Dr. Shiv Charan Sharma
Dr. Syed Aziz Ahmad
The Copyright of this book, as well as all matter contained herein (including illustrations) rests with the Publishers. No person shall copy the name of the book, its title design, matter and illustrations in any form and in any language, totally or partially or in any distorted form. Anybody doing so shall face legal action and will be responsible for damages.
D EDICATION
In loving memory of my late father
who dedicated his life for the cause of
Ayurveda & inspired me to know
medicinal plants.
Dr. S.C. Sharma
A CKNOWLEDGEMENT
W e express our deep sense of gratitude to old men, bhagats, hakims, vaidyas, and other villagers, without whose cooperation, this work would not have been possible. We are thankful to Dr. Rakesh ravi and Dr. A.M. Tripathi for valuable suggestions, and Mr. R.C. Sharma for quick typing of the manuscript.
Dr. S. C. Sharma
Dr. S. A. Ahmad
I NTRODUCTION
K itchen is a functional as well as a storage place in a house where raw materials are used to prepare food, domestic dishes, non-alcoholic beverages etc. Most of raw material are plants and their products, such as chilli, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, turmeric, cloves, wheat four, vegetables, onion etc. Majority of them have therapeutic value and provide fairly reliable remedies that are safe and less expensive. They can be used in odd hours of night and in emergency to cure coughs, cuts, sore throats, various types of pains, earache, toothache etc. as alternative medicines.
Today, pollution has played havoc with our lives, causing innumerable diseases, mental tension and stress. Therefore, natures cure or herbal medicines are quite fruitful and beneficial to human health. Recently, there has been a great liking for anything herbal, as it is deemed pure, fresh and without any side effects. Unfortunately, we are gradually forgetting the use of these indigenous herbs and medicines, as they are not commonly used by us. The information contained in this book is authors interesting, fruitful and based on our traditional knowledge and extensive experience down the centuries.
It is hoped that our readers will cure the ailments of the members of their family, neighbours and friends with the prescriptions contained in this book.
The information available in this book has been collected from experienced people, sadhus, hakims, vaidyas and others, who worked as folk-healers in the past.
C ONTENTS
1
SALAD PLANTS
1. Carrot (Gajar)
Botanical name :Daucus carota L.
Family: (Apiaceae Umbelliferae)
Sanskrit name : Gunjan
Plant part used : Root
Identification
An erect, biennial herb with fleshy conical tap root. Leaves decompound. Inforesce in termind compound umbel, white. Fruits cremocarp with hooked spines.
Distribution
It is a native of Mediterranean region from where it spread throughout the world. It is cultivated in Europe, Asia and Africa. In India, it is grown in majority of the states.
Chemical Composition
On an average, the fresh root contains 86% moisture, 0.9% proteins and 0.1% mineral matter. It also contains carotene, (a precursor of Vitamin A) and appreciable amounts of thiamine and ribofavin.
Medicinal Uses
To cure eye troubleTake the juice of fresh root in a cup. Mix it with 250 gm of fennel and 10 gm of sugar. Take this mixture with milk at night before sleep.
To heal wounds or soresBoil the roots and prepare a poultice. Place it over the wounds or sores and tie it with white thin piece of muslin cloth. Repeat it for at least 3-5 days.
To make heart strongBoil fresh roots and prepare paste. Place the paste open under the moonlight. After adding few drops of rose water and sufficient sugar, take it early in the morning.
To cure headacheBoil the fresh roots and extract the juice. Place 2 or 3 drops of juice in the nostril. Repeat 2 times after an interval of 15 minutes.
To remove intestinal diseasesA diet supplemented by raw carrots each day helps cleaning up constipation, promoting some looseness of the stool, providing relief in piles and sprue and killing worms in the intestine.
To have a check on CancerCarrot, a well-known source of anti-cancer nutrient, -carotene. It helps keep off cancer if consumed regularly.
To remove kidney stonesMake a cavity in the root and fill it with the seeds of turnip and radish. Close the cavity and then boil it. Take it twice a day. Stones will get dissolved.
To heal the burnsPour ice water first on the burnt part of the body. Dip thin cloth in carrot juice and tie lightly over the burnt part. Repeat it for 3 days.
To cure dysenteryBoil the roots and extract juice. Take one cup juice thrice a day.