Caustic alkali therapy (kshara karma)

Kshara karma is called the foremost of sharp and accessory instruments. The text gives its two kinds, how a weakened kshara is restored, the blackening that shows proper burning, washing the caustic off with sour gruel mixed with milk, ghee, a sour liquid and liquorice, cooling aftercare, and the patients and sites for which it is forbidden.

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Names and synonyms

Sanskrit: क्षारकर्मक्षारपातन
Hindi: क्षार कर्म
English: Caustic alkali therapy (kshara karma)

Ingredients and preparation

External applicationChapter 21 · p. 475 · v. 9-14

Ingredients

Ingredient	As written in the text	Quantity as written
Alkali preparations (kshara)क्षार (खार)	़ार	Not stated
Milk (ksheera)दूध (क्षीर)	़ीर / दूध	Not stated
Ghee (ghrita)घी (घृत)	घृत / घी	Not stated
Yashtimadhu (licorice)मुलेठी (यष्टिमधु)	यष्टिमधुक / मुलैठी	Not stated
Sour fermented gruel (kanjika)कांजी (काञ्जिक)	सैवीरक / कांजी	Not stated

Preparation as described

A kshara that has lost strength is cooked again in alkaline water or burnt with groups of alkali drugs to restore its potency.

उसे ़ारजल में डालकर पकाने से, अथवा ़ारअैषध समूहों के साथ जलाने से वह वीर्यवान् होता है।

How it is used

Applied to the lesion; once the spot turns black it is washed off with sour gruel mixed with milk, ghee, a sour liquid and liquorice, followed daily by cool food and drink and cooling pastes.

तो उस ़ार को दूध, घी, अम्ल, मुलैठी इनसे संयुक्र कांजी से धोना चाहिए।

Therapies involvedCaustic therapy (kshara karma)क्षार कर्म

सबसे पहले ़ारकर्म का वर्णन किया जायेगा। भयंकर शस्त्र व उपशस्त्रकमोँ से भी ़ारकर्म प्रधान है।Source wording as converted, Chapter 21 · p. 475 · v. 9-14.

Safety

Needs a trained practitioner. This procedure or preparation is of a kind that should only be carried out under qualified supervision.
Contraindication in the text: Not to be used in the weak, those with chest injury, raktapitta, frequent fainting, high fever, an internal foreign body or heat distress, children, the intoxicated, the very old, pregnant women, those with diarrhoea, the impotent, those seized by severe thirst or fear, and those with stone, breathlessness or wasting.
Contraindication in the text: A sharp caustic is not to be applied on vital points, ligaments, vessels, nails, cartilage, eyes, thin-fleshed areas and channels, in those with marma disease or aversion to food, on the raphe, abdomen, joints, throat, navel and penis, or in heart pain.
Caution in the text: Kshara used by an ignorant physician is said to destroy life quickly, like poison, a weapon, a snake, fire or lightning.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, kidney or liver disease and other medicines all call for professional advice before any traditional remedy is used.

Ingredients5