Churna or powders are prepared by pounding dry sub- stances in a mortar with a pestle and passing the powder through cloth.

Svarasa or expressed juice is prepared by pounding fresh vegetables in a mortar, expressing the juice and straining it through cloth.

Kalka or paste is prepared by grinding dry or fresh vegetable substances on a stone with a muller, and then making a thin paste, with the addition of water when necessary.

Kvάtha or decoctions are, as a general rule, prepared by boiling one part of vegetable substances with sixteen parts of water, till the latter is reduced to one-fourth. The medicines should first be pounded small, then boiled over a slow fire, and the decoction strained through cloth. When decoctions are prepared with dry substances, eight parts of water are recommended to be used. Decoctions are administered with the addition of salt, honey, sugar, treacle, alkalies, clarified butter, oil, or some medicinal powders.

Phάnta or infusions are prepared by steeping one part of powdered herbs in eight parts of hot water, for twelve hours during the night. They are administered in the same way as decoctions.

Sitakashάya or cold infusion is prepared by steeping one part of a drug in six of water for the night, and straining the fluid in the morning.

Pάni'ya is a weak form of decoction prepared by boiling one part of medicinal substances in thirty-two of water till the latter is reduced to one-half. This preparation is usually taken ad libitum for appeasing thirst or some such object.

Pramathyά is a sort of decoction in which the medicines are first reduced to a pulp and then boiled in eight parts of water till the latter is reduced to one-fourth. It is administered with the addition of honey.

Mentka is an emulsion of medicines in fine powder with four parts of cold water.

Kshi'rapάka or decoction in milk. The proportions in this preparation, are one part of medicine, eight of milk and thirty-two of water. The materials are boiled together, till the water is evaporated and the milk alone remains; the decoction is then strained.

Yavagu. Sometimes medicines are added to powdered rice, wheat, barley, etc., and boiled with water into a gruel which is taken as aliment. The proportion of water in this preparation is six to one of solid materials. This preparation is called Kalka-sadhya-yavagu or gruel made with medicinal paste, in contradistinction to another form called Kvάtha-sάdhya-yavάgu or gruel made with a decoction of medicines, for which last see Oryza sativa.

Avaleha or extract. To prepare it, decoctions, after being strained, are again boiled down to the consistence of a thick extract. This extract, when properly made, does not readily dissolve in water, can be drawn out into wires, and will receive impressions of coins on its surface. Extracts are administered with the addition of sugar, decoctions, or powders.

Vatikά and

Gudikά or pills and boluses. These are usually prepared by reducing a decoction of vegetable substances to a thick consistence and then adding some powders for making a pill-mass. Sometimes pill-masses are made of powdered medicines with the addition of treacle or honey.

Modaka are boluses prepared by adding powders to cold syrup and stirring them together till uniformly mixed. No boiling is required in this preparation.

Khandapάka or confections. These are made by adding to syrup medicines in fine powder and stirring them over the fire till intimately mixed and reduced to proper consistence. Honey is often subsequently added to confections. Syrup may be made with sugar and water or milk or the strained decoction of some medicinal substance. Confections should be of the same consistence as extracts above described.

Bhάvanά or maceration of powders in fluids. Powders, and especially mineral substances, are often soaked in various fluids, such as expressed juice of herbs, decoctions, etc., and then dried. For this process the quantity of fluid added to the powder should be sufficient to cover it. The mixture is then allowed to dry in the sun. A single operation of this sort is completed in twenty-four hours, but the process is generally repeated from three to seven times, and often with a variety of fluids, so that the resulting mass combines in it the active principles of various drugs.

Putapάka or roasting. In this process vegetable drugs are reduced to a paste which is wrapped up in jamvu or vatapatra (leaves of Eugenia Jambolona and Ficus Bengalensis), firmly tied with fibres of some sort, covered with a layer of clay from half to one inch in thickness and roasted in cowdung fire. When the laver of clay assumes a brick-red colour on the surface, the roasting is known to be completed. The ball should now be withdrawn from the fire and broken, and the juice of the roasted drug expressed and administered, with the addition of honey or such other adjuncts as may be directed. Sometimes the roasted drug itself is given in the form of a powder or pill.

Sandhάnavarga or products of acetous fermentation.