| markd@toad-net.com 2004-08-09, 7:59 am |
|
In other recent accounts of people being poisned with toxic heavy metals,
the drugs were purchased in india by indians. If the content and/or
amount in any drug is not known then this kind of toxic poising is more
likely. The several that have shown in the US among a few hundred
thousands of s. asians can only mean thousands upon thousands when in
proportion in the one billion plus s. asia area. The toxic poising
symptoms can be similar to other causes and if specific testing is not
done the heavey toxins will not be discovered as the cause. Other
traditional drugs also contain toxic substances when taken in large enough
amounts can also be dangerous, again when amounts are not controled or the
amount that causes problems is not identified then problems will happen.
Be very very careful.
[vbcol=seagreen]
>We are Ayurveda People from India, and we believe in ayurveda only.
>We better know the power of Ayurveda,
>You are right that some medicines contains heavy metals but there are useful
>procedures described in
>ayuvedic texts to remove toxicity, and also remove poison from plant also,
>
>Read this,
>
>Abstract
>
>Crude aconite is an extremely lethal substance. However, the science of
>Ayurveda looks upon aconite as a therapeutic entity. Crude aconite is always
>processed i.e. it undergoes 'samskaras' before being utilised in the
>Ayurvedic formulations. This study was undertaken in mice, to ascertain
>whether 'processed' aconite is less toxic as compared to the crude or
>unprocessed one. It was seen that crude aconite was significantly toxic to
>mice (100% mortality at a dose of 2.6 mg/mouse) whereas the fully processed
>aconite was absolutely non-toxic (no mortality at a dose even 8 times as
>high as that of crude aconite). Further, all the steps in the processing
>were essential for complete detoxification.
>
>Introduction
>Aconite is an extract obtained from the Aconitum family of plants. Though
>all parts of the plant are poisonous, the root is the most poisonous[3] and
>contains a highly toxic alkaloid- aconitin (acetyl-benzoyl aconin) along
>with other less toxic alkaloids[1]. When taken orally, the toxicity
>manifests in the form of tingling, numbness of mouth and throat, abdominal
>pain, nausea, vomiting, hypothermia, loss of muscle power, visual and
>auditor disturbances and finally clonic convulsions[2]. Death ensues from
>myocardial depression or respiratory paralysis. If we scan the pages of
>history, we come across the mention of the use of aconite as a therapeutic
>entity in Ayurveda[4]. Aconite forms an important constituent of Ayurvedic
>formulations and is prescribed as an antipyretic, appetiser, digestive and
>general tonic. However it is not the crude aconite that is utilised in these
>preparations. Crude aconite undergoes certain processes (samskaras) before
>being therapeutically used.
>The present study was undertaken to ascertain whether these samskaras truly
>reduced the toxicity of aconite and further whether each process mentioned
>in the Ayurvedic texts is essential in the process of detoxification of
>crude aconite.
>
> Material and method
>
>Gross behavioural studies were carried out in Swiss-Albino out bred mice of
>either sex weighing between 18-25 gms. These animals were divided into 4
>groups as per the form of aconite received. To each of these groups, the
>following compounds were administered orally as suspensions in distilled
>water:
>1. Crude aconite (crude).
>2. Processed aconite (compound A) - The root of the plant was boiled with
>two parts of cow's urine for 7 hours per day for two consecutive days. The
>root was then thoroughly washed with water and boiled with two parts of
>cow's milk for the same duration. The root processed in such a fashion was
>then washed with lukewarm water, cut into pieces, dried and ground.
>3. Aconite processed only in cow's urine for 7 hr per day for 2 consecutive
>days (compound B).
>4. Aconite processed only in cow's milk for the same duration (compound C).
>
>These compounds were supplied by Ayurveda Rasashala, Pune.
>The therapeutic dose range mentioned in Ayurvedic texts is 1-10 g. Hence
>this particular dose of 2.6 mg/mouse was chosen which corresponded with a
>dose of 1 g. in human beings. Four doses (2.6, 5.2, 10.4 and 20.8 mg/mouse)
>were selected for each compound. Each dose was administered to a group of 6
>mice. Lower dose ranges (1.3 mg-2.275 mg/mouse) were studied for crude
>aconite.
>The mice were observed before the experiment and at ½ hour, 1 hour, 2 hours,
>4 hours and 24 hours, after the administration of a particular compound with
>special reference to the muscle tone and balance. These parameters were
>assessed by noting the ability of the mice to hold on to the string, tied to
>2 poles set at a fixed distance (normal mice can maintain their balance for
>more than 10 minutes).
>
>Results
>
>At a dose of 2.6 mg of crude aconite/mouse, 2 animals died at ½ hour. The on
>es that survived had very poor muscle tone and balance. At the end of 1 hour
>all 6 mice died, preceded by clonic convulsions. The mortalities at the
>doses of 2.275 mg/mouse, 1.95 mg/mouse and 1.3 mg/mouse (all in logarithmic
>proportions) were 3/6, 2/6 and 1/6 respectively. The surviving animals had a
>striking loss of muscle tone, balance and co-ordination even after 24 hours
>of administration of crude aconite. When compound C (aconite processed in
>only cow's milk) was administered in the dose of 2.6 mg/mouse, none of the 6
>mice died in the 24 hours' observation period. There was however a reduction
>in muscle tone and the ability to co-ordinate movements and maintain balance
>on a string were impaired. The same results were obtained when the dose was
>increased to 5.2 mg/mouse. At the doses of 10.4 and 20.8 mg/mouse, 1 out of
>6 mice died at 24 hours in each group with a loss of muscle tone and balance
>in the remaining mice.
>Compound B (aconite processed in only cow's urine) produced no mortality at
>any of the doses tested. However there was slight reduction in muscle tone
>and the ability to maintain balance.
>Compound A (aconite processed in cow's urine followed by cow's milk)
>appeared completely non-toxic to the mice even at the highest dose level
>studied i.e. 20.8 mg/mouse. There was no impairment of muscle tone, power
>and co-ordination.
>[Table - 1] below presents these results at a glance.
>
>
>Discussion
>
>The results of the above study show that crude aconite was toxic to the mice
>even at a dose as low as 1.3 mg/mouse. 100% mortality resulted when 2.6 mg
>of crude aconite was administered to each mouse.
>When crude aconite was processed in cow's milk (compound C), the toxicity
>was significantly reduced with no mortality occurring at a dose of 2.6
>mg/mouse. At both the doses of 10.4 and 20.8 mg/mouse, the percentage
>mortality was 16.66. The remaining mice had impaired muscle tone and power.
>This finding is in agreement with that of Sen and Khosla[5] who reported
>that though a reduction in toxicity was observed after administering crude
>aconite processed in cow's milk, the compound did not become absolutely
>non-toxic.
>Processing in cow's urine alone (compound B) also rendered crude aconite
>less toxic. No mortality occurred at any of the dose levels studied.
>However, some reduction in muscle tone and the ability to maintain balance
>was still present.
>The completely processed aconite (compound A) was found to be absolutely
>non-toxic. Apart from the fact that none of the mice died even at a dose as
>high as 20.8 mg/mouse, the muscle tone, power, co-ordination and balance
>were all normal.
>This shows that aconite becomes safe after undergoing samskaras. Further,
>all the steps in the processing are essential for complete detoxification;
>as indicated by the residual toxicity of intermediate compounds.
>It would be interesting to study the chemical composition of the aconite
>root after subjecting it to various samskaras to ascertain the exact effects
>of samskaras.
>
>Thorat S, Dahanukar S. Can we dispense with Ayurvedic samskaras?. J Postgrad
>Med [serial online] 1991 [cited 2004 Aug 9 ];37:157-9
>Available from:
>http://www.jpgmonline.com/article.a...1;volume=37;iss
>ue=3;spage=157;epage=9;aulast=Thorat
>
>
>
><markd@toad-net.com> wrote in message
>news:411691f8$0$62784$4d5ecec7@reader.city-net.com...
>
>
><markd@toad-net.com> wrote in message
>news:411691f8$0$62784$4d5ecec7@reader.city-net.com...
|