The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c5.s9: Nat. Order Meliaceæ

The Materia Medica of the Hindus, compiled from Sanskrit Medical Works c5.s9

Language: English

c5.s9.t1 Azadirachta Indica — 13 parts

Nat. Order Meliaceæ

Azadirachta Indica

c5.s9.t1.1

Sans. निम्ब, Nimba. Vern. Nim, Beng. Hind.

THIS useful tree is indigenous to India and is cultivated all over the country for the sake of its bark, leaves and fruits. These have been used in Hindu medicine from a very remote period. The bark is regarded as bitter, tonic, astringent and useful in fever, thirst, nausea, vomiting and skin diseases. The bitter leaves are used as a pot-herb being made into soup or curry with other vegetables. The slightly aromatic and bitter taste which they impart to the curries thus prepared, is much relished by some. The leaves are moreover an old and popular remedy for skin diseases. The fruits are described as purgative and emollient and useful in intestinal worms, urinary diseases, piles etc. The oil obtained from the seeds is used in skin diseases, and ulcers.

c5.s9.t1.3

The bark is used in fever in combination with other medicines for this disease as for example, in the following compound decoction called Amritáshtaka.² Take of nim bark, gulancha, root of Picrorrhiza Kurroa (katuki), tubers of Cyperus rotundus (mustaka), seeds of Holarrhena antidysenterica (indrayava), leaves of *Momordica dioica* (*patala*), ginger and red sandal wood, each quarter of a tolá, water half a seer, boil till reduced to one-fourth. This decoction is given with the addition of honey and long pepper in fever supposed to be caused by deranged phlegm and bile and attended with vomiting, nausea, thirst and lassitude.

c5.s9.t1.4

² अमृताष्टकः। अमृतादिष्ट कटुका सुस्तेन्द्रयव नागरैः। पटोलचन्दनाभ्याञ्चपिप्पलीचूर्णयुक्शतम्। अमृताष्टकमेतञ्च पित्तश्लेष्मज्वरापहम्। कण्ठ-रोचकहल्लास दाह तृष्णा निवारणम्। शार्ङ्गधरः।

c5.s9.t1.5

The fresh juice of the leaves is given with salt in intestinal worms, and with honey in jaundice and skin diseases. The juice of nim leaves and of emblic myrobalans, quarter of a tolá each, are recommended to be given with the addition of clarified butter in prurigo, boils and urticaria.¹ *Nim* enters into the composition of several compound preparations used in skin diseases, such as the *Pancha tikta ghrita*, *Pancha nimba guḍiká*, *Pancha kasháya*, etc.

c5.s9.t1.6

¹ निम्बस्य पत्राणि सदाघृतेन धात्रीविमिश्राय घृतोपयुञ्ज्यात् । विस्फोट-कोठ ज्वत शीतपित्तं कण्डू सपित्तं सहसांचजह्यात् । चक्रदत्तः ।

c5.s9.t1.7

*Pancha tikta ghrita*.² Take of nim bark, leaves of *Momordica dioica* (*patala*), *Solanum Jacquinii* (*kantakári*), gulancha, and bark of *Adhatoda vasica* (*vásaka*), each eighty tolás, and boil them in sixty-four seers of water till it is reduced to one-fourth. To the strained decoction, add four seers of clarified butter and a seer of the three myrobalans in the form of a paste, and prepare a ghrita in the usual way. This preparation is given in doses of three to six drachms in chronic skin diseases.

c5.s9.t1.8

² पञ्चतिक्तकं घृतम् । निम्बं पटोलं व्याघ्रीञ्च गुडूचीं वासकं तथा । कुर्य्यादष्टपलान् भागानैकैकस्य सुकुट्टितान् । जलद्रोणे विपक्तव्यं यावत्पादा-वशेषितम् । घृतप्रस्थं पचेत्तेन त्रिफलागर्भसंयुतम् । पञ्चतिक्तमिदं ख्यातं सर्पिः कुष्ठविनाशनम् । चक्रदत्तः ।

c5.s9.t1.9

As an external application to ulcers and skin diseases, nim leaves are used in a variety of forms such as poultice, wash, ointment and liniment.³ A poultice made of equal parts of nim leaves and sesamum seeds is recommended by Chakradatta for unhealthy ulcerations.¹

c5.s9.t1.10

³ निम्बार्जुनस्त्यकदम्ब शाख जम्बू वटोडुम्बर वेतसैश्च । प्रक्षालनालेप कृतानि कुर्य्याच्चूर्णानि पित्तास्त्रभवोपद्रवे । चक्रदत्तः ।

c5.s9.t1.11

¹ निम्बपत्र तिलैः कल्कौ मधुना व्रतशोधनः । चक्रदत्तः ।

c5.s9.t1.12

The following preparation of nim oil is prescribed by several writers for application to suppurating scrofulous glands with numerous openings. Take of the oil of nim seeds, four seers; orpiment, realgar, marking nut, cardamoms, aloes wood, sandal wood, leaves of *Jasminum grandiflorum* (*játipatra*), and of *Limnanthenum cristatum* (*tagarapáduká*), each eight tolás, in the form of a paste, and water sixteen seers. Boil them together and prepare an oil in the usual way.²

c5.s9.t1.13

² मनःशिला रभलजात सूक्ष्मैर्लागुरुचन्दनैः । जातीपल्लव कल्कैश्च निम्ब-तैलं विपाचयेत् । वल्मीकं नाशयत्तेतद्विबद्धच्छिद्रं बहुस्रवम् । भावप्रकाशः ।

Linked texts (3)

Cakradatta (Cikitsāsaṅgraha) — Cakrapāṇidatta, Sanskrit
Śārṅgadharasaṃhitā — Śārṅgadhara (physician), Sanskrit
Bhāvaprakāśa — Bhāvamiśra 1550, Sanskrit