The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c5.s10.t8.8

c5.s10.t8.8

THE tamarind tree is met with throughout India, and has been known from a very remote period. "From the Hindus it would seem that the fruit became known to the Arabians who called it *Tamare-hindi*:" from which last the word tamarind is derived. Tamarinds form an important ingredient in native cookery. The unripe fruit is very acid and possesses a peculiar aroma for which it is much relished when cooked with curry. The ripe fruit is regarded as refrigerant, digestive, carminative and laxative, and useful in diseases supposed to be caused by deranged bile, such as burning of the body, costiveness, intoxication from spirituous liquors or datura, etc. The shells of the ripe fruit are burnt, and their ashes used in medicine as an alkaline substance, along with other medicines of the sort, as for example in the preparation called *Abhayá-lavana*, (see Alkaline ashes). The pulp of the ripe fruit, as well as a poultice of the leaves, is recommended to be applied to inflammatory swellings.