Crude drug sample data base

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Crude drug name

Market nameLakha [Sohaga]
Urudu nameSohaga
Arabic name /
Persian name		Buraq / Tankar, Burah
English nameBorax
Original plant nameSodium biborate / Sodium borate, Borax
Used partClassificationMineral origin
Sub classification mineral
Collection informationPeople's Republic of Bangladesh, Bandarban District
Collection date1964/3/18
CollectorTsuneo Namba
IdentifierJaved Ahmad
DescriptionFeatures:
It exists as crystalline tough masses or in the form of translucent irregular masses. Exposed to the air it becomes opaque. The colour is greyish white; on exposure it becomes dirty white. It has faintly balsamic odour and tastes like salt.
TMPW No.9274

The capital city, provincial capital city or the representative　　
location of its administrative area is indicated.　　
Production area information
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21.8311002
92.36863210000001
Collection information
People's Republic of Bangladesh,Bandarban District
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Scientific information data base

Crude drug nameUrudu name,
English name		Sohaga, Borax
Arabic name / Persian nameBuraq / Tankar, Burah
crude drug image
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Original plant nameSodium biborate / Sodium borate
Used partWhole (compound)
Distribution areaIt occurs as a natural deposit. The crude borax found in masses by evaporation of water, on shores of dried lakes in India and Tibet and from the mud of lakes surrounded by hills in Nepal. It is purified by dissolving in water, straining through cloth, evaporating to dryness and crystallizing. Composed of boric acid and soda. In the native state it exists as an impure saline encrustation of a dirty white colour.
DescriptionIt is whitish yellow in colour, with a strong brackish taste of alkaline earth. It is of two types i.e., natural and artificial. Natural one is obtained from Tibet and Nepal. The artificial one is prepared from Burah-i-armani (Armenian bole).
It is a stronger drug than common salt. Though it bears corresponding potency, it is free from astringency. Buraq is purified after placing on fire in an earthen pot and then it is roasted inside. Its best form is that which is brittle and extremely white (Avicenna).
Function and propertiesCosmetics, Head, Swellings, Joints, Alimentary organs, Chest, Wounds, Excretory organs.

Antacid, antimicrobial, detersive and corrosive, carminative, expectorant, antiphlegmatic, diuretic, emmenagogue and local sedative, antiseptic and desiccative.
Specific actionsAntacid, antimicrobial, detersive and corrosive, carminative, expectorant, antiphlegmatic, diuretic, emmenagogue and local sedative, antiseptic and desiccative.
Frequency in useAbundant.
Common usesCosmetics: If it is sprinkled over the hair, it thins the hair. Its plaster is rubefacient. It improves the complexion and is useful in emaciation.

Head: It is useful in dandruff.

Swellings: It has the property of dissolving the pus, it is useful in prurigo. The African variety, if used along with vinegar, is more potent in this respect. It is also useful in itches.

Joints: An ointment made from it, is useful in the treatment of paralysis, especially in its advanced stage. It is also useful in the tortuousity of nerves.

Alimentary organs: Being digestive and carminative it is included in prescriptions given for the correction of digestive complaints like dyspepsia, loss of appetite, indigestion, convulsions and diarrhoea/diarrhea in children. It reduces swelling of the spleen.

Chest: It is useful in cough, asthma and phlegmatic complaints of the chest.

Wounds. As antiseptic and antimicrobial, open infected wounds are washed with its decoction or infusion and sprinkled over the wounds and cuts as desiccative.

Excretory organs: In otorrhoea/otorrhea and purulent discharge in gonorrhoea/gonorrhea its infusion is of benefit. In varying doses it relieves acidity of the stomach, amenorrhoea/amenorrhea, dysmenorrhoea/dysmenorrhea and promotes uterine pain during labour. Its suppository relaxes the bowels and oral use with a syrup cumin, removes the gripes when used along with those medicines which kill the worms, buraq expels them (the worms).
Side effectWith water it acts as an antidote of cantharides (Avicenna). Large doses are considered toxic. It may render the body pores dried and may act as emetic or cause diarrhoea/diarrhea.
Medical systemUnani
Traditional conceptTemperamentIt is hot and dry in the third degree (Kabiruddin).
It is hot and dry in the second degree; including towards the third degree in dryness (Avicenna).
Drug effectIt acts effectively as carminative. Being detergent it is beneficial in piles, in the form of plaster.
Dosage500mg.
SubstituteBurah-i-armani (Armenian Bole).
Corrigent (corrective)Katira (Cochlospermum religiosum (L.) Alston), and Gum acacia.
Important compound preparationsHabb Ashkhar, Habb Dad, Sufuf Barq and Qurs Kabid Naushadri.
ReferencesReference book　

Tips！

Indian Materia Medica, Vols. 1-2, 1976 (Repr. 1989). Nadkarni, A.K., Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
Vol. 2, pp 103-107.

Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi.
pp 369-370.

Al-Qanun Fil-Tibb. Avicenna. (English translation of the critical Arabic text), Book 2, 1998. Hameed, H. A. (editor), Dept. of Islamic Studies, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi.
pp 112-113.

Al-Jamili Mufradt Al Adwiya Wal Aghziya (1197-1248 A.D.). Ibn al-Baytar. Vols. 1-3, 1985-1999. Central council for Research in Unani Medicine, Janakpuri, New Delhi.
pp 112-113.

Hamdard Pharmcopoeia of Eastern medicine, 1969. Said, H. M. (editor), The Times Press, Sadar Karachi.
pp 95, 102, 153, 217.

Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi.
pp 520-522.

Unani Adwiyah Mufradah, 1984. Ali, Saifuddin, A. (3rd edi.). Taraqi-e-Urdu Bureau, R. K. Puram, New Delhi.
pp 309-310.

RemarksAnother variety of impure salt met within small pieces or smooth translucent six-sided prisms with greyish white colour. It becomes opaque or dirty white on exposure.
All Unani physicians have described this drug including Avicenna (Ibn Sina).

For medicinal use it (borax) is turned into powdered ash over heat prior to its inclusion in a formulation. After this process it is called Sohaga biryan (roasted borax).
Last renewal date2024/03/13
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