Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Antimony sulphide collyrium (srotanjana) (Stibnite), of the sulfide mineral family. A soft, lead-grey mineral of bladed and columnar crystals with a bright metallic lustre, easily ground to a black powder; native range: low-temperature hydrothermal veins; the classical texts place it in the beds of the rivers of the Yamuna country. Globally recognized as srotanjana, anjana in Sanskrit, surma, sormah in Hindi, and stibnite, antimony sulphide, kohl in English. The part used is the purified (shodhita) mineral, levigated to an impalpable powder. Steel-grey and metallic, streaking black, soft and brittle, splitting into needle-like blades; the powder is smooth, black and gritless when properly levigated.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
SROTANJANA
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- antimony sulphide collyrium (srotanjana)
- Scientific name
- Stibnite (antimony trisulfide, Sb₂S₃)
- Family
- sulfide mineral
Form
- Part used
- the purified (shodhita) mineral, levigated to an impalpable powder
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- astringent (kashaya) · bitter (tikta)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- cooling (sheeta)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- chakshushya (good for the eyes), raktastambhaka (stops bleeding), kaphapittahara, ropana (heals), vishaghna (counters poison)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- acute inflammation of the eye with discharge; never the raw unpurified mineral, and never a gritty powder
- Toxicity
- an antimony sulphide — a heavy metal, and internally a poison; prolonged or improper use irritates the eye and may cause systemic antimony absorption, and kohl adulterated with lead sulphide (galena, the common substitute) is a documented cause of lead poisoning in children
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