Gandusha & Kavala

(Medicinal Gargles)

Types: oleaginous (snehi), soothing (prasadi), purifying (shodhi), healing (ropana).

·        Oleaginous and tepid/hot drugs for vata

·        Cool and sweet substances for soothing gargle (prasadi)

·        Acid/sour, pungent, and salty substances which are heating virya, and parching/rough for Âodhana applied lukewarm in case of aggravated kapha

·        Bitter, astringent, sweet, pungent and hot virya substances are for healing (ropana) purposes.

Administration—person should be seated erectly and be of calm mind—foment neck, cheeks, forehead prior to administration. Next take into mouth trikatu, vaca, mustard seeds, haritaki, saindhava made into a paste and dissolved in any of the following: oil, shukta, sura (type of alcoholic beverage), alkali, gomutra (cow’s urine), honey and made lukewarm.

Dose: The gandusha and kavala are distinguished by quantity: that quantity easily rolled around in the mouth is kavala while the amount not easily rolled around in mouth is gandusha.

Duration: kavala should be held in the mouth until that time as the secretions of the aggravated doÃas are copious in the mouth coming out nostrils and eyes. This should be repeated as many times as necessary to eliminate excited dosha.

Gargles may be made with oils, milk, honey, curd, urine, meat broth, amla mixed with decoction (of any herb), or hot water according to exigencies.

Benefits of successful gargling: amelioration of the disorder, sense of lightness and purity in mouth, cheerful frame of mind, vigor and vitality in sense organs.

Deficient gargling: lassitude, salivation, defective taste.

Excessive gargling: thirst, aversion to food, dry mouth, sense of fatigue, inflammation of mouth. Su, Ci. XL.44,45

Remedies: use of sesame, nilotphala, ghee, sugar, milk, and honey (with other articles of gargling) reduce inflammation of burning sensation in mouth. Su. Ci. XL.46

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