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The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c5.s25: Nat. Order Scitamineæ

The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c5.s25

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Contents

Nat. Order Scitamineæ

Zingiber Officinale, Roscoe.

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Sans. आर्द्रक, A'rdraka, शृङ्गवेर, Sringavera.

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Vern. A'dá, Beng. A'drak, Hind.

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GINGER is described as acrid, heating, carminative and useful in dyspepsia, affections of the throat, head and chest, piles, rheumatism, urticaria, dropsy, etc. It is much used as a carminative adjunct along with black pepper and long pepper under the name of trikaṭu or the three acrids. The dried root is called Nágara, Sunṭi and Mahaushadha in Sanskrit. In addition to possessing the properties of ginger it is said to be laxative.

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Ginger with salt taken before meals, is highly praised as a carminative. It is said to purify the tongue and throat, increase the appetite and produce an agreeable sensation. Ginger forms the active ingredient of several medicines for dyspepsia and hæmorrhoids.

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Samasarkara churna.² Take of cardamoms one part, cinnamon two parts, flowers of *Mesua ferrea* (*nágakesara*) three parts, black pepper four parts, long pepper five parts, dried ginger six parts, sugar in quantity equal to all the other ingredients; powder and mix. Dose, about a drachm in dyspepsia, loss of appetite and piles.

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² समशर्करं चूर्णम्। शुण्ठीकणामरिचमागदललगेलं चूर्णीकृतं क्रमविवर्द्धित-

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*Saubhágya sunṭi*.¹ Take of clarified butter, sixteen tolás, milk four seers, sugar six seers and a quarter, dry ginger one seer; boil them together so as to make an electuary. Then add coriander twenty-four tolás, fennel seeds forty tolás, *báberang* seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds, long pepper, black pepper, ginger, tubers of *Cyperus rotundus*, leaves called *tejapatra*, flowers of *Mesua ferrea* (*nágakesara*), cinnamon and cardamoms each eight tolás in fine powder, and stir with a ladle till cold. This confection is much used as a carminative tonic in dyspepsia and in disorders of the alimentary canal in females after confinement.

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¹ [The text has no footnote mark for 1, but it appears in the text as "Saubhágya sunṭi.1"]

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*Sunṭi ghrita*.² This is a preparation of ginger made with a decoction and paste of the root, clarified butter and *kánjika* in the usual proportions. It is said to be useful in rheumatism.

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² [The text has no footnote mark for 2, but it appears in the text as "Sunṭi ghrita.2"]

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*A'rdraka khaṇḍa*. This is a confection made with ginger, clarified butter, milk and sugar with the addition of a number of aromatics in small quantities. It is used in urticaria.

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In cephalalgia and other affections of the head, ginger juice

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मूर्द्धन्यत्वात् । खादेदिदं समस्तं गुदजाग्निमान्द्यकासाऽरुचिसंनकरठहृदामयेषु । भावप्रकाशः ।

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1 सौभाग्यशुण्ठी । आज्यं स्यात् पलयुग्ममत्र पयसः प्रस्थद्वयं खण्डतः पञ्चाशत् पलमत चूर्णितमथो प्रक्षिप्यते नागरम् । प्रस्थार्द्धं गुडवर्द्धिपाच्य विधिना सुष्ट्वथ धान्यकात् मिश्याः पञ्चपलं पलं क्रिमिरिपोः साजाजिजीरादपि । व्योष्णाम्भोजदलोरगेन्द्रसुमनस्त्वग्द्राविडीनां पलं पक्वं नागरखण्डसंज्ञकमिदं तत्सूतिका रोगहृत् । हृच्छर्दिज्वरदाहशोषशमनं सश्वासकासापहम् । प्लीहव्याधि विनाशनं कमिहरं मन्दाग्नि सन्दीपनम् । भावप्रकाशः ।

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2 सर्पिर्नागरकल्ककेन सौवीरं तच्चतर्गुणम् । सिद्धमग्निकरं श्रेष्ठमामवातहरं परम् । भावप्रकाशः । mixed with milk is used as a snuff.¹ The fresh juice of ginger taken with honey relieves catarrh, cough and loss of appetite.²

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¹ नागरकल्कमिश्रं क्षीरं नस्येनयोजितं पुंसाम् । नानादोषोद्भूतां शिरोरुजां हन्ति तीव्रतराम् । चक्रदत्तः ।

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² आर्द्रक स्वरसः क्षौद्रयुक्तोवषवातनुत् । श्वासकासारुचिं हन्तिप्रतिश्यायं व्यपोहति । शार्ङ्गधरः ।

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Saindhavádya taila.³ Take of dry ginger forty tolás, rock-salt, long pepper root and plumbago root, sixteen tolás each, marking nuts twenty in number, fermented rice water sixteen seers, sesamum oil four seers, boil them together and prepare an oil in the usual way. This oil is rubbed externally in sciatica and other forms of rheumatism.

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³ सैन्धवाद्यं तैलम् । द्वे पले सैन्धवात्पञ्चगुष्ठायन्यकचित्रकात् । द्वे द्वे भल्लातकास्योनिविंशति द्वैतथाढके । आरणालात्पचेत्प्रस्थं तैलमेतैरपत्यदम् । गृध्रस्य रुपहार्षीत्सि सर्ववातविकारनुत् । चक्रदत्तः ।

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ZINGIBER ZERUMBET, *Roxb.* Sans. स्थूलग्रन्थि, *Sthula-granthi*, Vern. *Mahá bari bach*, Hind. Beng.

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ZINGIBER CASSUMUNAR, *Roxb.* Sans. वनार्द्रक, *Vanárdraka*, Vern. *Banáda*, Beng.

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ALPINIA GALANGA, *Linn.* Sans. कुलिनज्ञान, *Kulinjána*. Vern. *Kulinján*, Beng. Hind.

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THE aromatic tubers of these three species are occasionally used as carminative or fragrant adjuucts in complex prescriptions, but they have nothing peculiar in their properties or action.

Curcuma Longa, Roxb.

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Sans. हरिद्रा, *Haridrá*, निशा, *Nisá*. Vern. *Halud*, B. *Haldi*, H.

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THE turmeric plant is extensively cultivated for the sake of its tubers which are an essential ingredient of native curry powders. Turmeric pounded into a paste and mixed with oil, is rubbed on the skin to improve its appearance and prevent skin diseases. The rubbing of turmeric and oil is an essential part of the Hindu marriage festival as well as of some religious ceremonies. Medicinally turmeric is used chiefly in skin diseases both externally and internally. Turmeric paste with the addition of a little lime is a popular application to sprains and bruises. A decoction of turmeric is used as a cooling wash in ophthalmia; cloth steeped in it is employed as an eye-shade. A paste of turmeric and the leaves of *Justicia Adhatoda* (*vásaka*), with cow's urine is rubbed on the skin in prurigo.¹ Several other combinations of the sort are in vogue, such as turmeric and nim leaves, turmeric and the ashes of the plantain tree, etc. Turmeric is also given internally with cow's urine in prurigo and eczema.²

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¹ कोमलं सिंहास्यदलं सर्षपं सुरभिजलेन संपिष्टम् । दिवसत्रयेण नियतं क्षपयतिकण्डूं विषेपनतः । चक्रदत्तः ।

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² हरिद्राकल्कसंयुक्तं गोमूत्रस्य पलद्वयम् । पिबेन्नरः कामचारीकण्डूपामाविनाशनम् । चक्रदत्तः ।

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*Haridrákhaṇḍa*.³ Take of turmeric sixty-four tolás, clarified butter forty-eight tolás, milk sixteen seers, sugar twelve tolás, and boil them together over a gentle fire in an earthen pot. Then add black pepper, long pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, tejapatra, báberang seeds, root of *Ipomœa Turpethum* (*trivrit*), the three myrobalans, flowers of *Mesua ferrea* (*nágakesara*), tubers of *Cyperus rotundus* (*mustaka*) and prepared iron, each eight tolás in fine powder, and prepare a confection. Dose, one tolá every morning in prurigo, boils, urticaria, etc. A cure is said to be effected in seven days.

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³ हरिद्राखण्डः । हरिद्रायाः पलान्यष्टौ षट्पलं हविषस्तथा । क्षीरा- ढकेनसंयुक्तं खण्डस्यार्द्धपलं तथा । पचेत् मृदग्निना वैद्योभाजने मृन्मये दृढे । त्रिकटु त्रिजतकञ्चैव क्रिमघ्नं विडतात्तथा । त्रिफलाकेशरं सुस्तं लौहं प्रतिपलं पलम् । संचूर्ण्य प्रक्षिपेत्तत्कर्षमेकन्तु भक्षयेत् । कण्डू विस्फोटदद्रूणांनाशनं परमौषधं । प्रतप्त काञ्चनाभासो देहो भवति नान्यथा । शीतपित्तोर्द्धकोठान् सप्ताहादेवनाशयेत् । हरिद्रानामतःखण्डः कण्डूणांपरमौषधं । भैषज्यरत्नावली ।

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The term *haridrádve*, or the two turmerics, signifies turmeric and the wood of *Berberis Asiatica*. They are often used together in compound prescriptions both for external and internal use and their properties are said to be analogous.

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CURCUMA ZEDOARIA, *Roscoe.* *Syn. C. Zerumbet, Roxb.* *Sans.* शठी, *Saṭi, Vern. Saṭi, Beng. Kachur, Hind.* The rhizomes of this plant possess an agreeable camphoraceous smell and warm, bitterish, spicy taste. They are considered carminative and useful in fever and skin diseases arising from impure or deranged blood. They are generally used in combination with other medicines as also in the preparation of medicated oils. “The dry root powdered and mixed with the powdered wood of the *Caesalpinia Sappan* makes the red powder called *ábir* by the Hindustanis, and *phág* by the Bengalis. It is copiously thrown about by the natives during the *Huli* or Hindu holidays in the month of March.”

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CURCUMA AROMATICA, *Salisb. Syn. C. Zedoaria, Roxb.* *Sans.* वनहरिद्रा, *Vanaharidrá. Vern. Banhalud, Beng. Jedwar, Hind.* The rhizomes of this plant are of a pale yellow colour and have an agreeable fragrant smell. The *Bhávaprakása* describes them as useful in skin diseases and disorders of the blood. They are sometimes used in combination with other medicines in these diseases.

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CURCUMA A'MA'DA', *Roxb. Sans.* कर्पूरहरिद्रा, *Karpura-haridrá. Vern. A'mádá, Beng.* The *Bhávaprakása* mentions this plant under the name of *karpuraharidrá*, but the term is not to be found in standard lexicons. The fresh root possesses the smell of green mango and is used as a condiment and vegetable. Medicinally it is described as cooling and useful in prurigo.

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ELETTARIA CARDAMOMUM, *White et Maton. Also Amomum subulatum, Roxb. Sans.* एला, *Elá. Vern. Eláchi, Hind. Gujráti elách, Beng.* Cardamoms are largely used as aromatic adjuncts but have no peculiarity deserving of special notice.

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