A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SLESHMA PAREEKSHA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SPUTUM TEST : A REVIEW

The product that comes out after coughing is ‘Nishtyuta’(sputum). It is the secretion of the lungs (Mala rupa kapha) which has become increased, which may contain some amount of Pooya (pus), Rakta (blood), Krimis (microbes) and even Puppusa mamsa (Lung Tissue) in many diseased conditions. It comes out after kasa (cough) easily if it is thin, but when it becomes thick it can be brought out after severe coughing. Examination of Sleshma (sputum) can be done through Roga Pareeksha (Disease Examination) by Darshana (inspection), Sparshana (palpation) and Prashna pareeksha (interrogation). In Ayurveda classics we find very few references regarding Sleshma pareeksha with special reference to Sputum. So this article mainly explains about both Ayurveda and Modern tools for the assessment of Sleshma (Sputum).