Cowhage

Cowhage - Benefits of Natural Healing Herb

The seeds are used for medicinal purposes. They are boiled and the outer cover removed and the internal material is then considered as purified.

It is cold in action, nutritious, aphrodisiac, nervine tonic, useful in leucorrhoea in women. The seed pods are covered with stiff hairs which cause an itching sensation when they come in contact with the body and so mischievous children play tricks with it.

400 gms. Of the seeds are boiled in 8 ibs. Of cow's milk till the milk becomes thick. The seeds are then decocted and pounded, then fried in ghee and made into a confection with double the weight of sugar. The mass is then divided into balls, which are kept steeped in honey. Dosage 1 to 2 balls (each ball of 10 gms.) with milk. This is one of the best aphrodisiacs. It increases the quantity and improves the quality of semen by increasing the sperm count and so it is used in male sterility where the sperm count is sub – normal. The author has found it very effective in cases of oligosperma and aspermia but in cases of total aspermia, where the testicular biopsy is not positive, the chances of recovery are very poor. These balls 1-2 morning and evening, taken for a couple of weeks, increase sex desire and make a man potent and virile. Hence it is very effective where retentive power is poor.

The powder of Kaunchabeeja also can be taken in dose of 3-6 grams morning and evening, with a glassful of milk. It has also a similar effect.

The root is diuretic and the decoction of the root is given in cases of cgolera where urine is suppressed. It is even rubbed in the form of Lepa (paste) on the palm and feet in similar cases.

The decoction of the root is hypnotic also. A piece of cotton soaked in the decoction of the root and kept in the vagina and regularly changed, will strengthen the vaginal walls.

The powder of Kaunchabeeja, Shatavari, Gokharu and Ashwagandha mixed together and given in dose or 2-3 grams morning and evening along with milk, tea or coffee, imparts vim, vigour, vitality and stamina and strengthens the nerves by removing nervous debility.

Cloves Benefits

Cloves Benefits - Clove Oil Uses, Natural Healing Herb

Cloves (Lavanga) is a stimulant, aromatic, antispasmodic, carminative, appetisr, digestive, diaphoretic, blood purifier and allays kapha.

It has many medicinal properties, the dry flower buds as well as oil being used.

It is a well – known home remedy. Cotton moistened with one or two drops of clove oil and kept in dental cavities helps to relieve toothache. Clove oil is applied externally in rheumatic pains, sciatica, headache and lumbago.

A very well – known remedy, Lavangadi Vati, chewed in the mouth relieves sore throat, dry cough, foul breath and tonsillitis. The clove heated over a flame is kept in the mouth and its juice swallowed. It relieves sore throat, it also strengthens the gums.

Cloves, ginger, ajawayan and rock salt all in equal parts, made into 4 grains pills and taken one pill after the principal meals, is a useful remedy in indigestion.

The powder of cloves, dry ginger, black pepper and fried borax dissolved in the mouth and swallowed relieves bronchitis.

Pills made from a mixture of cloves, sandalwood paste, saffron and mercuric chloride serve as a tonic in syphilitic affections.

Clove oil is widely used in perfumery and in medicinal preparations to remove any disagreeable taste.

Cloves also occupy an important place in Indian cooking. It contains a volatile oil which is used in condiments.

Cumin Seeds

Cumin Seed - Benefits of Natural Healing Herb

These small plants resemble those of Ajawayan. The part used in medicine is the seeds, which contain an aromatic volatile oil.

The seeds are carminative, aromatic, stomachic and on the whole cold in action. They are pungent, bitter, digestive, appetizing, useful to the eyes, beneficial to the heart and strengthen the uterus. They are also diuretic.

The distilled water in the form of Arka prepared from jeeraka, Sua and Sauff, serves as an excellent gripe water and can be given to infants. It will keep them very healthy, relieving abdominal colic, Indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive disorders. The decoction of jeerka can also be used for bathing the skin.

Many a digestive powder contains jeeraka as an ingredient. Vegetables like potatoes, green peas etc. do not produce gas, if they are fried with jeeraka.

It is a galactagogue and can be given to ladies after delivery to increase breast – milk.

The powder of roasted jeeraka is used in dose of 2 grams as a vehicle for the medicine meant for sprue (sangrahani) and it helps a lot in improving digestion, increasing the appetite and forming the stool.

While it is a well – known home remedy, it also finds a place in the kitchen. Being used in curries, pickles etc. Its regular use in food keeps the digestive tract healthy.

Ceylon Leadwort or Chitrakamula

Ceylon Leadwort - Natural Healing Herb Benefits

Nowadays when complaints of flatulence or abdominal distension popularly known as gastric trouble or gas are much in evidence, the use of Ceylon Leadwort or Chitrakamula is often called for.

It is an effective appetizer and digestive which improves digestion by increasing the secretion of digestive juices, as well as improves the absorption of food juices.

The root is the main part used from this herb which is mainly available from southern, northern and western India and Ceylon.

The irritant action of Chitraka was known to our ancient sages. Modern research scholars have found that 'plumbagin; is present in all varieties of plumbago to a maximum of about 0.91% and due to its irritating properties, it has been found efficacious in chronic skin disorders like leucoderma and baldness.

For dyspepsia, Ceylon Leadwort has no parallel. Take rock salt, long pepper, chebulic myrobalan and Ceylon Leadwort in equal parts and powder them. The dose would be 2-3 grams.

According to the ancient system of medicine, the root cause of piles is dyspepsia. Hence it has been found that various preparations made from Chitraka are beneficial to sufferers from piles. The paste prepared from pepper, black pepper, chitrakamula, salt and other appetisers, was applied to the interior sides of a vessel prepared of earth and in this vessel milk was allowed to become curd. The butter milk obtained from this curd is considered a boon for those who suffer from piles.

The well – known ayurvedic remedy, yogaraj Guggula, for rheumatism contains chitraka. Similarly Chitrakadi Vati containing various salts, carminatives and appetizers, has been found highly effective in anorexia, loss of appetite, gas formation, constipation and heaviness in the stomach. A dose of 1-2 pills after meals with water or otherwise, whenever required, gives relief.

Cinnamon

Health Benefits of Cinnamon - Cinnamon Uses

Cultivated mainly in Ceylon and South India, the dried inner bark of the cinnamom plant is used in medicine.

There are two varieties available, thin and thick. The thin one is more effective. It is light, sweet and pungent.

From very ancient times it has been a well – known home remedy and it is used by many people. It is hot in action, decreases kapha and vayu, cures anorexia, reduces mucus and is very useful in chronic cough and cold. It leaves a typical taste in the mouth.

It increases pitta slightly. It is used externally as well as internally. It contains a volatile oil which is applied externally for headache. It is a effective carminative and it is believed that it destroys bacteria.

A small piece of cotton – wool dipped in cinnamon oil and kept in dental cavities alleviates pain on the spot.

Cinnamon is used in various cough remedies and the most well known cough remedy known in ayurveda is Sitopaladi Churna which contains cinnamon 1 part, cardamom 2 parts, pepper 3 parts, vansalochan 4 parts and sugar 8 parts. All these are powdered together and the dose is 6-12 rattis (12-24 grains).

This powder taken with honey removes the burning sensation in feet and hands. It stops coughing and is given to consumptive patients with advantage when there is a lot of coughing and burning sensation in the chest.

Another well – known home remedy is : Take ginger, cardamom and cinnamon, make a powder of the same. This powder taken in the dose of 5 – 10 grains with honey is very effective in digestive disorders, griping, diarrhea and amoebic dysentery.

Other home remedies which are well – known are : Take cinnamon powder 1 gram, harde 4 grams and water 4 ozs. Boil for 10 minutes, filter and then give to drink. It is a good, mild, aromatic purge.

Take cinnamom 1 gram, cloves 10 grains, ginger 30 grains; powder them all together and boil in one seer of water for 15 minutes. Give a dose of 1 oz. every three hours. It is effective in influenza.

Cinnamon is used in many tooth powders for a dual purpose – it makes the mouth fragrant, removing bad odour, and at the same time kills bacteria. It thus preserves the gums and makes the teeth white.

Being a very good carminative and blood purifier, cinnamon is used in medicinal preparations for treating painful menses.

Cinnamon is often adulterated with a rougher, thicker and less aromatic bark from Cinnamomum tamala, etc. and care should be taken to obtain pure cinnamon.