MEDICINAL VLUE OF GINGER
The effectiveness of Ginger in our indigenous medical system and our remedies has been proved often.
Though the Sanskrit name of Ginger is “SINGARA”, it has been commonly called “MAHAUSHADHA” by early Sanskrit writers. The raw ginger is called “ARDRAKA” and by 20 other epithets while dry ginger is cold “SUNTI” and by 24 other epithets. The Dravya guna Niganduwa, the encyclopedia of tropical plants and drugs used in Ayurvedic medicine describes it is an ingredient in medicine for Constipation, nausea, asthma, colic, palpitation of the hart, tympanitis ect. Italso warns patients who suffer from skin diseases, anaemia , kidney infectionand high fever against using ginger.
A very efficacious medicine for acute colic, diarrhea followed by vomiting Is the substance obtained by crushing together ginger , garlic and a piece of the bark from the “Drumstick” (Murunga pothu) with a small quantity of Budda raja Kalke. Sometimes diarrhea and vomiting makes the patient catch a chill and feel Faint.
A home remedy at such a time is rubbing crushed ginger on the palms and soles of the feet and also tieing a little of it on the two big toes. Another remedy For this condition is: Coriander, ginger, iriveriya, kalanduru, and beli root (3 kalan or 1 ½ oz ) boiled down in to 8 cups of water to one cup and administered twise a day. Yet another remedy which is also effective for amaeobiosis is ginger , kalanduru, atividayn and kelindasal in equal quantites roasted and made in to powder and poured like coffee. This is safe medicine even for infants with diarrhea when given in small dose of 2-4 tea spoon fuls at a time.
Today there are many cases of fever and with its first sign we rush to the dispensary or the hospital with out paying any heed to our local simple remedies. Take 3kalans(1 ½ oz) of each of the following : ginger, katuwal batu, batumul and Dewadara and 8 cups of water. Boil down to one cup and take twice a day.
Some people may think cumbersome preparing a decoction: ingredients are still obtainable in many shops even within the city. Boling it is the same as makingA soup: is nothing spcial about it.What you have to do is boil down the 8 cups of water to one cup preferably on a slow fire.
Source: HERBAL FOOD andMEDICINE inSRI LANKA
Dr Seela fernandu
