EFFECT OF CLASSICAL HERBO – MINERAL SIDDHA FORMULATION AGASTHIYAR KUZHAMBU FUMIGATION THERAPY ON SILAIPUN (VARICOSE ULCER) – A CASE STUDY

Siddha system is one of the ancient systems of medicine. In this system the herbals, metals, minerals and animal products has been used to prepare the medicines for treating various illness. Siddha medicines are divided into internal medicines and external medicines, in which Pugai maruthuvam (Fumigation therapy) is one of the external therapies. Agasthiyar Kuzhambu is one of the classical herbo mineral Siddha formulations, which has been used for 4448 types of diseases as an internal medicine and also used as external medicine in certain conditions. It is a peculiar medicine used as Pugai (fumigation), nasiyam (nasal drops), kalikkam (eye drops) and kudori marunthu (directly applied in cut vessels).  An attempt has been made to prove the effect of Pugai maruthuvam (fumigation therapy) on Silaipun (non healing varicose ulcer). In this study 47 years old male patient with non healing varicose ulcer has been enrolled. Pugai maruthuvam (Fumigation therapy) was given for this patient with Agasthiyar kuzhambu fumigation by using a specially designed instrument (fumigation box). The outcome of this treatment, the wound was healed well, symptoms like pain, itching, oozing were completely relieved and the size of the wound also significantly reduced. Finally this study concluded that, the Agasthiyar kuzhambu, Pugai maruthuvam is more effective for non healing ulcer like varicose ulcer. Further studies are needed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of Pugai maruthuvam since we are in a need to establish the efficacy of external therapy to the world.