MEDICINAL TASTES AND POWERS

Medicinal substances:  1 taste, sometimes dual, or all - TERMINAL CHEBULA - all 6 tastes so is therefore KING OF MEDICINES 
MEDICINES: 8 Qualities, 17 attributes, e.g. 1st taste can be Sweet, then Bitter, then Astringent - 3 different tastes, 3 different powers
POTENTIALS in descending order: 

Sweet        -Earth and Water
Sour          -Fire and Earth
Salty          -Water and Fire
Bitter         -Water and Air 
Hot            -Fire and Air
Astringent  -Earth and Air

All are cosmo-physical different elements - EARTH, WATER, FIRE, SPACE AND AIR 
SWEET taste does not mean only sweet, means sweet is predominant, others may be present 

GENERAL FUNCTION OF TASTES

LUNG:         Sweet, Sour,Salty
TIPA:            Sweet, Bitter, Astringent
BADKHEN: Sour, salty, Hot

Sweet -both Lung and Tipa - power of taste is same but inherent taste is different. 
Post-digestive taste - different power potential.  e.g. Jaggery: taste is sweet, potential is oily - good for Lung. 
Lung has Absorbancy characteristic, thus oily is good. 
Tipa - post-digestive Sweet taste helps to counteract heat of Tipa.  Therefore p.d. taste of SWEET is COOLING
 

SPECIFIC FUNCTION OF TASTES

SWEET: good for general health, enhances and enriches 7 B.C.ís, checks senile decay, children, depleted energy, throat, lungs problem, increases body weight, heals wounds, sustains body, enhances complexion, improves sense organs, perception, prolongs life, antidote to lung and tipa disorders. 
MOLASSES is very good
Excess  - formation of Badkhen and fat, decreased digestive heat 
Person who has more Badkhen nature consumes Sweet taste (like Lung consumes oily?) 
Baby - Badkhen, Adult - Tipa, Old-age - Lung 
Raw vegetables are SWEET - bad for Badkhen 

SOUR: Heat to body, increase appetite, satisfied feeling, fermentation (?) counteracts Badkhen, digesting food - further helps metabolism of 7 B.C.ís - cool nature, depends on different body constituents of person, evacuating waste from body, opens channels 
Excess - increase blood and tipa related problems, blurring of vision, giddiness, headache - dual or all 3 humours, dermatology, body fluids, acne and pimples connected with tipa and blood 

SALTY: gives body firmness, muscle formation, moves blockages from channels, cramps - fomentation - dig, heat, appetite
Excess - weakness of body, hair falls out on head, grows in other parts, old age, excess energy (not always excess salty) deteriorates B.C.ís, aggravates dermatitis, leprosy, body fluids 

BITTER:  decreases appetite, good tonic, 21,000 parasites in body, helps to develop, causes problems when body is in ill-health.  84,000 various parasites inside and outside body, leprosy, counteracts epidemics, checks vomiting. counteracts tipa related problems
Excess -  dries up fats, bone marrow, excrements, problems with womens breasts, lose voice, declines coloour of B.C.ís, elevates Lung and Badkhen - Water and Air (bitter) corresponds with lung and badkhen : light and cold 

HOT: Throat-related problems, tongue, leprosy, intense body heat, heat of  digestion, burning fats, expelling waste by  downward-voiding fire 
Excess: dries up regenerating elements, falling unconscious, back pain (lower region) 

ASTRINGENT: dries up fat, blood, Tipa, gangrenes, excess portion of blood and Tipa, gives cooling effect, enhancing complexion, good looks ofperson
Excess - too much mucus, excess of waste product, saliva, flatulen ce, cardiovascular, depletion of B.C.'s, blockage ofchannels and orifices

TASTE CONTAINED IN MEDICINE HAS GREATER POTENCY THAN IN FOOD.  People who are habituated to take an excess from childhood will  be less affected. 

TASTE OF MEDICINE HAS GREATER EFFECT THAN OTHER ELEMENTS OF MEDICINE

6 Tastes - nutshell of 17 attributes : 
All help to counteract 3 Humours and other qualities related to medicine

8 Potentials - qualities, functions :
Medicinal plants at high altitude - cool
Medicinal plants at low altitude - hot                       habitation potential
Plant based on odour only, not much effect            odour potential
Flesh of peacock, counteracts toxicity of poison     remedial potential
Liver of animal, enhances patient's liver                 'same-type' potential
Red Sandalwood, helps with blood problem          'same-colour' potential
Canavalia Gladiata - Kidney shape
Entada scandens    - Liver shape                             'same shape' potential
Spondigs axillans  - Spleen shape
Causes and impact                                                   auspicious potential
 

DIET AS MEDICINE: 
CINNAMON TAMALA (Leaf) Sweet and sharp, best from Afghanistan, root is best, very thick, very sweet and soft - good for Badkhen, cold disease, is warming for liver and stomach, digistive problems 
Meat soup, TURMERIC YUNGWA (Curcuma Longa) prevents food poisoning, minimises toxic effect, liver, gall bladder, against diabetes, strong, antiseptic properties, can be mixed as an ointment.
 
 

Medicine - MEN NYI (Medicine No. 2) is very warm, other 2 safer  (1 and 3) I have 5 and  6 

Crag-pa - Diptheria 
Poel Log - acute stomach cramps 
Nga Log - body weakened due to cholera or gastro enteritis 
Lung - Pa - inflammation of muscle tissue