EAP810/16/5

Title in original script: தலைப்பு இல்லை (மருந்து சரக்களின் தொகுப்பேடு)

The manuscript is composed of a text of 58 palm leaves numbered (between 25 and 144) and without number when they are broken. The manuscript is in extreme bad state, most of the leaves are fragments.

The text, written in verses, describes the properties of materia medica used to prepare siddha medicines.

The medicinal plants exposed in the text are: Gloriosa superba (neṟi viṣam), Thalictrum foliolosum (pītarōkiṇi), Rhus succedanea (kaṟkaṭaka ciṅki), Alpinia galanga (pērratai), Mucuna pruriens (pūṉai kāli), Aloe barbedensis (kariyapōḷam or rettapōḷam), Ruellia strepens (kiranti takaram), Clerodendrum serratum (ciṟutēkku), Aconitum heterophyllum (vicuvāci), Anthocephalus cadamba (kaṭampu), Datura alba (ummattu), Abrus precatorius (karuṅkuṉṟi), Citrus limon (elummiccai paḻa) and its juice (cāṟu), Eugenia jumbolina (nāval), Butea frondosa (puracam), Semicarpus anacardium (cērāṅkoṭṭai), Croton tiglium (nērvāḷam), Hydnocarpus pentandra (nīrōṭṭimuttu), Hygrophila auriculata (nīrmuḷḷi), Benincasa hispida (pūcaṇi), Caesalpinia bonducella (kaḻaṟci), Azadirachta indica (vēmpu), Alangium salvifolium (aḻiñcil), Luffa acutangula (pīrkkam), Shorea robusta (karum kuṅkiliyam or kukkil), Aconitum ferox (karu nāvi), Lawsonia inermis (marutōṉṟi), Cleome viscosa (nāy kaṭuku), Ocimum sanctum (tuḷaci), Piper cubeba (vālmiḷaku), Ferula asafetida (peruṅkāyam), as well as bark of Cinnamomum cassia (lavaṅka), root of Calamus rotang (pirampu), flowers and seeds of Maduca longifolia (iluppai) and seeds of Strychnos potatorum (tēṟṟāṉ).

The inorganic products mentioned in the text are minerals: potassium nitrate (poṭṭil uppu), soap stone (cavukkāram or cavuṭṭukāram), sal ammoniac (navācāram), asbestos (kalnār), potassium carbonate (evāṭcāram), red ochre (kāvikkal), sulphur (kantakam), arsenic trisulphide (aritāram), arsenic pentasulphide (kauri pāṣāṇam), lead monoxide (mirutāraciṅki), cinnabar (cātiliṅkam), mercuric oxide (raca centūram), calomel (racakaṟpūram), zinc carbonate (tuttam), lead sulphide (añcaṉakal) as well as two products not identified, catticāram and kutiraippal pāṣāṇam; gems: pearl (muttu), coral (pavaḷam), diamond (vairam), blue sapphire (nīlam) and cat’s eye (kōmētakam); and metals: gold (taṅkam), mercury (cūtam), copper pyrites (nimiḷai), magnetite (oṭṭu kāntam), copper (tāmiram), lead (karuvaṅkam), tin (veḷvaṅkam), dross iron (urukku) and iron (irumpu or kiṭṭam). A vessel made of iron used to store arsenic compounds (toṭṭi pāṣāṇam) is also informed.

The products extracted from animals exposed in the text are: horn of musk deer (kalaṅkompu), conch (caṅku) and horn of the Rhinoceros unicornis (kāṇṭāmiruka kompu).

Size of the manuscript: 19.5cm x 2.3cm. The palm leaves are numbered between 25 and 144. The state of the manuscript is extremely bad. All the leaves are dark and are fragments, extremely difficult to manupulate because of their fragility caused by fungus infestation.