MANGIFERA INDICA; M. Montana; M. Domestica.

Sunday, 02 July 2006

Home remedy for Asthma, Diarrhea Sans.----Amra; Chuta. Eng.----Mango tree. Fr,----Manguier. Ger.----Mangobaum. Hind. Guz. & Ben.----Am. Mah.----Amba. Bom,----Thayet. Tel.----Mamidi; Tam.----Mamaram. Can.----Mavina-mara. Mal.----Mavu. Pers.----Amba; Naghzak. Arab.----Ambaj. Cing.----Mangga; Sunda. Malay.----Mampalam. Kon.----Ambo. Habitat.----This tree is indigenous to India and cultivated in many varieties almost everywhere in the plains. Parts Used.----Fruit, kernel, leaves, flowers, bark aud gum. Constituents.----The dried unripe peeled fruit con-tains water 21 p, c., watery extract 61.5 p. c., cellulose 5 p. c., insoluble ash 1.5 and soluble ash 1.9 p. c. The soluble ash contains potash, free tartaric, citric, and malic acids. The ripe fruit contains yellow colouring matter, chlorophyl product soluble in ether, bisulphide of carbon and benzol and a trace of gallic acid with citric acid and gum. The bark contains tannin; the kernel inside the stone or seed contains gallic acid and tannin, fat, sugar, gum and ash. The pulp of the ripe fruit contains a trace of gallic acid with citric acid and gum. The gum of the tree contains besides moisture and ash, 71 p. c., of sugars----galactose and pentoses. Action.----The fruit is diaphoretic, astringent and refrigerant; the ripe one is slightly laxative and diuretic, nourishing and invigorating. The unripe fruit is acid, astringent, stomachic, and antiscorbutic. The bark is astringent and tonic. The bitter gum resin from the bark is astringent. The kernel is astringent and anthel-mintic. The Am.chur so popular among Indian troops is a valuable antiscorbutic. Preparations.----Sherbats, Custards, Preserve s, Con-fections, Pickles, Curries, Chutneys, Amchur etc.. of the fruit; Fluid extract and Infusion of the bark; Powder and Decoction of the dried flowers; Decoction and Powder of the kernel and of the leaves; Fumigation of the burning leaves; and Ashes of the midribs of the leaves. Powder of the kernel; Gum exuding from the bark of the tree; Extract of the bark. Uses.----The mango is the most delicious of Indian fruits. The ripe fruit is very wholesome and nourishing and useful in nervous and atonic dyspepsia and consti-pation. A confection prepared out of the juice of the ripe fruit, with the addition of sugar and aromatics, is a nice restorative tonic. A confection made of the baked pulp of the unripe fruit mixed with sugar is taken internally in times of plague or cholera; and also rubbed over the body as a prophylactic. A fluid extract either from the fruit or the rind is an astringent tonic to mucous memb-ranes. Its effects are great in diphtheria and other malig-nant throat diseases. Locally it is a useful application in haemorrhages. The juice of the unripe fruit is applied to cracks in the sole or heal caused by cold. The rind ground with milk and a little honey added is given in bleeding dysentery. The rind of unripe fruit is cut into pieces, fried in ghee and mixed with sugar and the whole is made into a pill mass. Pills made of this are given in menorrhagia. The rind of the unripe green mango 2« tolas, rubbed into an emulsion with curds is a remedy for cholera morbus. In cases of asthma, diarrhea, chronic dysentery, hematemesis, menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, blee-ding piles, round worms etc., powdered seed or kernel is given in doses of about 20 to 30 grains with or without honey. In dysentery with slime the kernel ground down with curds forms a nice remedy. In the diarrhea of pregnant women the kernel is fried and given for eating. The juice of the kernel is sniffed to stop nasal bleeding. Decoction of the kernel either alone or in combination with bela and ginger is prescribed in diarrhea----(Saranga-dara). Dose is 1 to 1« drs. In chronic dysentery the kernel combined with a little opium and some stimulant aromatic drugs is very useful. The juice of the fruit dried in the sun so as to form thin cakes is used as a relish; and as an appetising diet, it is used in the form of a chutney. The Amchur or Ambose so popular in India as an article of diet consists of green mangoes skinned, stoned, cut into pieces, and dried in the sun; owing to its acidity (citric acid) half an ounce of it is said to be equivalent to an ounce of good lime juice; so it is very useful in scurvy. Sweet mango pickle, freely eaten with the diet, is an excellent form of administering an antiscorbutic like Am-chur. A. fluid extract or the infusion of the bark is used in menorrhagia, leucorrhoea, bleeding piles and in cases of haemorrhage from the lungs; also in nasal catarrh and for lumbrici. A cold infusion (1 in 8) of the powdered barks of Mangifera Indica, Eugenia jambo-lana and Terminalia arjuna taken in equal parts is pre-scribed in doses of 1 to 2 ounces in diarrhea and in bleed-ing from internal organs. A decoction of the same ingre-dients is also useful in these diseases in doses of 1 to 1« drachms mixed with conjee water, or the juice of the fresh bark is administered with white of egg and a little opium. The juice of the bark 4 tolas mixed with 1 tola of lime water given for seven days is a sovereign remedy in acute gonorrhoea. A fluid extract of the bark or rind (1 in 12) is very beneficial in doses of one teaspoonful every hour or two mixed with two ounces of water in cases of haemorr-hage from the lungs, the uterus or intestines. A decoction (1 in 20) made of the barks of Mangifera Indica, Spondias mangifera and Eugenia jambolana and re-boiled with the addition of rice (1 in 20 of the decoction) so as to form an emulsion is given daily to cure chronic dysentery. The leaf juice is useful in bleeding dysentery. A mixture con. sisting of two tolas of the juice, One tola each of honey and milk and « tola of ghee is a nice remedy. The milky fluid obtained from the leaf or bark is a useful application to cracks of the foot etc. A decoction of the leaves with a little honey added is given in aphonia or loss of voice. The midribs of the leaves calcined are used to remote warts on the eyelids. The tender leaves dried and made into a powder are useful in diabetes. The smoke of the burning leaves is said to have a curative effect in some affections of the throat, in hiccup, etc. The ashes of the leaves are a popular remedy for burns and scalds. The dried flowers in decoction or powder are useful in diarrhea, chronic dysentery and gleet. The powder is used for fumigation against mosquitoes, The gum of the tree is applied with benefit to cracked feet. The gum-resin from the bark is used in catarrhs and mixed with lime juice it is applied to scabies and other cutaneous affections.

Last Updated ( Sunday, 02 July 2006 )

 

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