How to Prepare Kasaya or Decoctions?

Decoctions are as a general rule prepared by boiling one part of green herbal substances with sixteen parts of water, till the latter is reduced to one fourth. The medicine should be first pounded into small pieces, then boiled over a slow fire, and the decoction strained through a cloth. When decoctions are prepared with dry herbs, eight parts of water are-recommended. Decoctions are administered with the. addition of honey , sugar, treacle, clarified butter, oil or some medicinal powders. A general rule to be observed for a decoction of one pata (about a pint), no matter what the number of herbs are, is that the herbs should not, in the aggregate, be more than 12 kalans. If there are 3 herbs each should be 4 kalans and so on. If the herbs are too many, the quantity of water should be increased proportionately. As a rule it should be 8 parts of water added to the herbs, and reduced to one part of water by boiling over a slow fire.