One of the major reasons that Siddha hasn’t yet receive the global attention it deserves is because, it’s been confined to one particular region (Tamil Nadu) and there wasn’t any remarkable works from the Governemnt for the development of this system.

But things are changing now, with the reach of internet to even remote areas, the feat can be easily achieved through the internet. This website is just an example and there must be many more content and websites that focus on Siddha Medicine and that can attract millions worldwide to the Siddha System. This can be made possible only with a combined effort.

Back to my point, this blog has been dormant for quiet a long time, it was due to time constraints and my busy shedule with my full time college ofcourse, i made all this happen by finding time in between my full time Siddha Course.

Anyway here’s what i wanted to let know the readers of the blog who are in the siddha field. If any of you are interested in making a contribution to the growing content of this website and if any of you want to have your content, published in this blog, you are welcome to do that. Just include your Name and information at the bottom of your article and use the Contact Us form to send your article to me.

The article can be anything regarding siddha, there is no limit to the number of articles you can write and you are welcome to write simply any aspects regarding siddha. This will indeed help gain you more reputation aswell. Make sure to use the Contact Us form or your article will end up reaching nowhere. I don’t want that to happen for your efforts and support.

All this shows the wide interest of people and their acceptance of having a web forum (discussion board) like this. For those of you who don’t know, The Siddha Physician Forum is the very first online discussion board exclusively for Siddha Medicine. So by becoming a part of this forum you are becoming part of one of the prestigious communities thats helping the spread of Siddha Medicine to worldwide audience as well as to organize all the siddha enthusiasts under one roof. If you still haven’t joined the forum then i urge you to join and become a part of the growing community today itself.

Join The Siddha Forum NOW!

You are getting in at the right time since, this forum will soon be experiencing a drammatic growth and will be attracting worldwide audience. Will see you inside the forum…

Vernacular Names
Sanskrit - Laksha Malayalam - Laksha Tamil - Kombarakku

Source
Lac is a resinous substance usually of reddish or dark brown in colour with a disagreeable odour & easily breakable with a cracking sound. It is deposited on the twigs of trees such as banyan, accasia and peepal tree by a small insect - Carteria lacca. Writers are at variace as to the formation of lac. Some say that the insects attack the young branches of the trees above mentioned & fix themselves to the branches.

The female insect after oviposition is affected dies, giving out from her body a reddish liquid which solidifies & forms a crust about an inch thick round the branch attached. Others again affirm that the sting of the inect affects the sap or gum of the trees which forms the lac.

Another writer is of the opinion that the deposit is the excreta of the insect.

Origin of Lac
The minute hemipterous insect Tachardia lacca lives upon juices sucked up by its proboscis. In the adult stage females have no power of locomotion. But the males on attaining maturity emerge from their pupal cases, becomes possessed of a long transparent wings & fly away to visit the females & shortly after, they die off.

At two or three seasons, swarming of the larvae takes place. The larvae are seemed to emerge from dead bodies of the females & to crawl away in quest of fresh feeding grounds. They are thin minute creatures of an orange - red colour. Have no separation of body into head, thorax and abdomen. But have fully formedfeatures and powerful legs. They measure about 1/40 of an inch in size. For some days the swarming continues until the twigs become distinctly reddish in colour & literally alike. The vast majority however perish, the more fortunate are wafted on the breeze & carried by the bees, birds, squirrels or by their own excretion to new situations. The larvae thus becomes fixed and their legs being useless drop off. Lastly a resinous excretion begins to form around their body which by aggregation of many in times assumes the condition of a more or less complete encrestation of the twigs.

In cold weather, the branches of lac plant, Laksha tharu often swamp with the lac insect & seem covered with a red dust. The female insect produces small nipple like encrustations on the twigs, their bodies being apparently glued together by a liquid which forms acellular texture. Animals resembles a small bus. After a time the young ones escape leaving empty shells on the branches.

Stick Lac
Stick lac is the name given to the twigs encrusted with lac, that are collected from the trees. These twigs are dried in the shade. Various forms and sizes are given to stick lac. Thus when the resinous concretion is taken off , the twigs are broken and triturated & washed in water. The greater part of the colouring matter is dissolved & granular matter is known as seed lac.

Seed lac is stick lac crushed & reduced to roundish pieces. Seed lac breaks off into small particles ie grain seed lac; when it is melted over a fire & squeezed through a piece of calico & spread into thin glossy plates known as shell lac. ie: Seed lac is specially washed , bleached & mixed with a proportion of Arsenic & resin. This is put in lags and placed over a fire. Then lac is squeezed through the meshes. The molten is spread off in sheet form & allowed to cool. The result being shell lac.

Shellac is contained in many products such as sealing wax, electrical insulators, fireworks, phonographic records and other instruments. Odourish varnish can be obtained from shellac by mixing with alcogol.

Taste - Astringent, Bitter

Potency - Hot

Actions - 1)Astringent 2)Alterative.

General Properties

Shellac will cure:-

a) Kuttam - Leprosy

b) Any diseases arising from altered conditions of blood in the state.

c) Elumburukki (TB)

d) Body pain

e) Arthritic pain

f) Sannipatha Suram (Fever that occurs due to derangement of 3 types of doshas).

g) Kapham (one of three doshas or vital forces)

i) Its also effective in menorrhagia & dysentry & acts as a cardiac tonic.

j) Shellac is finely powdered & given with honey and given in haematemesis.

k) Choornam(fine dry powders of drugs) of shellac is given with Bombax malabaricum. This has astringent action and used in dysentry.

l) Shellac - 1part
Resin of bombax - 1/2 part
Curcus infectoria - 1/4 part
Nutmeg - 1/8 part
This is divided in to 2 parts & used as squirt in diorrhoea & dysentry.

m) Arakku choornam or shellac powder is used for dressings in injuries. It will arrest the bleeding & also heals the ulcers. Locally shellac is used as a stimulant application to scrophulous scorbutic ulcers.

n) Shellac is the specific application for carries tooth & diseased tooth.

Siddha Medicinal Preparation - Arakku Thailam - Its an external preparation used in chronic fever, sore throat, hoarseness of voice, specially used in the conditions of head ache due to any cause, body odour due to excessive sweating, gingivitis(inflammation of abdomen), cough, anemia, used for massage of scalp and body, in neuralgia, cephalalgia, hemicrania, inflammations and asthmatic affections.

Felis tigris

Vernacular Names:-
English - Tiger
Malayalam - Kaduva
Tamil - Puli

Most of the parts of Tiger are used in Siddha medicines. Skin, flesh, blood, bile, fat, nail, bone, excreta & whiskers are used in medicine.

All the body parts, posess hot potency because of its intense nature, habit of taking flesh and its strength.

The Yoga practitioners usually use the skin of tiger because it produces heat. The heat is very important to raise the serpent power or kundalini shakti. Flesh and blood of tiger are easily digestible and absorbable one. So these are used in Tuberculosis (Ilaipunoi or Kayam) as well as other diseases which cause emaciation of the body. Flesh is used in Insanity (Unmatham) or distracted state of mind. Flesh and blood of Tiger are not available in all seasons, so the blood is collected in a pot & a cloth is soaked in it and dried, whenever it is available. This piece of cloth is soaked and dissolved in water and this is used when it is needed. Like this, flesh are cut in to small pieces, dried and sold in market. This can be used when it is needed for treatment.

Flesh of red tiger is used as prophylactic treatment in viral infections (Mumps, measles and chickenpox) by the Maharashtra’s. Abcess in the sole and palm can be treated with the bandage of flesh of the tiger. Fat of the tiger is applied in arthritis swelling, sprain and hemiplegia (pakshavatham). In nervous stability, fat is applied, then massaged and hot water fomentation is given. 130mg of fat is given with banana as a prophylactic treatment in viral infections. For expectorant action in whooping cough, fumigation with the fat is very useful. It also subsides the cough. In impotency (Napunchakam) it is used as lepam(Application of paste on body).

Bile: - Cloves are soaked in the bile and dried. This clove is taken one for three times with milk. This is a good remedy in bronchial asthma(Suvasa Kasam).

Nails:- Nails of Tiger are purified, grinded with the juice of Prosopis spicigera - Cikura pod(Vanni) leaves and dried. Placed in akal and subjected to pudam(calcination process). This parpam is given with honey in complication of the pitha janni(Fits). Parings of nails heated to char by adding it with gingely oil. Then the oil is filtered, this can be applied in pimples.

Tiger nails are tied in gold or silver and worn by children in Evil eye (Kanneru).

The skin is tied with a black silk thread and tied on the left hand of children to control cry out of fear.

Whiskers of tiger is very poisonous one. One hair is enough to kill a person. This is used as Philters(A drink with magical powers which can make the one who takes it love the one who gave it). If it is used like this, the symptoms like cough and emaciation of the body can be seen in that persons. So after killing tiger the whiskers are burned and discarded. Milk is boiled with these whiskers. Curd is prepared. The butter obtained from this curd is used externally instead of fat. These buttermilk and whiskers should be discarded.

Bones:- Bones of both sexes of tigers are prepared as parpam with the juice of Aloe vera. Parpam of female toger bone is used in vatha diseases.

Adjuant:- Fermented fruit juice (Pazhacharayam).

Excreta:- A tiger is used to prepare Thalaga Parpam.

Family:- Euphorbiaceae

Vernacular Names:-
English - Emblic, Emblic myrobalan, Indian gooseberry, Indian-gooseberry
Malayalam - Nellikka
Tamil - Nelli
Sanskrit - Amalaki
Hindi - Amlika

Synonyms (Tamil):- Amalakam, Alakam, Ambal, Aamarikam, Thirathari, Thathiri, Korangam, Miruthupala, Meethunthu.

Varieties Of Nelli:-
1. Satharana Nelli
2. Malai Nelli
3. Karu Nelli
4. Aru Nelli

Raw fruits are yellowish white in colour, dried fruits are black. The latter one is known as Nellimulli.

Parts Used:- Mostly fruits and leaves.

Taste:- Sweet, Astringent, Sour
Potency:- Cold
Division:- Sweet

Actions And Uses:-

Fruits:-
1. Fruits are rich natural source of Vitamin C and successfully used in the treatment of human scurvy.

2. It is a Kayakalpa drug for all age groups (Pediatrics to geriatrics). It prevents Narai, Kirai, Muppu, Pini and promotes immunity. It is a Sirappukarpam. It gives solution to the pitha complaints.

3. It is used in Chathi, solves the problems like arosakam and nausea.

4. Nellikkai Kudineer (decoction) is an excellent drug for pitha complaints like increased thirst, dryness of mouth, giddiness, body heat and nausea.

5. Nellikkai Lehyam:-
San:- Chyavana prasham
Is advised in Pandu, Sobai (dropsy), Kamalai (Jaundice), Gunmam (Abdominal Pain), Peruvayiru (Abdominal Distention), Constipation, Anorexia and Respiratory allergies.

6. Nellikkai Thailam:-
Can be chosen as a best bath oil for eye diseases, giddiness, body heat and burning sensation in upper and lower limbs.

Leaves:-
Tender leaves karkam is advisible in Ninakazhichil or Seethakazhichil (Stools with mucous).

Family: Zygophyllaceae

Vernacular Names:-
English - Puncture Vine, Small Caltrops, Land Caltrops, Goat’s Head
Malayalam - Nerunjil
Tamil - Nerunjil
Sanskrit - Gokshura
Hindi - Gakhru

Synonyms (Tamil):- Thirikandam, Thirikandakam, Thirithandam, Nerunjiputhum, Aswachattiram, Suvathattam, Kokandam, Kamarasi, Suvathukandam, Kittiram, Kondam, Sutham.

Varieties Of Nerunjil:-
1. Sirunerunjil
2. Perunerunjil
3. Seppunerunjil

Parts Used:- Entire Plant

Taste:- Astringent, Sweet
Potency:- Cold
Division:- Sweet

Actions:-
1. Diuretic (agent that increases amount of urine)
2. Lithontriptic (Having the quality of, or used for, dissolving or destroying stone in the bladder or kidneys)
3. Aphrodisiac (An agent that is allaged to increase libido or interest in sex or the duration of sexual activity)
4. Anthelmintic (An agent that destroys or expels intestinal worms)
5. Anti-fungal (An agent that suppress the growth or reproduction of fungi)
6. Cytotoxic (An agent that is directly toxic to cells, preventing their reproduction or growth)
7. Anti-microbial (An agent that is active against microorganisms)
8. Reproductive tonic
9. Tonic (Tonifies the body)

Uses:-
1. Decoction of entire plant and dried spiny fruits is efficacious for :-
Anuria (absence or defective excretion of urine)
Oliguria(Secretion of a diminished amount of urine in relation to the fluid intake)
Burning micturation
Tribling
Obstruction due to calculus
Obstruction due to growth
Urinary tract infections
The decoction is given with Silasathu Parpam, gives better results in the above said diseases.

2. Decoction or infusion of the entire plant is useful for correcting the erectile dysfunction in impotency, improving the sperm count in oligospermea or impotency and enhancing the desire in sex. The same drug is considered as a wonderful drug for gonorrhoea and spermatorrhoea.

3. Medicine prepared from the dried spined fruits can be prescribed for cardiac oedema and in the combination with Ayachendooram in jaundice.

4. The herb tribulus terrestris shows remarkable qualities in naturally increasing the level of luteinizing hormone levels (LH) thereby improving the manufacture of testosterone in the body - a level of up to 30% is claimed. It is furthermore used by people doing serious bodybuilding.

5. Research evidence suggests that the herb may also be useful for lowering cholesterol through its action on liver.

6. Tribulus Terrestris also has phenomenal anti-aging effects. Our testosterone levels decline as we get older, leading to many of the physiological problems associating with aging such as loss of muscle, increased bodyfat, decreased sexual drive & function etc. Tribulus Terrestris will restore your testosterone back to youthful levels, thus eliminating many of the physical signs of aging. Tribulus Terrestris is now used by people engaged in body building as it helps in gaining muscle mass.