BRUS PRECATORIUS or A. Minor or A. Pauciflorus

Sunday, 02 July 2006

Ayurvedic treatment for Leucoderma Sans.----Gunja, Eng.----Jequirity, Indian or Jamaica liquorice. Pers.----Gunchi, Chashami-Khurosa. Hind.----Rati; Gunja. Guz.----Gumchi, Chanothi. Ben.----Kunch. Mah.----Gunja. Tel.----Guriginja. Tam.----Gundumani. Can.----Guru-gunji. Mal.----Kunni. Punj.----Mulati. Cash.----Shangir. Habitat.----All India, from the Himalayas down to Ceylon. Parts Used.----Roots, Seeds and Leaves. Constituents.----The seeds contain an albuminous substance of a poisonous nature, named abrin the active principle, similar in action to the ricin of castor oil seeds. Like all albuminous seeds it loses its activity when boiled. Its roots contain about 15 per cent glycyrrhizin and 8 per cent of an acrid resin; leaves also contain about 10 per cent of glycyrrhizin. WITH AYURVEDIC, UNANI & HOME REMEDIES. 5 Action.----Laxative, antiphlogistic, aphrodisiac, anti-ophthalmic. The action of the seeds resemble that of the bacterial toxin. The temperature is lowered by the injection of its infusion into the circulation of the lower animals and death takes place from cardiac depression and the blood remains fluid after death. This poisonous property has been utilized by ophthalmologists for exciting an artificial purulent ophthalmia for the cure of pannus, granular lids or trachoma. Preparations.----Infusion, Medicated Oil, Paste of seeds and .Juice of fresh leaves. Uses.----Infusion for external application. Medicated oil prepared by boiling together two parts of Gunja and 4 parts of juice of Bhrangraj in 4 parts of Gingelly oil. The leaves steeped in warm mustard oil are applied over the seat of pain or they are warmed over the fire and applied after smearing the part with warm castor oil. The juice of fresh leaves mixed with some bland oil is applied to the painful part to relieve pain and reduce swelling. The juice rubbed daily with plumbago root (chitraka) to leucodermatic spots for about a month is said to remove them. The leaves are chewed and their juice swallowed in cases of hoarseness. The root is made into a syrup by boiling 2 ounces of fresh roots with 1 ounce of Abelmoscus capsules sliced, in 10 ounces of water for half an hour, straining, then adding 8 ounces of sugar or honey and boiling down to the consistence of a syrup. Dose:----1 to 4 drachms to be given frequently in the coughs of children. This syrup must be made fresh as required as it does not keep well. The seeds when powdered and boiled with milk have a powerful tonic and aphrodisiac action on the nervous system. Dose of the powder is 1 to 3 grains. If administered uncooked they act as strong purgative and emetic; in large doses they are acrid poison, giving rise to symptoms like those of cholera. The seeds are rubbed with a little water into a paste and applied to contusions to reduce pain and swelling. It is also applied to the bare skin in alopecia, in sciatica, stiffness of the shoulder-joint, paralysis and other nervous diseases. Mixed with the paste made of plumbago root it is applied as a stimulant dressing in white leprosy. When decorti-cated and finely ground they are used for pannus cornea (vascularisation of the cornea, usually due to the irritation of the granulations in conjunctivitis; the cornea, is nor-mally non-vascular) and granular lids. They cause a true purulent ophthalmia. A three per cent. solution prepared by steeping the decorticated and powdered seeds in cold water for 24 hours is brushed over the reversed lids two or three times a day to cause purulent ophthalmia. This inflammation will gradually cease and the patient will be free from pannus and granulations. The following formula is said to be beneficial in cases of paraplegia:----Take of Abrus root 6, black sulphide of Mercury 12, fruit of Margosa tree (neem), Cannabis Indica and Croton seed each two parts. Rub them together and make a paste in lime-juice. Dose:----grs. 3 to 6. Diet:----Rock salt (Sindhava) and Assaf?tida are to be used. Absinthium Officinalis or A. Vulgaris----See Artemesia Absinthium.

Last Updated ( Sunday, 02 July 2006 )

 

< Prev		Next >