Samudra-phena (Cuttlebone)

Samudra-phena समुद्र-फेन

Sepia officinalis cuttlebone · —

animal-product cuttlebone, calcined shita wild-abundant
Samudra-phena (Cuttlebone)

Rasa-Panchaka — five-fold pharmacology

Rasa
lavana · kashaya— tastes at first contact
Guna
laghu · ruksha— qualities
Virya
shita— potency (cooling)
Vipaka
katu— post-digestive effect
MadhuraAmlaLavanaKatuTiktaKashaya
The six classical tastes (Ṣaḍ-rasa)

Dosha effect

V
Vata
·neutral
P
Pitta
pacifies
K
Kapha
·neutral
pacifies (↓) aggravates (↑) neutral (·)

Functions

abrasive cleanserwound-cleansing

Cuttlefish bone. Calcium carbonate + chitin. Used as mild abrasive in face packs (Sushruta uses it for Vyanga prep). Modern cosmetic substitute: pearl powder or chalk.