Salt, Rock Salt, Yan 盐

Rock Salt: Sal Gem; Halite;
–Rgyam tshwa  རྒྱམ་ཚྭ  (Tibetan)
–Namak e Sang (Unani)
–Saindhava (Ayurveda)
–Shi Yan 石盐 (TCM)
Sea Salt:
–Yan 盐 (TCM)
–Namak e Toam (Unani)
–Samudra (Ayurveda)
Black Salt: Halite violaceum
–Vida (Ayurveda)
–kha ru tsha  ཁ་རུ་ཚ  (Tibetan)
–Namak e Siyah (Unani)
Salt
Ortus Sanitatis, Beck, 1517

Halite, Salt crystal
Photo by Parent Gery (Wikimedia)

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Mineralogical Name:
Sal; Sodium chloride

Two main types of Salt are used:

1. Sea Salt
2. Rock Salt, Halite

Both are similar, but Rock Salt is generally regarded as stronger. Some types of Rock Salt are colored due to mineral admixture.

In India, Five types of Salts are used:

1. Rock Salt: Saindhava
2. Sea Salt: Samudra
3. Black Salt: Vida
4. Sonchal Salt (contains iron and sulphur): Sauvarcala
5. Earthen Salt: Romaka

Together, they are known as the 5 Salts, while the first 3 are known as the 3 Salts.
In Tibetan Medicine, the 3 Salts are: Rock Salt, Black Salt and Sal Ammoniac (Ammonium chloride)

In the Western Tradition, “Indian Salt” is often listed. This is said to be a Black Salt which is mined, and therefore probably different from the Black Salt of India. Salmon and various other authors said Rock Salt could be used in its place.
From Lexicon of Alchemy, under the heading of Mined Salts:: “Black, from the mines of Poland; also sometimes white and blue. It is dug up in blocks like mill-stones. It is called Naphthic, and is found in combination with Naphtha. It is also called Black Salt, Indian Salt, the last on account of its colour”.

Parts used:

Salt

Temperature & Taste:

Sea Salt: Cool, dry. Salty; Rock Salt: Neutral, dry. Salty

Properties:
Nature: crystalline
Color: white, off-white (Rock salt may be colored with impurities)
Streak: none
Cleavage: perfect cubic
Fracture: Conchoidal
Luster: Vitreous
Tenacity: Brittle
Transparency: Transparent
Hardness: 2.5
Specific Gravity: 1.9–2.2

Uses:

1. Clears Damp, Relieves Food Stagnation, Benefits Stomach (Ayurveda, TCM, Tibetan, West):
-stomach pain, colic, dyspepsia, heart burn;, poor appetite
-for ‘crudities, obstructions, and weakness of the Stomach, loss of appetite, colic’. (Salmon)
-indigestion, vomiting, abdominal distension, and ‘Phantom Tumors’ (abdominal masses that come and go) (Tibetan Medicine)
-Heat-type constipation (TCM); obstinate constipation can be remedied by 10-15 grains of Salt

2. Clears Heat, Stops Wind, Restrains rising Qi (TCM, Tibetan, West):
-Salt is said to have a grounding, descending, heavy and earthy nature; it can therefore help to stop rising energy
-headaches, dizziness, apoplexy, tinnitus, tics, insomnia etc.
-Fits, Apoplexy and Convulsions: ‘Salt placed on tongue dry acts admirably in these affections’.
-Coughs from heat
-Hiccups

3. Clears Heat, Cools the Blood, Stops Bleeding:
-bleeding from the Lungs or Stomach, nose-bleeding, Blood in the Urine; used for these conditions associated with strong Heat (half a teaspoon of Salt is taken dry).
-Blood Heat skin eruptions.

4. Benefits the Kidneys, Promotes Urine (Ayurveda, TCM, Tibetan, West):
–Salmon said Salt is ‘good for stoppage of Urine’
-disorders of the Kidneys or urinary tract including Stones, (Tibetan Medicine)
-Salt stimulates the Kidneys to promote fluid metabolism which in moderation, can help to moisten dryness in the body
-Salt was said by the ancients to increase Lust and Fertility
-Rock salt is said to increase the Semen (Ayurveda)

5. Clears Heat, Resists Poison:
-Malaria and intermittent Fevers, given in the intermission (0.5-1 oz. doses);
-Fevers, poisoning and throat diseases in Tibet.
-antidote to Silver Salts, as well as in poisoning by Bromides and Iodides (10 grams daily).
-A strong Salt solution is a traditional remedy if a Leech is swallowed.
-Salt has a beneficial effect on food poisoning, as well bad food combinations when used as a condiment.

6. Clears Phlegm, Softens Hard Masses:
-acute and chronic phlegm conditions.
-Salt Water clear Phlegm from the Chest (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
-phlegm obstructions such as swollen lymph nodes, inflamed glands, as well as abdominal masses and accumulations.

7. Benefits Eyesight (Rock Salt). (Ayurveda)
-moderate doses benefit Eyes and Sight, excess hinders.

8. Kills Worms:
-used for Worms (especially Thread Worm) by mouth or enema.

9. Emetic:
-1 teaspoonful given with warm water has been used as an emetic. It is essential to ensure vomiting is induced if such a dose is given.

10. Opens Obstructions:
-Similarly to Saltpetre, Rock Salt is able to enter and penetrate everywhere into the system. (Ayurveda)

11. Used in the Preparations of Metals and Minerals:
-Salt and its acid (Hydrochloric) have been long used in medicine and alchemy in  the preparation of Metals and Minerals etc. Rock Salt was said by Salmon to be ‘much better to dissolve metals’ than Sea Salt.

12. Externally:
-‘Hot solutions of Salt persisted in are of unfailing benefit in local inflammation of the Lungs, Liver, Spleen, Pleura or Peritoneum, and especially of the Kidneys. Most serviceable in inflammation of the Joints, either traumatic, rheumatic or tubercular in character, and in inflammation of the Throat or Tonsils, either malignant or benign… it is useful in the inflammation of the Brain and Spinal cord and in glandular inflammations’ (Ellingwood)
-sore eyes, burns, bleeding piles, erysipelas, dandruff
-creeping and putrid ulcers
-scabs, hives itches.
-a very good application to bruises and sprains.
-Salt is taken in enemas (1-2 tablespoonful doses) as a purgative.
-as a douche in leukorrhea, inflammation, and sepsis (4 drams in a pint of water) (Lancet, 1915)
-5% solution has been used to wash Wounds
-Used as a gargle, often with a little vinegar for toothache, including that coming from decay.
-A mixture of equal parts of Alum and Salt are made into a saturated solution and applied to toothache with cotton balls
-At the beginning of a cold, it is very good to douche the nose with Salt water, and gargle with the same.
-Salt Water is good as a nasal douche for acute and chronic nasal disorders
-Salt Water gargles are good for chronic catarrhal throat conditions and such things as tonsillitis.

Dose:

250mg–1 gram
Usually added to larger formulas for digestion.

Comment:

1. Medicinally, Sea Salt and Rock Salt are synonymous, although Rock Salt was generally regarded as superior. In alchemical practices, Rock Salt and its Spirit were praised over Sea Salt.
2. The principle action of Salt, both Physically and Chemically, is to dry: ‘This applied to other bodies removes all Humidity, and what is left of the solid substance it astringently contracts’. (Royal Chemistry, 1670)

Preparations:
1. CALCINED SALT:
  ‘Salt is first decrepitated, lest being put into any hot vessel, it should break it’. (Salmon)
This may be done several ways:
i. By decrepitation where it is calcined in a fire until it cracks no more;
ii. By fusion, where it is melted in a crucible by a sufficient fire.

Substitutes:

1. Salt, Rock Salt, Black Salt and a number of variations, all have similar uses. Rock Salt was generally most used and regarded as stronger. Sea Salt may be used for Rock Salt if necessary.
2. Rock Salt can be used for Indian or Black Salt.

Main Combinations:

1. Headache, Red Eyes, Cough, and to benefit the Stomach and promote Digestion, with Cinnamon, Cumin, Ginger, Hyssop, Oregano (as in Priests Salt)
2. Indigestion, Poor Appetite, Rock Salt with Emblic Myrobalan, Plumbago, Chebulic Myrobalan, Long Pepper (as in Powder of Emblic Myrobalan of Ayurveda)
3. Indigestion, Wind, Colic, Rock Salt with Asafetida, Ginger, Black Pepper, Sal Ammoniac, Camphor (as in Aksir-e-Riyah of Unani)
4. To purge Phlegm, Rock Salt with Agaric, Chebulic Myrobalan, Ginger, Aniseed (as in Infusion to Purge Phlegm of Mesue)
5. To Purge Bile and Phlegm, Rock Salt with Rhubarb, Aloe, Agaric, Centaury, Ginger, Cinnamon, Aniseed (as in Pills to Purge Bile and Phlegm of Mesue)
6. To Purge Burnt Bile, Rock Salt with Black Myrobalan, Ginger, Cinnamon, Silk (as in Infusion for Burnt Bile of Mesue)
7. Scrofula, Phlegm nodules, Rock Salt with Burnt Sponge, Pumice, Cuttlefish, Long Pepper, Black Pepper, Ginger, Cinnamon, Pyrethrum (as in Powder for Scrofula)
8. Cholera, with Pepper, in equal parts Cider vinegar and warm water
9. Chronic joint pain, dissolve salt in hot vinegar and bathe the part.
10. Hoarseness, Sore Throat, Loss of Speech, Rock Salt with Tumeric, Calamus, Costus, Long Pepper, Ginger, Cumin, Celery seed, Licorice, Ghee (as in Kalya Avaleha of Ayurveda)
11. Gargle for acute sore throat:
i. Salt with Sodium bicarbonate.
ii. Salt with Borax
iii. Salt dissolved in a strong tea of Thyme and Sage
12. Toothache:
i. Wind-Heat Toothache, Salt with Sophora Ku Shen (Ben Cao Gang Mu)
ii. Salt, Coptis Huang Lian, Camphor
13. Venomous Insect or Snake Bites:
i. apply a paste of onion and salt
ii. apply a paste of salt and sodium bicarbonate
14. Goiter may be treated by applying a paste of Salt, Alum and Borax. This is applied over the neck 3 times daily for 3 weeks

Major Formulas:

Infusion to Purge Phlegm of Mesue
Infusion for Burnt Bile of Mesue
Pills to Purge Bile and Phlegm of Mesue
Decoction of Dodder of Thyme (Mesue)
Powder for Scrofula (Palestra Pharmaceutica)
Powder for Scrofula (Arnold de Villa Nova)
Powder to Increase Milk Supply
Indian Pills (Mesue)
Greater Polycrest Pills

Powder of Emblic Myrobalan of Ayurveda
Kalya Avaleha (Ayurveda)
Cardamon 10 (Sug smel bcu pa) (Tibetan Medicine)
Powder for Stomach Pain (Unani)
Powder of Borax (Unani)
Habb-e-Kibreet (Unani)
Aksir-e-Riyah (Unani)

Powder of Salt
(Sufoof Namak) (Unani)
    Salt                             30 drams
    White Pepper.           20 drams
    Ginger                        15 drams
    Rocket seed
    Ameos
    Sal ammoniac
    Black Pepper
    Pennyroyal                10 drams
    Aniseed                       7 drams
Powder.
  Used for Stomach and Liver diseases (with Cold, Phlegm and Damp), Joint pain (from Wind-Damp) and all diseases caused by weakness (of the Stoamch with Cold and Phlegm).
Dose: 3 drams with warm water (Pharmacopoeia Persica, 1681)

Cautions:

1. Do not overdose or overuse.
2. Do not give to those with a high Salt diet; a low-salt / Salt-free diet should be observed if Salt is used medicinally.
3. Salt is generally supplied in more than adequate amounts in the diet, and is often taken in unhealthy amounts by many people in their normal diet. The average American has about 17,000mg per day, whereas recommended consumption is about 3000mg daily. However, be aware that a number of people are so worried about salt in their diet that they may be consuming low levels of dietary salt, especially if they cook most of their own food.
4. Excessive amounts taken over a long period harms the Kidneys.
5. Excess Salt injures the Blood.
6. Obesity can be related to excess salt use. Conditions such as Gout, Eczema and chronic Diarrhea can also be associated with excess Salt.
7. Salt free or low Salt diets are required in people with edema (of kidney or heart origin), cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
8. Excessive doses in enemas (9 oz.) have resulted in death.

Main Preparations used:

Spirit of Salt (Hydrochloric acid)

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• Extra Info
  
• Salt Treatments
  

Salt Rub. (Salt Glow) Coarse Salt can be used as a body rub, by forming a paste with a small amount of water. This is rubbed onto the skin to cause friction which stimulates the ·skin circulation. It is very good to use when feeling low or mildly depressed, and is also good at the start of an infection, including the early stages of the common cold or flu. It is also said to be good for the effects of excess drinking. Salt stimulates elimination through the skin, cleanses the skin pores and invigorates the nervous system.   To do properly, cover a cupful of Salt (preferably Sea Salt) with a small amount of water to form a paste. Sit over the edge of the bath and rub the paste into the skin in a circular motion, beginning with the neck and shoulders and ending at the feet, the whole massage taking a few minutes. This should not be massaged into broken skin or skin lesions. It is good to follow this with a Salt Bath.

Salt Bath The Salt Bath can be said to be both Invigorating and Relaxing. This is very relaxing to a tired and tense body, but being also refreshing. Larger amounts added to a Warm bath stimulates perspiration, and abort a cold. Like the Salt rub, it greatly increases skin activity. It is also good for women during Menopause.   The Bath can be taken warm to relax, or cold to tone and invigorate (as a swim in the Ocean does). The cold bath should only be taken for 1-2 minutes. If taken Warm, it can be finished with a quick cold shower.   Amount: 1-2 cups can be added to a bath, with about 5 pounds being equal to Sea Water. The more Salt that is added, the greater the feeling of relaxation and refreshment, and the more buoyant you become.   Salt Water baths are tonic and stimulant, especially in children, and are useful in chronic rheumatism and gout. Salt Water baths are also good for Obesity.