Pure silver, according to Sanskrit writers, should be soft, white, brilliant and ductile. It should not be discoloured by fire. Impure silver, that is, silver mixed with other metals, is discoloured by fire, of a reddish or yellowish colour, and not ductile.
Processing of Silver
Silver is purified in the same way as gold. It is converted into a black oxide by thin silver leaves being mixed with twice their weight of cinnabar, and heated in the subliming apparatus, called Urddhapatana Yantra. This process is repeated 14 times. The resulting compound is a fine greyish black powder with minute shining white particles intermixed with it.
Dose of Silver in Medicine
Silver enters into the composition of several other remedies in common use, such as the Yogaraja, Jayamangala rasa etc. The following is an example of a complex prescription containing silver.
Vrihat Vata Gajankusa: Take mercury, prepared talc, iron, gold, copper and silver, orpiment, sulphur, ginger, coriander, root of Sida cordifolia (bala), bark of Myrica sapida (Katphal), Rhus succedanea (sringi), aconite, long pepper, black pepper and borax, each 1 part, chebulic myrobalans 2 parts, powder, mix and rub with the juice of Sphaeranthus mollis (mundi) and Vitex Negundo (nirgundi) for one day. Divide the mass into 4 grain pills. Dose should be grains 1 to 2. They are said to be useful in various nervous diseases.
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