A Preliminary Note on the Absorption of 'Makaradhwaja' (Sulphide of Mercury)

a great hold on the minds of the people in India that many practitioners of Western medicine also use it. There is probably something of real value about it, as it has resisted the ravages of time for many centuries and is universally esteemed to the present day. Preparation of ' makaradhwaja ?It is necessary at the outset to outline the process of preparation of this drug, as according to the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia a great deal depends on the method adopted. Various methods of preparing the drug have been described in books on Hindu medicine. The description given below has been kindly given to us by an eminent practitioner of Ayurvedic medicine in Calcutta and is believed to be the standard