Abstract

Dr. Aruna V. Shelke*, Dr. Kailas B. Mahajan and Dr. Sanjay S. Lokhande

ABSTRACT

Agad Tantra is specific branch of Ayurveda which deals with study of poisons, their action and clinical complications of poisoning conditions. Agad Tantra works around acute, chronic as well as cumulative toxicity and their treatment. The various sources of poison includes poisonous plants, animals, insect and environmental toxicity, etc. Heavy metal toxicity and food incompatibility also leads toxic manifestations. Snake, spiders, scorpion and bees, etc. are major sources of animal and insect poisoning. Similarly there are many sources for plant based toxicity including Vanaspatij visha (vegetable poison) and tobacco (nicotine) poisoning is one of them. Nicotiana tobaccum (Tobacco) is responsible for many types of toxic manifestations like; lung cancer, respiratory distress, cardio-toxicity and mental abnormalities, etc. Dhoomapana of Tamraparna may leads to Hridayanasha, the nicotine induced cardio-toxicity involves consequences of irregular heart beat/pulse rate and excessive tobacco smoke may cause coronary artery disease.