GERU
English : Red ochre/Red earth/Bole rubra
Urdu     :    Geru/Geru matti/Geru-e-surkh

Telugu : Sona Geru/Kavi Rai
Description
It is a clay found in lead and iron ore and contains an excess of oxide of iron more than any other
clay. It sometimes occurs in powder form and sometimes as hard pieces.
Action and Uses:
Red ochre is cooling, demulcent and astrigent , styptic and desiccant. Hence it is used alone or
with other drugs in diarrhoea ,bloody stools ,melena ,haematuria , intestinal ulcers and menorrhagia. In
gonorrhoea and burning micturition , it is prescribed with alum in powder form.
It is also used as a local application alone or mixed with to burns, ulcers , boils, prickly heat
pustural eruptions, herpes and aphthous sores of the mouth. It is applied alone or with other drugs e.g .
Psoralea seeds or Cassia tora seeds to the lesions of vitiligo.
Ibn sina’s view:
Astringent and agglutinant. Useful in hepatic troubles. It is anthelmintic and also healing agent.