Concept of cumulative toxicity (Dushi Visha) in Ayurveda

A poison, which is having fewer properties, which means less than ten classical properties that actually a poison should have, or either the poison which is having lesser potency of all the ten properties, attains a latent or hidden stage in the body is called Dushi Visha (latent poison). Low potency of all the ten qualities are said to be responsible for the delayed action and cumulative toxicity on the body. A much-detailed description about Dushi Visha is not seen in Ayurvedic classics. The concept of Dushi Visha is still an enigma. That is, what factors can be considered under Dushi Visha, how it remains in the body without undergoing elimination, how does it causes cumulative toxicity, which factors will aggravate Dushi Visha, how the clinical features of Dushi Visha can be better understood? To get proper answer to all these practical queries, it is very much necessary to go through the pathology and clinical impact of Dushi Visha. Here an attempt is made to review the concept of Dushi Visha in detail.