Metals to medicines is an elaborate affair- For the medicines to be effective. it is important to get the right material. First one has to ascertain the typo and geographical source of the Pro, scribed minerals and herbs. For Instance, an iron are found'in Rajasthan may be more 'potent' than another found, say. in West Bengal.

The raw materials are ground manually to a fine powder in a mortar, IdeallY, the finer the granules the better. Repetitive heating Of the ground mixture, the next step, apparLndy ran, ders toxic heavy metals such as arsen1c. mor' cury and silver,benign.

Although there are several preparations, the methods of manufacture Of each very Only slightly. The ingredients, sealed in day Conteinor,,, are repeatedly heated, These are kept ever a low heat and various subsftnces such as cow dung, ghee, and temon juice are added at intervals.

Weeks of repeating the hooting Process Wreases the drugs' potency, which is also helghtenod by the medidoes being retained for two years after manufacture and before they are used. The final product. called bh"ma, is a powde, which should That on water, Indicating that the medicine has been chanc,,ed from eard% which sinks. to fire, whkh rises.