TAMARISK PLANT - Leaves useful in leucoderma, nose trouble, Scabies, eczema and piles, strengthen teeth. 2) Lote or Cedar tree - Leaves are useful in liver complain, stomatitis and bleeding gums. seeds are tonic to heart & brain.

HEALTH TIPS - FROM TREES - III (TAMARISK, ACACIA, TOOTH BRUSH, LOTE)

I) TAMARISK TREE:

COMMON NAMES :

Tamarisk (Eng.)

Jhau (Hindi, Urdu, Punj.)

Tarfa, Gaz, Athl (arab.)

Jhauk (Sans.)

Jhavach (Beng.)Tamrix (Lat.)

Tamariske (Ger.)

Tamars (Fr.)

Gaz, Gazmazach (Unani)

BOTANICAL NAME :

Tamrix aphylla (L.)

Karst. (Syn. T. articulata Vahls)

(Family : Tamaricaceae)

Parts Used ; Bark and galls

System Affected : Skin

Specific Action : Used in the treatment of skin diseases.

Historical Account

Tamarisk was one of the trees found in Egypt during Pharonic Times. It was foud as early as 3000 B.C Mesopotamia. The main species at that time were Tamarix and Poplars. They were planted on the dikes around the forms and on the banks of irrigation ditches and served as wind breaks to hold the canals and ditches. They also produced much needed timber.

Botanical Description :

A latrge tree reaching 18 m. in height; branches slender, hoary with a saline efflorescence from impressed, punctuate glands. leaves reduced to a short sheath. Flowers hermaphrodite; bracts sheathing shorter than the flowers. 

Medical Properties :

Bark - Bitter and astringent. It is employed in the treatment of eczema and other skin diseases.

Galls - Very astrigent and are used as gargle.

A disease which effects people in the desert or semidesert regions is called Leishmaniasis ( in Arabic it is called Kalazar). Tamrisk plant can be used to control the sector of this disease. According to Jacobson and Sachlien (1999) one of the products which can control the vector of this disease is Tamrisk aphylla.

II) CEDAR OR LOTE - TREE (BER) : (Jujube or Ziziphus)

COMMON NAMES :

Cedar (Eng.)

Cedre (Fr.)

Zeder (Ger.)

Cedrus (Lat.)

Sedr (Pers.)

Ber (Unani)

Shajaratul-Allah, Arz, Arz al-Rab. Arz al-Lbanaon (Arab.)

Botanical name :

Cedrus libani Loud.

(Family : Pinaceae)

Parts used : Fruits, seeds, leaves, twigs, bark and root.

System Affected : Respiratory and circulatory.

Specific Action : Emollient and blood purifier.

Botanical Description

A large ever green tree of variable size, grows up to 15 m or more in height. Low shrubby form is common. Bark rough, grey or dull black; leaves variable, oblong-elliptic, ovate or sub-orbicular, closely serrulate or entire, prominently three nerved; Flowers in axillary cymes, greenish yellow; drupes oblong globose or ovoid, red, orange or yellow in colour.

Medical Properties :

Leaves - Anthelmintic; heal wounds and syphilitic ulcers; good in liver complaints, stomatitis and bleeding gums; cure asthma.

Flowers - Are made into collyrium and can be used in eye troubles.

Fruit - Unripe fruit reduces expectoration and biliousness; increases thirst. Ripe fruit is sweet and sour, useful for wounds and ulcers and in fevers, causes diarrhoea in large doses.

Seeds - Astringent, tonic to the heart and brain; allys thirst.

III) ACACIA  :

COMMON NAMES :

Acacia (Eng.,Lat.,Fr.)
Talha, Saiyyal, Sunt, Funtah, Shok al-Ban (Atab.)
Akakia(Ger.)
Incha Maram (Mal.)
Kikar, Babul (Hindi, Urdu)

BOTANICAL NAME :

Acacia species
(Family : Leguminosae)

PARTS USED : Bark, Gum and Wood

SYSTEM AFFECTED : Digestive and circulatory.

SPECIFIC ACTION : Astringent and anti-diarrhoeal

Botanical Description

A small tree with dark brown or black fissured bark; branch-lets slender, pubescentwhen young, leaves 2-pinnate; petioles 2.5 - 5 cm long, leaflets sub sessile, 10 - 25 pairs, Flowers yellow in globose heads; peduncles axillary. Calyx camanulate 1.2 long. Corolla 3 mm long; lobes short and trianglar. Seeds 8-12

MEDICAL PROPERTIES :

Plant is astringent.

Bark - Decoction is used as a remedy for dysentery and blennorrhagia; helpful in the treatment of diarrhoea and haemorrhage; used as an emollient.

Gum - used as emollient and as astringent for colds, diarrhoea, haemorrhage and opthalmia. It is supposed to provide some protection against bronchitis and rheumatism.

Wood - used as fumigant for rheumatic pains and to protect puerperal mothers from colds and fevers.

***

IV) TOOTH BRUSH TREE :

COMMON NAMES ;

Mustard Tree (Eng.)
Shajr-al-Miswak, Arak (Ara.)
Peelu, Arak (Hindi, Urdu, Sans., Beng.)
Darakhte Miswak (Pers.)
Seerukalarva (Tam.)
Chinvargugu (Tel.)

BOTANICAL NAME :

Salvadora persica Linn.
(Family : Salvadoracae)

PARTS USED ; Twigs, bark and leaves.

System Affected : Reproductive and digestive system.

Specific Action : Astringent, analgesic, carminative and aphrodisiac.

Historical Account

The toothbrush is said to have originated around 3500 B,C. References to toothpicks or 'chewing sticks'  are found in ancient literature of Greek, Roman, Mesopotamia and in Egypt tombs, Romans valued good teeth as a sign of vigour and good health. In 1600 BC., Toothpicks became pencil size chew sticks or natural toothbrushes in China. Other forms of toothpicks were made from porcupine quills, animal bones etc. They were the predecessors of the tooth brushes made from the twigs of Savadora persica tree. During the time of Hippocrates ( 5th century) twigs or roots of sentisk wood or myrtle were also preferred method of cleaning teeth. Both these sources give its users pleasant breath. (Annonymus, 2004,and 2005)

Botanical Description

A large evergreen tree, with soft white yellowish wood; branches numerous, glorabrous, drooping, terete, shining almost white. Leaves fleshy, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate. obtuse and often mucronate at the apex; base usually acute. Flowers greenish yellow. In axillary and terminal compound lax panicles; pedicels 1.5 - 3 mm long. Calyx glabrous, lobes rounded. Corolla very thin, deeply cleft, persistent; lobes oblong obtuse. Stamens shorter than the corolla. Dropes globose, smooth, red when ripe.

Medical Properties

Leaves - Bitter, diuretic, analgesic, astringent to the bowels, corrective, anthelmintc, deobstruant, analgesic. Useful in leucoderma, nose troubles, scabies, eczema and piles; reduces inflammation, strengthen teeth.

Fruit - Sweet, Carminative, diuretic and aphrodisiac; useful in biliousness.

Seeds - Bitter sharp taste, tonic to liver, purgative, improve diuresis.

***

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About G A Moinuddin

Ahmed Moinuddin retired from his position as HR Manager in a top Indian Public Sector Organization. He holds Masters in Sciences and has versatile experience in managing people and departments. His passion is to share knowledge from the bucket of experiences he had over these years at personal and professional front.