Analysis of Virechana karma with Danti avaleha: A retrospective study

Virechana (therapeutic purgation) is a common procedure that is widely practiced among the panchakarma treatments (pentad treatments). Various Virechaka dravyas (purgative drugs) have been described for Virechana. Even after critical analysis of Virechaka dravyas in the literature, still there is difficulty in the fixation of dose. Hence, the retrospective analysis of varied outcomes of Virechana with Danti (Baliospermum montanum) avaleha (linctus) is discussed in this paper. The study included twenty-seven case reports of patients who were administered Virechana with Danti avaleha. These case reports are of patients suffering from various ailments such as irregular menstrual cycles, polycystic ovarian syndrome, primary and secondary infertility, and psoriasis. Danti avaleha was administered at dose of 10 g and 5 g in the Krura (~strong) and Madhyama (~moderate/normal) Koshta (~GI tract) patients, respectively. Among seven Krura koshta patients, three of them resulted with Pravara (excellent) Shuddhi and other four resulted with Madhyama (medium) Shuddhi. In twenty Madhyama koshta patients, sixteen of them resulted with avara (minimum) Shuddhi and remaining four patients resulted with Madhyama shuddhi. Complications like Udara shoola (spasmodic pain of abdomen) and Vamana (emesis) were observed during Virechana. Majority of the patients suffered with Udara shoola were of Madhyama koshta. Vamana was seen in both Krura and Madhyama koshta patients. Irrespective of the type of Shuddhi and complications, all the patients resulted with Samyak Kaphaantiki Virikta lakshana (signs of perfect purgation with end expulsion of Kapha). The study concluded that the Krura koshta patients were tolerable for dose of 10 g and are expected to attain Pravara Shuddhi. Whereas Madhyama koshta patients were intolerable even to mild dose of 5 g, producing Avara shuddhi.