Ghan is a dried aqueous extract. Ghan – Pure Evaporated Extract. It is the solidified mass prepared by evaporating all the aqueous portion from ‘kwath’. Ghana is available in pill form. One package of the drug in the form of a ghana replaces 3-5 packages of powder or tablets. In addition, due to the high effectiveness of this form, often one package of the drug is enough for treatment, so the treatment does not stretch for months. But this form requires accurate dosage, and also requires discipline of the person during therapy.
Partially dehydrated liquid concentrated form of Kwath is, like Ghan, one of the most effective forms of Ayurvedic preparations in terms of activity and impact on the body. This is a dehydrated broth. It is obtained by boiling the powdered plant material in required quantity of water till all the active ingredients are extracted completely in the water. The retained liquid after boiling is then filtered through a muslin cloth. The filtrate so obtained is termed as ‘kwaatha’- the decoction. The reason for boiling the plant material in water is to extract the entire water soluble ingredients. The quantity of water required to be added and to be retained after boiling varies from plant to plant. According to some experts whatever quantity of water is added, three-fourth part of water needs to be evaporated and the fourth part retained to achieve this objective.