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=== Abstract ===

=== Abstract ===

The fourth chapter, titled ''Shadavirechana Shatashritiyam'', provides comprehensive information about herbs and their classification by their specific activity and utility, medicinal preparations for evacuation (or evacuatives), and specific therapeutic regimen such as ''samshodhana'' (cleansing regimen) and ''samashamana'' (pacification regimen). Ayurveda emphasizes upon removing body impurities, like metabolic waste products, toxins, and undigested foods from various tissues and organs before treating any disease or applying measures for preservation, protection, and rejuvenation of health. There are six hundred preparations used for cleansing the body by ''vamana'' (therapeutic emesis) and virechana (therapeutic purgation), five hundred herbs, and (fifty) ''mahakashayas'' (classes with similar activity profile) of herbs used in their preparations. An Ayurvedic physician should have complete knowledge of special/selective actions of various preparations meant for removal of impurities from the body. The fifty ''mahakashayas'' comprise of ten herbs in each of five classes of drugs. It also includes six virechana ashraya (types of plant-based evacuatives), five ''kashaya yoni'' (original sources as per tastes), and five kashaya ''kalpana'' (forms of medicine preparations).  

The fourth chapter, titled ''Shadavirechana Shatashritiyam'', provides comprehensive information about herbs and their classification by their specific activity and utility, medicinal preparations for evacuation (or evacuatives), and specific therapeutic regimen such as ''samshodhana'' (cleansing regimen) and ''samashamana'' (pacification regimen). [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayurveda Ayurveda] emphasizes upon removing body impurities, like metabolic waste products, toxins, and undigested foods from various tissues and organs before treating any disease or applying measures for preservation, protection, and rejuvenation of health. There are six hundred preparations used for cleansing the body by ''vamana'' (therapeutic emesis) and ''virechana'' (therapeutic purgation), five hundred herbs, and (fifty) ''mahakashayas'' (classes with similar activity profile) of herbs used in their preparations. An Ayurvedic physician should have complete knowledge of special/selective actions of various preparations meant for removal of impurities from the body. The fifty ''mahakashayas'' comprise of ten herbs in each of five classes of drugs. It also includes six ''virechana ashraya'' (types of plant-based evacuatives), five ''kashaya yoni'' (original sources as per tastes), and five ''kashaya'' ''kalpana'' (forms of medicine preparations).  

Keywords: a catalogue of herbs, selective activity profile, pharmaceutical forms of drugs, medicinal juice, paste, decoction, cold infusion, hot infusion.   

Keywords: a catalogue of herbs, selective activity profile, pharmaceutical forms of drugs, medicinal juice, paste, decoction, cold infusion, hot infusion.   

=== Introduction ===

=== Introduction ===

This chapter is the last one among the Bheshaja Chatushka (tetrad on therapeutics). As the second and third chapters dealt with the internal and external cleansing procedures respectively, the present chapter is in continuation of those topics and talks of ''vamana'' (therapeutic emesis) and virechana (therapeutic purgation) based treatment procedures. These preparations - six hundred of them - are also described in the section of [[Kalpa Sthana]] that deals with specific preparations for body cleansing procedures. However, considering the importance of cleansing procedures, they are referred briefly in the present chapter. The main content of this chapter includes fifty classes of five hundred herbs, based upon their selective action on various diseases and biological systems. These classes are called ''mahakashaya'' (classes of drugs with similar activity profile) comprising ten herbs each. These fifty classes are again sub-divided into ten sub-classes starting with ''jeevaniya'' (vitalizers) and ending with ''vayasthapana'' (anti-aging herbs). These fifty ''mahakashaya'' refer to fifty therapeutic indications, for example, ''chhardi nigrahana'' (anti-emetic), ''mutra virechaniya'' (diuretic), ''kasahara'' (antitussive and expectorant), ''shoola prashamana'' (analgesic), etc. The potency of a single drug may vary per the preparation and the indication of preparation depends on the patient’s strength.

This chapter is the last one among the ''Bheshaja Chatushka'' (tetrad on therapeutics). As the second and third chapters dealt with the internal and external cleansing procedures respectively, the present chapter is in continuation of those topics and talks of ''vamana'' (therapeutic emesis) and ''virechana'' (therapeutic purgation) based treatment procedures. These preparations - six hundred of them - are also described in the section of [[Kalpa Sthana]] that deals with specific preparations for body cleansing procedures. However, considering the importance of cleansing procedures, they are referred briefly in the present chapter. The main content of this chapter includes fifty classes of five hundred herbs, based upon their selective action on various diseases and biological systems. These classes are called ''mahakashaya'' (classes of drugs with similar activity profile) comprising ten herbs each. These fifty classes are again sub-divided into ten sub-classes starting with ''jeevaniya'' (vitalizers) and ending with ''vayasthapana'' (anti-aging herbs). These fifty ''mahakashaya'' refer to fifty therapeutic indications, for example, ''chhardi nigrahana'' (anti-emetic), ''mutra virechaniya'' (diuretic), ''kasahara'' (antitussive and expectorant), ''shoola prashamana'' (analgesic), etc. The potency of a single drug may vary per the preparation and the indication of preparation depends on the patient’s strength.

Thus, this chapter provides a comprehensive information about medicinal preparations, their original plant resources, and selective actions of each preparation with targeted activity profile.

Thus, this chapter provides a comprehensive information about medicinal preparations, their original plant resources, and selective actions of each preparation with targeted activity profile.