Sunday, August 17, 2008

Castor Oil, Camphor, Cardamom, Chebulic Myrobalan, Ceylon Leadwort, Cloves, Cumin Seed, Cowhage, Cinnamon

Castor Oil Plant Benefits and Uses

It is cultivated throughout world. Two varieties are found, small and large as well as red and white. The seeds of the tree are peeled and the oil extracted is known as castor oil. Castor oil is now available in a refined form without the nauseating smell or taste.

According o Ayurveda, the castor tree is sweet, hot, allays Vayu and Kapha. It is heavy, useful in swelling, feverishness, coughing, digestive disorders and purgation.

Castor oil is cooling. Soothing and allays Vayu. The roots are laxative and in many a decoction they are included as Vatahara. The leaves are cooling and soothing.

Castor oil is an innocent and mild laxative. Which even infants, aged people and expectant mothers can take. It is a non-irritant purgative. When it reaches the duodenum. It is decomposed by the pancreatic juice into recinoleic acid, which irritates the bowels, stimulates the intestinal glands and the muscular coat and causes purgation. It never causes griping or pain. Some people add the juice of ginger and then it becomes a better carminative and appetizer. Many people take it with a cupful of milk or tea. In the initial stages castor oil is an effective laxative but with prolonged use it loses its effectiveness and the stools become hard.

The leaves of castor tree are a little hot and applied on the abdominal region bring clear menses.

In the early stages of dysentery some expert clinicians give castor oil and remove the accumulated faeces and then they start the astringent treatment to stop the loose motions.

The decoction prepared from dry ginger along with one or two teaspoonfuls of castor oil will give very clear motion.

There are several disorders like backache, sciatica, rheumatism, arthritis, where the vitiation of Vayu is present and where the decoction of root of castor tree along with the decoction of ginger, with an addition of pure Shilajit, will offer relief

In painful affections of the rectum, such as fissures and piles, and to prevent strain while passing stool, castor oil in small doses is often of great help. It can also be applied locally with great benefit.

Castor oil is also used in several medicines of which the most well – known is Simhanada Gugula, of which 2 pills morning and evening with other suitable vehicles, has been found useful in cases of backache, sciatica and rheumatic pains.



Uses of Camphor and Camphor Oil

This aromatic wood crystalline powder is imported from japan and China. Where the big trees grow. Various varieties are available and they have been analysed.

Kapur (Camphor) is being used in Ayurveda and according to the ayurvedic line of therapeutics, Kapur is biter, cold in action, light, useful to the eyes, aphrodisiac, decreases Kapha and Pitta and removes foul odor.

It is one of the best bactericides, very useful in ailments like cholera, hysteria, excessive thirst, and burning sensation and is used in disorders of the skin also.

It is a stimulant to the heart, it promotes the secretion of gastric juices and other secretions in the digestive tract and is given in the stage of coma where a patient is collapsing. It restores the pulse beat to the normal level. It removes foul Kapha, expels it and regulates respiration. It is used in oils and ointments for the purpose of application and it helps sweating. In the beginning it shows a stimulant effect and thereby produces a feeling of relaxation.

Taken in excessive dose it brings slight giddiness, heaviness in the head and the person becomes unconscious, with convulsions. It should also be given with care to pregnant women, but in very small dose it has an aphrodisiac effect. It is insoluble in water but soluble in milk and honey. The general dose is 1-2 rates (2-4 grains).

Distilled water in the form of liquid extract from camphor is used for cholera and vomiting and the most well – known medicine is prepared thus: Take camphor, peppermint and thymol in equal quantities in a suitable vehicle like tincture of cardamom. 5-10 drops, as the case may be, are given. This is given in several disorders like indigestion, cough, feverishness, mosquitbite, vomiting, diarrhea and it is a remedy which deserves to be kept at home and carried during journeys.

Camphor is used as a healing agent and forms an ingredient of the most well – known Ayurvedic dressing oil, Panchaguna Tail, which is used for cuts, wounds, bleeding, injuries and non-healing ulcers.

Camphor oil is applied for rheumatic pain, pain in the chest, back etc. Take one part of camphor and four parts of coconut oil. Warm the oil a bit, add camphor and preserve it in a bottle. This is very useful for massaging, even for infants.

Many of the cough lozenges contain camphor as an ingredient because it removes the foul odor from the mouth and expels Kapha.

Because of its germicidal properties it is included in many preparations for diarrhea and loose motions. One well had known preparation which contains camphor, nut – meg, mace, purified borax. Indrajava, opium, all mixed together and rubbed in plain water is Karpura Rasa, in the shape of pills of 2 grains, which are given in conditions of loose watery motions and their effect has been marvelous, stopping, as they do, the loose motions on the spot.

Camphor mixed with Asafetida is given in cases of feminine hysteria. It relieves abdominal gas and has a carminative effect.

Camphor rubbed in the milky juice of the Banyan tree is applied for white spots in the eyes.

Many of the tooth – powders contains Camphor, particularly of the Bhimseni variety. Such powders remove foul smell from the mouth and allay dental decay as well as toothache.

Camphor mixed with ghee is applied on non – healing wounds.

There are many preparations of camphor available in the form of emulsion, tincture, spirit and liniment. In short, camphor has manifold medicinal uses and its place among Home Remedies is unique.


Cardamom Benefits, Cardamom Seeds Uses

Cardamom is cultivated in western and southern India. Ceylon and Burma. Dry ripened seed and oil from the seeds are used in medicine.

It is a very active aromatic, stimulant, carminative, diuretic agent and useful in stomach disorders. It reduces kapha. It is cold in action, useful in dyspepsia and coughing and difficulty in passing urine. It has a tonic effect.

Even Unani Hakims make successful use of it and they use it in nausea, vomiting and headache. Cardamom seeds are also used as a flavoring agent.

A powder containing equal quantities of cardamom, ginger, cloves and caraway seeds is useful in dyspepsia and loss of appetite and in digestion.

A powder known as Eladi Churna is a tonic and useful in bronchial affections, hyperacidity, heart burn and nausea.

As a home remedy it is used externally as well as internally. The oil of the seed is applied when there is pain in joints. After consuming an excess quantity of bananas, if there is a feeling of distension of gas in the abdomen, cardamom makes the trouble subside.

In many tooth powders, cardamom is used for its germicidal and flavoring properties.

The powder of cardamom, given with ghee and sugar, is useful for certain maladies of the eye and the dose of the powder is 10 to 20 grains.

Always employ fresh cardamom and the small cardamom known as Chhoti Elachi. (Small Cardamom)

Cardamom is used also in several tonics and aphrodisiacs. It reduces pain in cases of inflammation of the nerves.


Chebulic Myrobalan Benefits and Uses

The fruit is usually two inches long, oval in shape, with dull yellow color.

There are many varieties, of which two are mainly used, survari harad and bala barad which is also known as himag. The second variety is smaller and of a deep black color. It has a wrinkled skin and does not contain any stone inside. Mostly the outer skin of the dry harad is used.

Harad (Chebulic Myrobalan) is perhaps one of the most well – known of home remedies. Chiefly it is used as a laxative which is safe and effective at the same time.

For an average person, big harad, powdered and given in dose of 2-3 teaspoonfuls at bedtime, will serve the purpose.

Harad contains all the six tastes except lavana (saltish). It is hot in action, reduces the tridoshas, and the post – digestive action is beneficial. It is good for the mental faculty and it has rejuvenating properties. It can be given to patients in asthma, cough, urinary disorders, piles and in cases of swelling, blood impurities, heart disorder and other ailments.

Though it is a mild laxative and to a certain extent a purgative, it can be given in cases of chronic diarrhea, dysentery and flatulence. In small doses it works wonders. Its cold infusion can be given as a gargle for sore throat and bleeding gums. Rubbed with rosewater, it can be applied on swellings also.

Take harad, behada (beleric myrobalan) and amla (embolic myrobalan), all in equal parts, get them powdered. This is known as triphala powder. As a purgative and laxative it suits all temperaments, and it is very useful to young people suffering from spermatorrhoea and nightmares]

It keeps the bowels in good condition, removes accumulation of faeces, maintains normal appetite, improves digestion, increases red corpuscles and enriches the blood. It is a safe and reliable remedy which can be taken daily without any side reaction or habit – forming effect.

Grandma rubs the big harad on a special stone and gives the product to the small infant. It removes constipation and keeps the infant fit. It also prevents the formation of kapha in small children.

Harad (chebulic Myrobalan) is used in so many ayurvedic remedies that a separate treatise can be written on the same. Unani hakims have also employed it with success, they use it for rheumatism, constipation, severe headache, running nose, cold, catarrh, sciatica etc.

Unani hakims take all the three myrobalans in equal quantity, powder it and mix it with almond oil and honey, making a confection from it. The dose is one tola at bedtime, and this is one of the important remedies for chronic sinusitis, cough, asthma and rheumatic pains.

If you are in search of a safe and effective drug which is a general laxative, and which is at the same time a tonic with soothing and good effects on health, harad is the answer. It can be given to all and in all seasons. Only it should not be given in big doses to weak persons.


Ceylon Leadwort - Natural Healing Herb Benefits

Nowadays when complaints of flatulence or abdominal distension popularly known as gastric trouble or gas are much in evidence, the use of Ceylon Leadwort or Chitrakamula is often called for.

It is an effective appetizer and digestive which improves digestion by increasing the secretion of digestive juices, as well as improves the absorption of food juices.

The root is the main part used from this herb which is mainly available from southern, northern and western India and Ceylon.

The irritant action of Chitraka was known to our ancient sages. Modern research scholars have found that ‘plumbagin; is present in all varieties of plumbago to a maximum of about 0.91% and due to its irritating properties, it has been found efficacious in chronic skin disorders like leucoderma and baldness.

For dyspepsia, Ceylon Leadwort has no parallel. Take rock salt, long pepper, chebulic myrobalan and Ceylon Leadwort in equal parts and powder them. The dose would be 2-3 grams.

According to the ancient system of medicine, the root cause of piles is dyspepsia. Hence it has been found that various preparations made from Chitraka are beneficial to sufferers from piles. The paste prepared from pepper, black pepper, chitrakamula, salt and other appetisers, was applied to the interior sides of a vessel prepared of earth and in this vessel milk was allowed to become curd. The butter milk obtained from this curd is considered a boon for those who suffer from piles.

The well – known ayurvedic remedy, yogaraj Guggula, for rheumatism contains chitraka. Similarly Chitrakadi Vati containing various salts, carminatives and appetizers, has been found highly effective in anorexia, loss of appetite, gas formation, constipation and heaviness in the stomach. A dose of 1-2 pills after meals with water or otherwise, whenever required, gives relief.





Cloves Benefits - Clove Oil Uses, Natural Healing Herb

Cloves (Lavanga) is a stimulant, aromatic, antispasmodic, carminative, appetisr, digestive, diaphoretic, blood purifier and allays kapha.

It has many medicinal properties, the dry flower buds as well as oil being used.

It is a well – known home remedy. Cotton moistened with one or two drops of clove oil and kept in dental cavities helps to relieve toothache. Clove oil is applied externally in rheumatic pains, sciatica, headache and lumbago.

A very well – known remedy, Lavangadi Vati, chewed in the mouth relieves sore throat, dry cough, foul breath and tonsillitis. The clove heated over a flame is kept in the mouth and its juice swallowed. It relieves sore throat, it also strengthens the gums.

Cloves, ginger, ajawayan and rock salt all in equal parts, made into 4 grains pills and taken one pill after the principal meals, is a useful remedy in indigestion.

The powder of cloves, dry ginger, black pepper and fried borax dissolved in the mouth and swallowed relieves bronchitis.

Pills made from a mixture of cloves, sandalwood paste, saffron and mercuric chloride serve as a tonic in syphilitic affections.

Clove oil is widely used in perfumery and in medicinal preparations to remove any disagreeable taste.

Cloves also occupy an important place in Indian cooking. It contains a volatile oil which is used in condiments.


Cumin Seed - Benefits of Natural Healing Herb

These small plants resemble those of Ajawayan. The part used in medicine is the seeds, which contain an aromatic volatile oil.

The seeds are carminative, aromatic, stomachic and on the whole cold in action. They are pungent, bitter, digestive, appetizing, useful to the eyes, beneficial to the heart and strengthen the uterus. They are also diuretic.

The distilled water in the form of Arka prepared from jeeraka, Sua and Sauff, serves as an excellent gripe water and can be given to infants. It will keep them very healthy, relieving abdominal colic, Indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive disorders. The decoction of jeerka can also be used for bathing the skin.

Many a digestive powder contains jeeraka as an ingredient. Vegetables like potatoes, green peas etc. do not produce gas, if they are fried with jeeraka.

It is a galactagogue and can be given to ladies after delivery to increase breast – milk.

The powder of roasted jeeraka is used in dose of 2 grams as a vehicle for the medicine meant for sprue (sangrahani) and it helps a lot in improving digestion, increasing the appetite and forming the stool.

While it is a well – known home remedy, it also finds a place in the kitchen. Being used in curries, pickles etc. Its regular use in food keeps the digestive tract healthy.


Cowhage - Benefits of Natural Healing Herb

The seeds are used for medicinal purposes. They are boiled and the outer cover removed and the internal material is then considered as purified.

It is cold in action, nutritious, aphrodisiac, nervine tonic, useful in leucorrhoea in women. The seed pods are covered with stiff hairs which cause an itching sensation when they come in contact with the body and so mischievous children play tricks with it.

400 gms. Of the seeds are boiled in 8 ibs. Of cow’s milk till the milk becomes thick. The seeds are then decocted and pounded, then fried in ghee and made into a confection with double the weight of sugar. The mass is then divided into balls, which are kept steeped in honey. Dosage 1 to 2 balls (each ball of 10 gms.) with milk. This is one of the best aphrodisiacs. It increases the quantity and improves the quality of semen by increasing the sperm count and so it is used in male sterility where the sperm count is sub – normal. The author has found it very effective in cases of oligosperma and aspermia but in cases of total aspermia, where the testicular biopsy is not positive, the chances of recovery are very poor. These balls 1-2 morning and evening, taken for a couple of weeks, increase sex desire and make a man potent and virile. Hence it is very effective where retentive power is poor.

The powder of Kaunchabeeja also can be taken in dose of 3-6 grams morning and evening, with a glassful of milk. It has also a similar effect.

The root is diuretic and the decoction of the root is given in cases of cgolera where urine is suppressed. It is even rubbed in the form of Lepa (paste) on the palm and feet in similar cases.

The decoction of the root is hypnotic also. A piece of cotton soaked in the decoction of the root and kept in the vagina and regularly changed, will strengthen the vaginal walls.

The powder of Kaunchabeeja, Shatavari, Gokharu and Ashwagandha mixed together and given in dose or 2-3 grams morning and evening along with milk, tea or coffee, imparts vim, vigour, vitality and stamina and strengthens the nerves by removing nervous debility.



Health Benefits of Cinnamon - Cinnamon Uses

Cultivated mainly in Ceylon and South India, the dried inner bark of the cinnamom plant is used in medicine.

There are two varieties available, thin and thick. The thin one is more effective. It is light, sweet and pungent.

From very ancient times it has been a well – known home remedy and it is used by many people. It is hot in action, decreases kapha and vayu, cures anorexia, reduces mucus and is very useful in chronic cough and cold. It leaves a typical taste in the mouth.

It increases pitta slightly. It is used externally as well as internally. It contains a volatile oil which is applied externally for headache. It is a effective carminative and it is believed that it destroys bacteria.

A small piece of cotton – wool dipped in cinnamon oil and kept in dental cavities alleviates pain on the spot.

Cinnamon is used in various cough remedies and the most well known cough remedy known in ayurveda is Sitopaladi Churna which contains cinnamon 1 part, cardamom 2 parts, pepper 3 parts, vansalochan 4 parts and sugar 8 parts. All these are powdered together and the dose is 6-12 rattis (12-24 grains).

This powder taken with honey removes the burning sensation in feet and hands. It stops coughing and is given to consumptive patients with advantage when there is a lot of coughing and burning sensation in the chest.

Another well – known home remedy is : Take ginger, cardamom and cinnamon, make a powder of the same. This powder taken in the dose of 5 – 10 grains with honey is very effective in digestive disorders, griping, diarrhea and amoebic dysentery.

Other home remedies which are well – known are : Take cinnamon powder 1 gram, harde 4 grams and water 4 ozs. Boil for 10 minutes, filter and then give to drink. It is a good, mild, aromatic purge.

Take cinnamom 1 gram, cloves 10 grains, ginger 30 grains; powder them all together and boil in one seer of water for 15 minutes. Give a dose of 1 oz. every three hours. It is effective in influenza.

Cinnamon is used in many tooth powders for a dual purpose – it makes the mouth fragrant, removing bad odour, and at the same time kills bacteria. It thus preserves the gums and makes the teeth white.

Being a very good carminative and blood purifier, cinnamon is used in medicinal preparations for treating painful menses.

Cinnamon is often adulterated with a rougher, thicker and less aromatic bark from Cinnamomum tamala, etc. and care should be taken to obtain pure cinnamon.

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