"Shilajit in Perspective" is a 200 page book produced by Shibnath Ghosal and appears to be based largely on his own, and co-workers, research at the Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi , India
The book bears only one picture of raw shilajit (Photograph 1 on page 2) which shows a dark brown waxy substance ( presumably the Shilajit) on the surface of a rock fragment. No scale is indicated to provide an indication of size/volume. The rock is a granular /crystalline pale creamy khaki colour (likely sialic minerals) with less common, dark, possibly platy, masses ( likely to be mafic minerals) . The rock exhibits a clear platy foliation and is more characteristic of a metamorphic or igneous rock rather than a sedimentary rock. It is suggested that to support the contention that shilajit is derived from sedimentary rocks much more petrology needs to be studied and reported.
The book refers the presence of Shilajit inPakistan and Peshawar Peshawar University Peshawar Pakistan
Ansari Q.D. and Badrud-Din, 1956, Physico-chemical study of salajit, a mineral pitch ofPakistan , The Journal of the University of Peshawar
Faruqi, S.H., 1997, Nature and Origin of Salajit, Hamdard medicus, Vol XL, April-June , pp 21-30
Khan, Sultan Muhammed, 1981, Shilajit its composition and biological actions, MSc Chemistry Thesis, University of Peshawar, Area Study Centre (Central Asia) 102 p
Shafiq, M.I., 2003, Physical, biochemical and trace mineral analysis of some Salajit samples available inPakistan , MSc thesis, University of Punjab , Lahore
Zahler, P, and Karim A., 1998, Origin of the floristic components of Salajit, Hamdard Medicus, Vol XLI, no 2, pp 6-8
Ghosal does not refer to these equally important studies. Unfortunately and like Ghosal in his book, none of these authors attempt to describe the habitat or natural setting of Shilajit. Ghosal states, without support, that Shilajit occurs in sedimentary rocks without providing examples supported by the identity of locales, with geographic coordinates, elevations data, and detailed descriptions of the geological setting. Zahler and Karim (1998) suggest Salajit is the faeces of the Wooly Flying Squirrel and ascribe its physio-chemical properties to the dietary habit of the animal. Faruqi (1997) describes salajit samples studied in thin section under a binocular microscope and describes "pallets" which is a mis-use of the word pellets - animal faecal pellets; the size (1-2mm) and geometry (round not oblate) of which is consistent with the Wooly Flying Squirrel fecal pellets. Unfortunately Faruqi (a professional minerals geologist) did not examine his samples at outcrop but instead bought his samples from street vendors along the Karakoram Highway who also gave him reasonably accurate verbal descriptions of their origin ( eg southwest side Raikot Valley 6 km east of Tato village) . Faruqi presents a map of the general locale for each of his 26 samples and an overlay on the regional geological map shows the salajit sites are located predominantly on igneous and metamorphic terranes and certainly not exclusively sedimentary rocks.
Dr George Carman has visited twelve (12) sites in Pakistan where salajit of varying grades is or has been collected. The hunter/gathers describe collections of up to several hundred kilograms and occasionally over a tonne which is believed to be augmented by rock dust since the sales are by weight. These sites are not restricted to sedimentary rocks as suggested by Ghosal.
It is suggested that considerable more documentation is required to confirm the geological setting of shilajit and significantly more research is required to demonstrate it is not an animal fecal product. A starting point for such studies will be to compile an accurate description of locations ( UTM or Latitude/Longitude) and their geological setting.
The Geological map of NWF Pakistan illustrate Faruqi's Salajit sites occur on a variety of geological terranes and certainly not exclusively associated with sedimentary rocks.
The book bears only one picture of raw shilajit (Photograph 1 on page 2) which shows a dark brown waxy substance ( presumably the Shilajit) on the surface of a rock fragment. No scale is indicated to provide an indication of size/volume. The rock is a granular /crystalline pale creamy khaki colour (likely sialic minerals) with less common, dark, possibly platy, masses ( likely to be mafic minerals) . The rock exhibits a clear platy foliation and is more characteristic of a metamorphic or igneous rock rather than a sedimentary rock. It is suggested that to support the contention that shilajit is derived from sedimentary rocks much more petrology needs to be studied and reported.
The book refers the presence of Shilajit in
Ansari Q.D. and Badrud-Din, 1956, Physico-chemical study of salajit, a mineral pitch of
Faruqi, S.H., 1997, Nature and Origin of Salajit, Hamdard medicus, Vol XL, April-June , pp 21-30
Khan, Sultan Muhammed, 1981, Shilajit its composition and biological actions, MSc Chemistry Thesis, University of Peshawar, Area Study Centre (Central Asia) 102 p
Shafiq, M.I., 2003, Physical, biochemical and trace mineral analysis of some Salajit samples available in
Zahler, P, and Karim A., 1998, Origin of the floristic components of Salajit, Hamdard Medicus, Vol XLI, no 2, pp 6-8
Ghosal does not refer to these equally important studies. Unfortunately and like Ghosal in his book, none of these authors attempt to describe the habitat or natural setting of Shilajit. Ghosal states, without support, that Shilajit occurs in sedimentary rocks without providing examples supported by the identity of locales, with geographic coordinates, elevations data, and detailed descriptions of the geological setting. Zahler and Karim (1998) suggest Salajit is the faeces of the Wooly Flying Squirrel and ascribe its physio-chemical properties to the dietary habit of the animal. Faruqi (1997) describes salajit samples studied in thin section under a binocular microscope and describes "pallets" which is a mis-use of the word pellets - animal faecal pellets; the size (1-2mm) and geometry (round not oblate) of which is consistent with the Wooly Flying Squirrel fecal pellets. Unfortunately Faruqi (a professional minerals geologist) did not examine his samples at outcrop but instead bought his samples from street vendors along the Karakoram Highway who also gave him reasonably accurate verbal descriptions of their origin ( eg southwest side Raikot Valley 6 km east of Tato village) . Faruqi presents a map of the general locale for each of his 26 samples and an overlay on the regional geological map shows the salajit sites are located predominantly on igneous and metamorphic terranes and certainly not exclusively sedimentary rocks.
Dr George Carman has visited twelve (12) sites in Pakistan where salajit of varying grades is or has been collected. The hunter/gathers describe collections of up to several hundred kilograms and occasionally over a tonne which is believed to be augmented by rock dust since the sales are by weight. These sites are not restricted to sedimentary rocks as suggested by Ghosal.
It is suggested that considerable more documentation is required to confirm the geological setting of shilajit and significantly more research is required to demonstrate it is not an animal fecal product. A starting point for such studies will be to compile an accurate description of locations ( UTM or Latitude/Longitude) and their geological setting.
The Geological map of NWF Pakistan illustrate Faruqi's Salajit sites occur on a variety of geological terranes and certainly not exclusively associated with sedimentary rocks.
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"to demonstrate it is not an animal fecal product."
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of anything more absurd. The quantity alone would suggest this is improbable. Barring that the presumption is that the animals (or groups) defecate in the same spot repeatedly.
Sure let's throw out thousands of years of history a research. Not to mention, the Russians use it in all their programs. Must be some powerful crap.
There are plenty of studies and many not published (check with the Russians) on this stuff, so the book is probably too little too late anyway. But to suggest it's animal droppings is ludicrous, except in terms of the life-cyle of all matter.
Quantity is not an issue.. Dr Peter Zahler observed that in a 24 hour period a Giant Wooly Flying squirrel passed 900 pellets. As for weight, as mentioned in the book review, rock dust and indeed rock fragments are included in the gross weights to keep the $/kg value nice and high.
ReplyDeleteJudging by the order book meticulously kept by Captain Sulaiman Khan at his Salajit shop in the main street of Hunza /Karimabad ( just before the fort gates) his sales of the refined wax which has been boiled, sieved and mixed with cardamon, peach juice and honey, amounts to a few grams per order .. he exports mostly to expatriate Pakistanis in the United Kingdom and the USA.
The Russian word for the substance is Momia - I have read much but not seen a single scientific description of the source sites.
I have commenced compilation of geo-referenced site descriptions so that you may visit them yourself. To date I have documented 12 sites and collected 20 kgs of Salajit / Shilajit. I would like to expand this to 30 or 50 before publishing so if you have any sites you would like to include please do send the coordinates or a detailed description of the geographical location.
Please note the Ms Amanda Tarr whilst rock climbing in Pakistan's NWFP made the same observation - that salajit is the excreta from the Giant Wooly Flying Squirrel- so I am not alone in this (http://groups.google.com/group/rec.climbing
/msg/cbf9e1db898fd06d?pli=1 )
The Russian word for it is Mumije (Мумиё). A company in Russian called “Sibdalmumie” under Ph. D. Mikhail Savinih (Михаил Савиных) has done an extensive research. It’s kind of hard to find a lot of information, but they have also published a book (Савиных М.И. Всё о мумиё), just in case you want to get in touch I found this e-mail rc@ince.ru.
ReplyDeleteHi, I was one of the climbing team in Pakistan with Peter Zahler's research during the summer of 2000 along with Kath Pyke, Amanda Tarr, Kestrel Hansen, and Paul Norble. I remember the locals told us they boil this S&P matrix (Salajit sp??) down to thick tar like constituent (sold in markets) that's been used as a folk medicine for arthritis and alike. It's interesting that years later I'm practicing Oriental Medicine and I use flying squirrel poops as a part of my herbal medicine. although the species of the flying squirrel of this precious poops is different than the Himalayan Giant woolly, the application have similarities. The poops we use in Oriental Material Medica is in the Blood moving/invigorating category and used for pains associated with blood stasis such as women's painful menses, but it includes arthritic/joint pain as well. The poops in the decoction creates nice oily shine on the surface of the herbal tea. The smell of the poop is very pleasant smells like digested pine needles (as they are pine needle eaters) as they have medicinal properties of pine and pine needles with the flying squirrels digestive enzyme twist!. Now, what the P of S&P matrix makes this salajit any more special than the Chinese S only is not well known but I can see the similarity in the function of two similar poops. Best regards,
ReplyDeleteHiroki Ide, Dipl.OM, LAc.
yes it's a faeces of flying squirrel call 五靈脂. Description on ancient Chinese medical article support it.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts exactly, as a student of Chinese medicine. But I imagine that it is a very hard sell as a powerful tonic if accurately labeled as Flying Squirrel Feces! I was none too eager to try it myself, despite painful menstrual periods, but once I did, and discovered how well it worked I was thrilled. My main concern would be the potential threat to the flying squirrel population if global demand soars.
ReplyDelete