Realgar: Benefits, Uses & Dosage

Most entries in an Ayurvedic materia medica are plants. Realgar is not. It is a red mineral, chemically arsenic disulphide (As2S2), known in Sanskrit as (Manahshila) and in English also as Red Arsenic.

That arsenic content defines everything about it. The Bhavaprakash Nighantu describes realgar as a mineral that is used only after careful purification, because it contains arsenic. It is never something to take as found.

Classical texts recognize two types: a dark form (Shyama) and a red form (Rakta). Once purified, realgar appears as an ingredient in many mineral-based formulations (Rasa preparations, the branch of Ayurvedic pharmacy that processes metals and minerals), and it turns up across the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya and Sharangadhara Samhita, most often in external pastes, wicks and eye preparations.

The uses below are what classical texts describe for purified realgar, almost always as one ingredient among many and prepared by a trained pharmacist. They are a record of tradition, not suggestions for home use.

The Bhavaprakash Nighantu rates realgar as pungent, bitter and astringent in taste (Katu, Tikta, Kashaya rasa), light in quality (Laghu) and hot in potency (Ushna virya). It lists four therapeutic actions (karma), which shape the groups below.

Skin Conditions

Realgar is classed as anti-skin disease (Kushthahara), and the Bhavaprakash Nighantu notes it is used externally in skin diseases. The Charaka Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana, Chapter 25) describes a paste of realgar, manjishtha, lac, turmeric and daruharidra with ghee and honey as an excellent skin cleanser.

The Sharangadhara Samhita (Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11) includes realgar in a topical paste said to destroy white patches of the skin (Kshitra, leucoderma).

Worms and Parasites

Realgar is listed as anthelmintic (Krimighna), meaning it acts against worm infestations. This is why our knowledge graph links it to parasites and worms.

Poisoning

Realgar is described as anti-poison (Vishaghna). In the Charaka Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana, Chapter 23), it is one of about ten ingredients, pounded with rice water, in a formula said to destroy all poisons.

Fever

The Bhavaprakash Nighantu also lists realgar as antipyretic (Jvaraghna), used in fevers.

Hiccups and Breathing

The Charaka Samhita chapter on hiccup and dyspnea (Chikitsa Sthana, Chapter 17) uses realgar with turmeric, castor root, lac and jatamansi in a medicated wick. Our knowledge graph links realgar to hiccups on that basis.

Eyes and Mouth

The Sushruta Samhita (Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17) includes realgar in several preparations for diseases of vision. The Charaka Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana, Chapter 26) describes a realgar combination held in the mouth for oral disease.

Realgar is not a herb you use yourself. It is a mineral containing arsenic, and the Bhavaprakash Nighantu is explicit that it must be carefully purified before any use. It should never be taken raw and never self-prescribed.

How Classical Texts Use It

• Externally: the most common route in the texts. It appears in skin pastes (Charaka Samhita, Sharangadhara Samhita), eye preparations (Sushruta Samhita) and an alkaline caustic preparation (Ashtanga Hridaya).
• Internally: the Bhavaprakash Nighantu says purified realgar is used internally only in very small doses, and usually as part of a compound mineral formulation.

Dose

Our sources give no specific dose for realgar, and we would not publish one for home use regardless. Whether it is appropriate at all, in what preparation and in what amount, is a decision for a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner working with properly processed material.

Realgar contains arsenic. Without proper classical purification it is toxic, and the Bhavaprakash Nighantu itself stresses that it must be carefully purified before use.

• Never take raw realgar, and never take any realgar preparation without a qualified practitioner prescribing and supervising it.
• Even after purification, classical internal use is limited to very small doses.
• Our sources do not list specific drug interactions, overdose signs or contraindications beyond this. That gap is a reason for more caution, not less.

If you have any product that lists realgar or Manahshila as an ingredient, talk to a qualified practitioner before using it.

Realgar has no true herbal equivalent, since it is a mineral. The fairest comparisons are with substances the classical texts pair it with.

Comparison	Realgar	Alternative	Verdict
Realgar vs Orpiment (Haratala)	Red arsenic mineral, used after purification	A mineral that the Ashtanga Hridaya and Charaka Samhita use alongside realgar in the same preparations	Both appear together in classical mineral recipes. Neither is for self-use; leave the choice to a practitioner.
Realgar vs Turmeric	Mineral; external use or very small purified internal doses	A plant that the Charaka Samhita combines with realgar in skin pastes, wicks and an anti-poison formula	Turmeric is a familiar kitchen spice. Realgar is a specialist mineral ingredient that requires purification and supervision.

Our sources give no population-specific guidance for realgar. Given that it is an arsenic mineral used only after purification and only under practitioner supervision, the guidance below is deliberately conservative.

Pregnancy & Nursing

Our sources do not address pregnancy or nursing. Do not use realgar or any realgar-containing product while pregnant or nursing unless a qualified practitioner has specifically prescribed it.

Children

No pediatric guidance appears in our sources. Realgar should not be given to children outside a practitioner's care.

Elderly

No specific guidance appears in our sources. The same rule applies: purified material only, prescribed and supervised by a qualified practitioner.

Athletes

Our sources describe no use for athletic performance or recovery.