Fruits - Specimen details

Fruits - Specimen details

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Catalogue Number: 56760

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Plant Name 66.00 COMBRETACEAE Terminalia chebula Entry Book Number 77.1900
Artefact Name Fruits Vernacular Name
Iso Country India TDWG Region India
Parts Held Fruits Geography Description India , Central Provinces, Seoni
Uses FruitsUse: MATERIALS - Tannins/Dyestuffs User: Man TDWG use MATERIALS - Tannins/Dyestuffs
Storage Bottles, boxes etc Related Items
Donor Paris Exhib Donor No
Donor Date 00/00/1900 Donor Notes
Collector Collector No
Collection Notes Collection Date
Exhibition Expedition
Number Components Publication
Notes: Label source: Exhibitor Divisional Forest Officer No 757 D.D. Cat. p.17 Opuscular source: History and Uses - Dutt (Hindu Materia Medica) informs us that Chebulic Myrobalans was highly extolled by the ancient Hindus as a powerful alterative and tonic. Th, ey have received the names of Pranada, or life-giver, Sudha, or nectar, Bhiohakpriya, or physicians favourite. A mythological origin has been attributed to the tree. It is said that when Indra was drinking nectar in heaven, a drop of fluid fell on the ear, th and produced the tree. Very large fruit are particularly valuable and fetch a fancy price; chebulic myrobalans are considered laxative, tonic, stomachic, and alterative. They are prescribed alone or in combination with emblic and belleric myrobalans in, a vast number of diseases chiefly those affecting chest and abdomen. The 3 myrobalans are called triphala in Sanskrit and recipes for their administration will be found in Dutt's Materia Medica. The more mature fruits are in general use but other stages, are only occasionally met with in Bombay shops. The Mahomatans like the Hindus attribute many fanciful properties to the drug; we may say the right fruit is used chiefly as a purgative, and is considered to remove bile and phlegm; it should be combined wi, th aromatics such as fennel & caraway seeds. The unripe fruit is most valued for its astringent and aperient properties, and is a useful medicine in dysentery and diarrhoea; it should also be given with aromatics. The best way of administering myrobalans, is to make them into a conserve with honey or sugar; 2 or 3 of the mature fruit are sufficient purgative for an adult. In the Pharmacopoeia of India Dr Waring mentions his having found 6 of the mature fruit an efficient and safe purgative, producing 4 or, 5 copious stools a unattend by griping, nausea or other ill effects; probably those used were not of the largest kind. Twinning in Diseases of Bengal speaks very favourably of the immature fruit as a tonic and aperient in enlargements of the abdominal vi, scera. I have found them useful medicine in diarrhoea and dysentery given in doses of a drachm twice a day . Description - mature myrobalan is ovoid and 1 to 1 1/2 inches long tapering to the lower extremity obscurely 5 or 6 sided and furrowed longitudina, lly covered with a smooth yellowish brown epidermis within which is an astringent pulp enclosing a large rough bony one-celled endocarp. Unripe fruits are shrivelled black ovoid brittle bodies from 1/3 to 3/4 inch in length. Having a shining fracture and, an extremely astringent taste. On careful examination the rudiments of the nut may be distinguished. Dymock

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