Rasashastra

In Ayurvedic medicine rasaśāstra (रसशास्त्र), refers to processes by which various metals, minerals and other substances, including most notably mercury, are purified and combined with herbs in an attempt to treat illnesses.

[1][2] Rasaśāstra is a pharmaceutical branch of Indian system of medicine and a genre of literature[3] which mainly deals with the metals, minerals, product of animal origin, toxic herbs and their use in therapeutics.

One involves the heating of thin sheets of metal and then immersing them in oil (taila), extract (takra), cow urine (gomutra) and other substances.

While mercury does have anti-microbial properties, and used to be widely used in Western medicine, its toxicity does not warrant the risk of using it as a health product in most circumstances.

The government of India has ordered that Ayurvedic products must specify their metallic content directly on the labels of the product;[19] however, M. S. Valiathan noted that "the absence of post-market surveillance and the paucity of test laboratory facilities [in India] make the quality control of Ayurvedic medicines exceedingly difficult at this time.