Zinc is an important mineral that is found in every single cell of the body. The red and white blood cells, bones, retina, kidneys, pancreas and liver all store zinc.

Benefits of Zinc
The Bhavaprakasa mentions it in the chapter on metallic preparations, directs it to be purified and reduced to powder in the same as tin. It is said to be useful in eye diseases, urinary disorder, anaemia and asthma.

Dose of Zinc in Medicine
Zinc enters into the composition of a number of prescriptions both for internal and external use.

Kharpara: It should be reduced to powder by being melted over fire and rubbed with rock salt. Zinc thus prepared is a fine yellowish grey powder consisting of carbonate of zinc mixed with chloride of sodium. Kharpara occurs in greyish or greyish black porous earthy masses composed of agglutinated granules. It is described as tonic and alterative and useful in skin diseases, fevers, etc. It is also much used as a collyrium in eye diseases. Dose of Kharpara should be grains 6 to 12.

Vasanta Malati Rasa: Take leaf gold 1 part, pearls 2 parts, cinnabar 3 parts, black pepper 4 parts, purified Kharpara 8 parts, and rub them together. Then add some butter and lemon juice and rub together till intimately mixed and no separate particles are visible. Dose should be 2 to 4 grains with honey and long pepper. This medicine is much used by the physicians in chronic fever, secondary syphilis, chronic gonorrhoea, leucorrhoea, etc.

A collyrium is prepared as follows. Rub some Kharpara in a stone mortar with water; take the dissolved watery portion, rejecting any solid particles that may have subsided to the bottom. Evaporate this solution, powder the residue and soak it 3 times in a decoction of the three myrobalans. When dry add one tenth part of powdered camphor and mix intimately. This collyrium is said to be useful in various sorts of eye diseases.

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