Home Remedies

Pharmacology

Based on the theory of Jung-wa-lna pharmacology of Sowa-Rigpa believes that every substance on earth has medicinal value and therapeutic efficacy. Medicinal substances are classified into eight major categories i.e. Rinpoche sman (priced metal and stone), sa sman (drugs from mud and earth), rdo sman (stones), shing sman (drugs from trees), rtsi sman (essence and exudate medicines), thang sman (plant ingredient for decoction/ plateau medicine/ shrub), sno sman (herb) and srog chags sman (animal parts).

The ingredients of medicines are used in both single and compound forms, compound medicine is based on two major permutations and combinations that are ro (taste) based combination and nus pa (potencies) based combination. There are about seventeen different categories of medicinal preparations, out of which some important preparations are decoction, powders, pills, linctus, medicated ghee, Bhasmas, medicated wine, pastes, medicated bath etc.

The element composition of a drug has to be determined on the basis of the six major tastes i.e. sweet, sour, saline, pungent, astringent and bitter. Out of which, element composition of sweet taste is predominated by sa (earth) and chu (water) elements; sour taste is predominated by mai (fire) and sa (earth); saline is predominated by chu (water) and mai (fire); bitter is predominated by chu (water) and rlung (air); pungent taste is predominated by mai (fire) and rlung (air); astringent taste is dominated by sa (earth) and rlung (air) element. Sweet, sour, saline and pungent tastes alleviate rlung nespa (Air humour), which is dominated by rlung (air) element. Bitter sweet and astringent alleviates nespa mkris pa (bile humour), which is dominated by mai (fire) elements.

Pungent sour and saline taste alleviates nespa pad kan (phlegm humour) which is dominated by sa (earth) and chu (water) elements. Other important factors for understanding drug compositions and action are Zu zes sum (three post digestive taste) nuspa_rgyad (eight potency) and no bo (specific action) of particular drugs etc. The therapeutic efficacy of drugs is also dependent on the above factors.