Ayurvedic approach to treat liver diseases
Kamala or jaundice is a disease for which the Ayurveda claims to have a number of effective remedies. In fact most of the people suffering the different varieties of jaundice approach Ayurvedic doctors, both folklore and institutionally qualified with a hope of getting a definite cure. No doubt the faith of people is justified as Ayurveda has most effective remedies for different varieties of jaundice except surgical jaundice. The management of hepato-cellular jaundice including infective hepatitis is an area in which Ayurvedic therapy excels. Keeping this in mind we have done the basic research work on many single drugs which are mentioned in the classics and are in usage for centuries in the management of Kamala. Among these drugs Special juice (katuki, nimba, bhoomyamalaki, bhringaraja and amrita) is the most important.
It is obvious to believe that the combination of all these drugs should be most effective than the individual drug. Keeping this in mind it was intended to study its efficacy in hepatitis. The medicine was given in the form of juice as it is said to maintain highest potency of the medicinal value.
In the present study the line of management of hepatitis includes the administration of trikatu powder for the first 2 or 3 days of treatment or till improving digestive power and total energy. The juice was also started from day 1 and it was continued for maximum of 20 days or the patient become fit for oilation , which ever was earlier. Patient was administered ghee with rock salt with medicated or plane ghee which was followed by the body cleaning with purgation with trivrut lehya. After cleaning , increase the digestive power was carried out for 1-3 days . The administration of juice which was discontinued during the period of oilation and purgation was again started till the end of the treatment scheduled
Ayurvedic View
Almost all the classical authors have advised body cleaning as a first line of treatment of hepatitis. Before adapting cleaning procedure it is necessary to do proper digestive power. The trikatu Powder which was selected for the purpose of increase digestive power and also brings pitta to intestine by removing kapha. This is responsible for subduing kapha. All the three ingredients of trikatu powder have katu rasa and acts as kapha reducing and helps in the removal of blockage. Nimbu juice and honey advocated as following medicine with trikatu powder. Probably the nimbu reduces vata vitiation and the other hand honey is having lightness, dryness and sticky qualities, it reduces tridosha and predominantly kapha pitta.
Along with trikatu choorna ,special juice in the dose of 30ml followed with honey as was given 1 hour before food twice daily.
