) on streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats.Materials and Methods:Diabetes was induced to normal rats by injecting STZ in dose 40 mg/kg. Powdered SBM and dried extract of Tinospora cordifolia were mixed with honey and administered orally for 20 days at dose 2.63 mg/kg and 42.34 mg/kg body weight, respectively. The effects of treatment on body weight changes and blood glucose levels were quantified on day 1, 5, 10, 15 and 21 of the experiments. On the 21st day, animals were sacrificed and gross histopathological changes in liver, kidney and pancreas were illustrated. Blood sugar level, glyacated hemoglobin, blood urea, serum cholesterol, serum creatinine, serum triglyceride and serum protein were estimated with standard methods. The study was conducted in the year 2011.Results:Test drug observed significant decrease (P < 0.001) in glyacated hemoglobin level compared to diabetic control rats. Blood sugar level of test drug group shown a significant decrease (279.11 ± 57.95) compared with diabetic rats.Conclusion:The present study demonstrates that SBM and dried extract of T. cordifolia with honey significantly reduces the blood glucose level and shows anti-diabetic effect.

Cinnabar, Calomel and the Art of kushtasāzī: Mercurial Preparations in Unani Medicine

Abstract This paper examines the role of mercury in “Graeco-Islamic” medicine, which is referred to as Ṭibb-e yūnānī or unani medicine in South Asia. Having its origin in Ancient Greece, unani medicine spread to the Arabic countries and from the fifteenth century onwards to India. With its main roots in the Greek and Latin sources, the most influential works of ‘ilm al-adviya (pharmacology) were translated into Arabic, Persian and Urdu. Mercury (Arabic: zībaq; Persian: sīmāb; Urdu: sīmāb and pāra) played an important role in all Indian traditions of medicine, and had a prominent place in unani medicine. This paper highlights the historical use of mercury in Indian, Persian and Urdu medical literature, the discourses on its efficacy and some of the important mercurial preparations presented in a selection of unani works. Further, the use of mercury as a single and compound drug and its role in the treatment of different diseases will be analysed.

Healing with Mercury: The Uses of Mercury in Arabic Medical Literature

Abstract Three textual traditions can be discerned in Arabic medical literature: the early translations from Greek, Syriac and Indian sources; the autochthonous tradition, which reached its height between the tenth and thirteenth centuries; and the translations from Latin sources, beginning in the seventeenth century. This study traces the medical use of mercury and its derivatives within these traditions. The Greek works translated into Arabic like those of Galen or Paul of Aegina did not prescribe mercury as a remedy for human beings because of its toxicity. However, many scholars of the second period, including Rhazes (d. 925), Ibn al-Jazzār (d. 979), Avicenna (d. 1037), Abū l-ʿAlāʾ Zuhr (d. 1131) and Muḥammad al-Idrīsī (d. 1166), described the external application of mercury. Many terms were used to describe these varieties of mercury – the living (ziʾbaq ḥayy), the dead (ziʾbaq mayyit), the murdered (ziʾbaq maqtūl), the sublimated (ziʾbaq muṣaʿʿad) and the dust of mercury (turāb al-ziʾbaq). To reconstruct the meaning of these terms, I examine various recipes for mercurial preparation given in these works. The internal use of mercury is documented in the sixteenth century in a work by Dawūd al-Anṭākī (d. 1599), who used the term sulaymānī to refer to a sublimated derivative of mercury. I attempt to reconstruct the modalities of knowledge transmission from the Indian and Persian East into Arabic medicine, and from the Arabic world into the Latin West. I also address the impact of translations into Arabic of Latin works in the seventeenth century, such as the Practicae medicinae and Institutionum medicinae by Daniel Sennert (d. 1637), the Antidotarium generale et speciale by Johann Jacob Wecker (d. 1586) and the Basilica Chymica by the Paracelsian Oswaldus Crollius (d. 1608).

Researches on mercurial preparations: The prime requirement for their acceptance in medical world.

Ayurvedic and Siddha medicinal preparations containing mercury have been used over centuries in India. The recent WHO guidelines on the use of mercurials as well as actions by other international organizations into eliminating mercury in all forms have put the people practicing Rasa Shastra in a quandary. Active research in the mechanism of curative actions of mercurials is very much essential, to have widespread acceptance of the ancient practice. The toxicity of a substance depends on its bio-availability; the chemical form in which it is present and the biochemical reactions it participates. Mercury is usually administered as mercuric sulfide (Rasasindura or Linga Chendooram) which has a KSP value of 10–54. Despite this extreme insolubility, how mercury becomes bio-available under enzymatic conditions needs to be studied. Its bioaccumulation in critical organs and excretory pathways are to be ascertained. Research is also needed to establish whether Rasasindura or equivalent medicines induce the (excess) synthesis of sulfur containing biomolecules in human systems, which act as cell protectors against free radical-induced cell damage. The antioxidants themselves could be the curative agents; mercury being just a catalyst. It may also be possible that the exposure to mercury, even in very small amounts, could lead to the synthesis of specific metallothioneins in the human system, helping to detoxify the mercury exposure. The author is of the opinion that Ayurvedic practitioners/researchers should carry out long-term follow-up studies on human patients. The superiority of mercury based Ayurvedic preparations, as against modern allopathic medicines, in providing rapid and long lasting cure for specific diseases needs to document and published. In the absence of such supportive research literature, the use of mercury will become untenable, even for medicinal purposes.

Process standardization and characterization of Rajata Sindura.

Background:Rajata Sindura (RS) is a mercurial preparation, known for its properties like Rasayana (rejuvinating), Balya (strengthening), Vrushya (aphrodisiac), Medhya (increasing intellect) and can cure various diseases when used with appropriate adjuvant. It is prepared with Hingulottha Parada (purified mercury), Shuddha Gandhaka (purified sulfur) and Shuddha Rajata (purified silver) in a proportion of 1:1:4. Process standardization and characterization of RS are not reported until date.Aim:Pharmaceutical standardization and characterization of Rajata Sindura.Materials and Methods:Purified mercury and silver were triturated to form amalgam, followed by the addition of purified sulfur to prepare Kajjali and lavigated with Vatankura (leaf buds of Ficus benghalensis Linn.) swarasa (juice). This Kajjali was processed by Kupipakwa method.Results and Conclusion:RS was prepared in 33 h with 20.25% yield. Scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis has shown Mercury 86.21%, sulfur 13.27% as major elements; iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium and silver were other detected minor elements. X-ray diffraction report revealed the chemical nature of RS as HgS compound, having cubic crystal structure.

Pharmaceutical standardization of Samaguna Bali Jarita Rasasindura prepared by conventional and modified method

Introduction:Rasasindura (RS) is one of the unique mercurial preparations commonly used in Ayurveda therapeutics. The traditional procedure followed for preparing RS in the classical furnace has several drawbacks, such as difficulty in controlling temperature, consumption of large quantity of fuel, and excess human effort.Aims & Objective:The present study was conducted to evaluate an alternate method to prepare RS by using an electrical muffle furnace (EMF) and to standardize this method.Materials and Methods:RS was prepared by adapting similar temperature pattern in both the traditional and EMF methods, and observations were recorded. Obtained product was subjected to orgennoleptic and physico-chemical analysis.Result:No remarkable differences were seen in observations of both preparations, except the melting of Kajjali, appearance of flame, and appearance of desired characteristics of product formation, which were observed at 190, 496, and 567°C in the traditional method and at 180, 473, and 560°C in EMF, respectively. Yield of the traditional method was 53.5% whereas in EMF, it was 50.83%. Organoleptic and physicochemical analysis revealed no significant deviation in values.Conclusion:The present study reveals that the traditional method of preparing RS can be effectively replaced by the EMF with some added advantages.

“Oxide Route” for the Preparation of Mercury(II) N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes

Imidazolium salts react with HgO to give mono-NHC dihalomercury(II) complexes in acceptable yields. The solid-state structures of several examples were determined by X-ray diffraction. The complexes consist of monomeric (NHC)HgX2 units, which feature tricoordinated mercury atoms, a structural arrangement rarely found for mercury compounds.

One‐pot Preparation, Spectroscopic and Structural Characterization of Mercury(II) Complexes of Bulky Diimines with Halides and Pseudohalides

AbstractThe preparation and characterization of two novel HgCl2 and Hg(SCN)2 complexes with bis[N‐(2‐tert‐butylphenyl)imine]acenaphthene is here described. One‐pot reaction techniques were used, leading to high yields of 75 % and 81 %, respectively. The complexes were characterized by microanalysis, i.r. and 1HNMR spectroscopy, and by single crystal X‐ray diffraction. The structures of the complexes present similar characteristics, the most outstanding being the formation of dimers via intermolecular interaction. Whereas the HgCl2 complex shows a unidimensional network due to strong π–π interactions, its Hg(SCN)2 counterpart displays a supramolecular arrangement resulting from non classical hydrogen bond formation.

Bhasmas: Unique Ayurvedic Metallic–Herbal Preparations, Chemical Characterization

Bhasmas are unique Ayurvedic metallic preparations with herbal juices/fruits, known in the Indian subcontinent since the seventh century BC and widely recommended for treatment of a variety of chronic ailments. Twenty bhasmas based on calcium, iron, zinc, mercury, silver, potassium, arsenic, copper, tin, and gemstones were analyzed for up to 18 elements by instrumental neutron activation analysis, including their C, H, N, and S contents. In addition to the major constituent element found at % level, several other essential elements such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, V, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Zn have also been found in microg/g amounts and ultratrace (ng/g) amounts of Au and Co. These seem to remain chelated with organic ligands derived from medicinal herbs. The bhasmas are biologically produced nanoparticles and are taken along with milk, butter, honey, or ghee (a preparation from milk); thus, this makes these elements easily assimilable, eliminating their harmful effects and enhancing their biocompatibility. Siddha Makaradhwaja, a mercury preparation is found to be stoichiometrically HgS without any traces of any other element. Similarly, Swet Parpati is stoichiometrically KNO3 but is found to have Mn, Cu, Zn, Na, P, and Cl as well. An attempt has been made to correlate the metallic contents with their medicinal importance. Na and K, the two electrolytic elements, seem to be well correlated, although K/Na varies in a wide range from 0.06 to 95, with specifically low values for Ca-, Fe-, and Zn-based bhasmas. K/P also varies in a wide range from 0.23 to 12, although for most bhasmas (n = 12), it is 2.3 +/- 1.2. Further, Fe/Mn is linearly correlated (r = 0.96) with Fe in nine noniron bhasmas.