RAKTA MOKSHANA IN AYURVEDA

Rakta Mokshana is one of the pancha karmas. Rakta Mokshana is an unique contribution by Ayurveda. A number of diseases which are otherwise incurable can easily be cured through Rakta Mokshana (Blood letting). Susrutha has developed this as a specialized technique out of which Jaloukavacharna  has gained tremendous popularality even today, Rakta, the blood being the vehicle to carry & transport absorbed nutrients, Oxygen, metabolites etc.  From place to place. Correction of any abnormality in the blood by taking it out, Solves a number of problems.

 
Effect of Rakta Mokshana: -
Those who get Rakta Mokshana, regularly as a routine will never suffer from Twak Doshas. (Skin Problems), Grandhi ( Cysts & tumours), Sopha (inflammation), Rakta rogas ( Kusta, Nilika etc.,) Such is the miraculous effect of Rakta Mokshana.

How to Collect the Leeches:- 

1. Select a river/ stream with fresh flowing water.

2.Annoint your leg by applying flesh all around the calf or wrap a freshly sloughtered piece of leather to your leg with its inner aspect exposed for leeches & stand a while by keeping your leg in water. Leeches will automatically come to suck the blood from the leather & get stuck – up to the skin.

3.Come out of water & pick up the leeches & preserve them in pure water.

 
Another method of collection of leeches is to send one or two buffalos preferably having wounds or boils on their skin & make them wait in water for about 15 minutes. Now take the buffalos out and you will find the leeches sucking blood here & there on buffalo’s skin.

Another easier method is, leeches also are caught in fishermen’s net. Thus leeches can be obtained from fishermen.

There are professional leech collectors, Where ever there are Zoology sections in degree colleges. They will supply many leeches on request. Any how, it is very difficult to differentiate poisonous leech on the basis of color etc as described above. The only criteria of selection should be pure, flowing water.

Preservation of Jaloukas (Leeches):-

 
After collection of required number of leeches keep the individual leech – In separate glass bottles. Provide them food in the form of algae, fungi, small leaves like Bhumyamalaki, cooked rice or fine pieces of mutton. Change the water once in two days. The water must be cool and container must be highly transparent for light rays. The container should not be kept in hot weather / sun. The container must be sufficiently big to be filled up with only three fourths of water allowing enough space for movements of leeches. The lid of container must have holes for exchange of air. Generally, one litre horlicks bottle is used for preserving leeches. The individual leech which is meant for application must be starved for seven days both before and after its application. A belly full leech fails to suck blood at the time of Jaloukava charana. 

Stimulating Jaloukas:-

For the leeches to suck maximum amount of blood very quickly and swiftly without any problem, they must be stimulated and energized. For this, 1. Apply the paste of sarshapa + Rajani Kalka =Mustard and turmeric pastes to the leech. Take a rectangular tray and place turmeric powder & triphala churnam it. Drop the leeches in this water and you will find that an inactive leech becomes  highly active, and runs all around the tray which indicates its craving for food. Now , select the size of leech application on skin of the patient.

Procedure:

Give a small niche on the skin. Catch the leech at its neck with a toothless dissection forceps and apply its mouth to the bleeding point.  Incase , blood is not coming out of the skin, place a drop of honey or milk on the spot. After three  or four efforts, the leech will definitely stick -  up to the spot of Rakta Mokshana. Apply 10 – 15 such leeches depending up on the necessity and severity of disease. Knowledge of distinction between mouth and anus of a leech comes on experience or applying common sense. The leech when once starts sucking the blood, elevates its neck, and fixes its head to the supporting point of skin. You will find wave like movements indicating sucking of blood. Now, when you are sure that the leech is sucking the blood, cover its neck with a wet cotton and go- on dropping water continuously till its sucking is completed. Wait for 10 - 15 minutes for completion 0f its blood suction. Patient will not experience any discomfort as long as a leech sucks only his impure blood. After a few minutes, either the leech becomes fully satisfied with its food and leaves of the skin of the patient and drops  it self down , Or the patient may feel itching sensation which indicates impure blood form that spot is no more available for the leech.  In such a case, place a little turmeric powder ( Haridra churna) on the sucking point of the leech and immediately the leech will take away its mouth from that spot. Now, take out all such leeches after completing Rakta Mokshana and start producing emesis ( Vamana Karma) to the leeches.   
                      

Take out all leeches and dress the wound.
Keep the used leeches in an empty tray and go on placing turmeric powder on their mouths, You will find jets of black coloured blood being emitted by the  leeches.
Susrutha advises to squeeze out the blood with our fingers from anus to mouth. But the author has found that this method has resulted in the death of leech, probably because of injury to internal structures and strangulation. Hence, it is absolutely safe to produce emesis ( Vamana karma) by placing Haridra churna on their mouth.
 

Speciality of  Jaloukava Charana(leech craft):-

A leech has got an anticoagulant chemical called Hirudin. Thus a leech by sucking the blood sends out this Hirudin which prevents the patient’s blood from coagulation. And thus the leech can suck large amounts of impure blood without any problem. It is very difficult to clarify this in modern terms, the meanings of pure blood and impure blood.  More over, even to take toxaemic & Septicemic conditions to have impure blood (blood with bacteria etc) in circulation into consideration, it cannot be said whether a leech can separate or filter toxins & bacteria from the circulation. Any how, Ayurveda believes that a leech can definitely suck out only impure part of the blood of the patient. Accordingly, Ayurvedists achieved excellent results in several diseases through this jaloukava charana.