We all know that metals such as gold, silver, and copper are used as ornaments. But do you know that metals such as gold silver, copper, and other lesser known metals can be used for curing various ailments. The use of metal to cure maladies is known as metal therapy.

Let’s look at how various metals can come to our rescue to do away with certain diseases.

Gold: Gold which is found in traces in our blood, semen, eyes, upper layer of our skin, intestines, and the imbalance of this gold can lead to vision impairment, cause weakness in our body, can mar our intellect, and make us lose our imaginative thinking. An imbalance of gold can also lead to change in our voice and affect our complexion.

Medicinal Use of Gold:

In Ayurveda, the Swarna bhasma, the calcined or oxidized powder of gold can be used as an antacid. Gold calcined powder can be used to cure tuberculosis, diabetes, anaemia, oedema, epilepsy, skin diseases, asthma, and heart afflictions. Gold is proved beneficial for nervous system. Gold acts as an antidote to bacterial poison. Gold calcined powder or Swarna bhasma can be used in combination with  dry ginger, pepper, black pepper to fight and cure ailments such as cough, asthma, anaemia. Swarna bhasma mixed with aamla juice or Indian gooseberry juice can be used to cure heart diseases. Swarna bhasma can be mixed with milk and consumed to promote strength and energy. Swarna bhasma can be mixed with butter, sugar, and honey to cure T.B. Swarna bhasma can be mixed with sugar to lessen and cure burning sensation in lower and upper extremeties.

Silver:

Silver is found in bone marrow, upper layers of bones, gall bladder, pancreas, inner layers of skin, lungs, muscles, blood vessels, meninges (spinal cord and brain), and septum of nose. The disproportion of silver in our body can lead to various diseases related to teeth, eyes such as cataract, sores, and can cause mal-absorption from gut.

Medicinal Use of Silver:

Silver can be used as Roupya bhasma or the calcined or oxidized powder of silver as a sedative and an aphrodisiac. Using the Roupya bhasma can provide you with better complexion, and can strengthen your body. Roupya bhasma can also be used to cure excessive heat, impotence, and seminal weakness. Roupya bhasma is also beneficial for stomach irritation and pain. Roupya bhasma has been proved useful in treating diseases such as, leucorrhoea (a whitish or yellowish discharge of mucus from the vagina), menorrhagia (abnormally heavy bleeding at menstruation), and arthritis.

Iron:

Iron is a major constituent of blood, which is present in the villi of the intestine, pupil, hair, and can be found in traces in body tissues. Imbalance of iron can cause artiosclerosis (the thickening and hardening of the walls of the arteries, occurring typically in old age), anaemia (a condition in which there is a deficiency of red cells or of haemoglobin in the blood, resulting in whiteness and weariness), and general weakness.

Medicinal Use of Iron:

Calcined or oxidized powder of iron or Ioha bhasma  is found suitable in treating ailment like anaemia, liver disorders, spleen disorders, jaundice, oedema and general debility.

Copper:

Copper is present in the inner and upper layers of our skin, mucus of soft tissue, large glands, pupil of eye, hair, pleura (membrane lining the thorax and enveloping the lungs), and pericardium (the membrane enclosing the heart). Imbalance causes cardiovascular diseases, ailments related to central nervous system and skeletal system.

Medicinal Use of Copper:

Calcined or oxidized powder of copper, which is known as Taamra bhasma is an astringent, sedative, antispasmodic, which is prescribed in liver disorders, to cure dysentery, anaemia, plague, worms, skin diseases, gonorrhea and dyspepsia.

Lead:

Lead is present in blood and lymphatic tissues. Imbalance can cause anaemia, disturbance in gastrointestinal tract due to poor secretion of digestive juices, haemolytic anaemia (is a condition in which red blood cells are destroyed and removed from the bloodstream before their normal lifespan is over) and ascites (the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity, causing abdominal swelling).

Medicinal Use of Lead:

Naaga bhasma is the calcined or oxidized powder of lead, which is prescribed to cure diarrhea, tumors, hemorrhoids, and diabetes.

Tin:

Tin is present in every tissue. However, it is found more in the abdominal muscles, blood, blood vessels, synovial membrane in joints, and outer layer of uterus. Imbalance of Tin causes deformation of bones, diseases in reproductive tract, affects urine and causes increased perspiration.

Medicinal Use of Tin:

Tin or Vanga bhasma is the calcined or oxidized powder of Tin, which is used to cure diseases such as, genitor-urinary problems, premature ejaculation in men, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia and infertility in women. Vanga bhasma is also used to treat skin diseases and has been proved useful to cure anthelmintic (used to destroy parasitic worms).

Zinc:

Zinc is present in blood, brain, nerve tissue, and muscles. Imbalance causes problems relate to nervous system such as depression, anxiety, dullness of intellect, extreme forgetfulness and irritable temperament.

Medicinal Use of Zinc:

Zinc or Yasad bhasma is used as a diuretic, astringent, and hypoglycaemia (deficiency of glucose in the bloodstream).