Some Useful Herbal Plants

1. Abelmoschus moschatus (Latakasturika)
Parts used – Root, seed and leaves
Latakasturika is aphrodisiac, digestive, beneficial for eyes, diuretic,
relieves thirst, useful in diseases of mouth, and bladder. (Bp.
Su.su.46)
Bad breath
Seeds of latakasturika are chewed in case of tastelessness
and bad breath. (5-10 gms)
Respiratory disorders
In case of excessive phlegm in respiratory disorders,
decoction of the seeds are used. (30 gms for decoction)
2. Abrus precatorius (Gunja )
Parts used – Root, seed and leaves
Uses – The root, seed and leaves of Gunja is used in the form of
powder to treat avabahuka(frozen shoulder), gandamala(scrofula),
dental caries, baldness, dandruff, for promoting growth of ear
lobes, erysipelas and skin diseases.
Dental caries
Root of gunja made into a paste is applied on affected parts
(5-10 gms). It relieves the pain caused by dental caries
(RM.5.13)
Dandruff
Oil cooked with gunja seeds along with bhrngaraja(Eclipta
alba) in case of itching, dandruff and other diseases of scalp
3. Acacia sinuata (saptala)
Parts used: fruits
Useful in skin diseases, ulcers, swelling, stomatitis, and it is
laxative.
Laxative
Ghee prepared with the root is used as a laxative in chronic
cases of skin diseases, rheumatic disorders and body swelling.
(10 ml)(Ch.ci.28)
4. Achyranthes aspera (Apamarga )
Parts used – Root, seed and leaf
Uses – The root, seed and leaf of Apamarga is used in the form of
juice and powder to treat excessive hunger, piles, , calculi, wound,
difficult labour, sinus, wound due to accident, eye diseases, ear
diseases, diseases pertaining to head, dog-bite, , abdominal pain,
jaundice, insomnia, pain in vagina.
Piles
Apamarga, nagakesara (Mesua ferrea) , satavari (asparagus
racemosus) and vasa (adhatoda vasica) decoction cures
bleeding piles (40-60ml) (VD.5.8)
Dysuria
Apamarga root powder (10-15 gms) taken with milk
overcomes dysuria (VD.7.4)
Accidental wounds
Oil cooked with apamarga root along with water is applied
locally to relieve pain caused by accidental injuries (10-15
gms) (RM.26.7)
Abdominal pain
Ghee cooked with decoction of apamarga and paste of pippali
(piper longum)relieves abdominal pain (10 ml) (SY.ghrta.5)
5. Acorus calamus (Vaca)
Part used – Rhizomes
Uses – The rhizomes of Vaca is use in the form of powder, paste
and decoction to treat diarrhoea, epilepsy, oedema, scrotal
enlargement, skin diseases, headache, alopecia, wound, eye
diseases, colic, piles, indigestion, acid gastritis, heart-diseases, ratpoisoning,
diseases of mouth and as rejuvinative.
Diarrhoea
One suffering from diarrhoea should take water boiled with
vaca and prativisa (aconitum)(60-120 ml)(CS.Ci.19.22)
Epilepsy
a) Old ghee processed with brahmi juice (Bacopa monnieri),
vaca, kustha (sassurea lappa)and snakhapuspi (convolvulus
microphyllus) alleviates insanity, and epilepsy (10-20
ml)(CS.Ci 10.25)
c) By using vaca powder (10-15gms) with honey keeping on diet
of milk and rice overcomes epilepsy, VM.21.9)
Headache
In suryavartta and hemicrania pressed snuff of vaca and pippali
(2-5 gms) and honey is useful (SS.U 26.33; also VM 62.38)
Acid gastritis
One should take vaca (5-10 gms) mixed with honey and jaggery
(GN 2.38.25)
6. Adhatoda beddomei (Vasa)
Parts used – Root, leaves and flower
Uses – The root, leaves and flowers of Vasa is used in the form of
juice and decoction to treat fever, intrinsic haemorrhage, cough,
asthma, consumption, skin diseases, obesity, oedema, skin
diseases, leucorrhoea, difficult labour,
vomiting, piles, pox, retention of urine, diseases of mouth and as
rejuvinative.
Fever and cough
Decoction of vasa. Kantakari (solanum xanthocarpum) and
guduci (tinospora cordifolia )mixed with honey alleviates fever
and cough. (40-60 ml) (S.G 2.2.82)
Decoction of vasa, draksa (Vitis vinifera) and haritaki (Terminalia
chebula)mixed with sugar and honey checks cough, asthma and
intrinsic haemorrhage (40-60 ml) (VM.9.13; also SG2.2.80)
Dry cough
Powder of haridra (curcuma longa) cooked with vasa juice and
taken with fatty layer of milk checks dry cough (10-15 ms)
(SB.4.333)
Jaundice (kamala)
Juice of vasa mixed with honey should be taken. It alleviates
fever, cough, wasting, jaundice, kapha and pitta (10-20 ml)
(SG.2.1.8,34)
Sciatica
One should take decoction of vasa, sunthi (zingiber officinale)
and aragvadha (cassia fistula) mixed with castor oil. It is useful
in sciatica (40-60 ml) (BS. 587; BP.Ci.24.140)
7. Aegle marmelos (Bilva)
Parts used – Fruit, leaves and root
Uses – The fruit, leaves and root of Bilva is used in the form of
powder, juice and decoction to treat diarrhoea, sprue, piles,
oedema, jaundice, vomiting, obesity, deafness, eye diseases,
paediatric diseases, fever and as a rejuvinative.
Diarrhoea
1. To treat diarrhoea by taking tender fruits of bilva with honey or
butter milk (10-20 gms) (CS.Ci.19.113)
2. In case of diarrhoea with blood, tender fruits of bilva mixed with
liquid jaggery, honey and oil should be taken. (10-20 gms) (SS.
U.40.119)
3. Decoction of bilva and amra (Mangifera indica) (seed) mixed with
honey and sugar checks vomiting and diarrhoea (10-15
gms)(VM.3.30)
Jaundice
Intake of bilva leaves (juice) mixed with trikatu (piper longum,
piper nigrum, zingiber officinale )alleviates jaundice, (20
ml)(CS.Ci.16.59)
Vomiting
1. Cooled decoction of bilva or guduci (Tinospora cordifolia)added
with honey should be taken in case of vomiting (40-60 ml)
(VM.15.15; BP.Ci.17.25)
2. Perched paddy mixed with sugar and dissolved in decoction of
bilva root (bark) should administered to the child. It checks
vomiting and diarrhoea (40 –60ml) (BS balaroga.49)
8. Aloe barbadensis (Kumari )
Parts used – Leaf and root
Uses – The leaf and root of Kumari is used in the form of juice to
treat spleen enlargement, epilepsy, penile wart, difficult micturition,
inflammation in penis, abscess, jaundice, abdominal distensions,
mastitis, headache and amenorrhoea.
Epilepsy
Ghee cooked with kumari juice and decoction of madhuka
(Glycyrrhiza glabra) and added with sugar is useful in
epilepsy and palpitation of heart (10-15 ml) (SB.4.453)
Abscess
Kumari decocted with tila (gingly oil) and sour gruel or alone
ripens the abscess (10-20 gms)(VD.16.101)
Abdominal distention/
One suffering from gulma should swallow the pulp of kumari
(aloe vera) 5gm mixed with cow-ghee and added with fine
powder of trikatu,(piper longum, piper nigrum, zingiber
officinale) haritaki (Terminalia chebula) and saindhava (rock
salt) (10-15 gms) (BP.Ci.32.44)
Mastitis
Kumari root mixed with haridra (curcuma longa) is applied as
paste on breast to relieve pain ( 10-15 gms) (GN.6.8.23)
9. Andrographis paniculata (Bhunimba )
Parts used – Whole plant
Uses – The whole plant of Kiratatikta is used in the form of powder
and decoction to treat fever, sprue, oedema, for purifying breastmilk,
intrinsic haemorrhage, vomiting.
fever
Hot infusion of kiratatikta mixed with dhanyaka(Coriandrum
sativum) leaves alleviates fever immediately (40-60ml)
(SB.4.32)
Oedema
Paste of kiratatikta and sunthi (zingiber officinale) destroys
chronic oedema (10-15 gms) (CS.Ci.12.42)
10. Anogeissus latifolia (dhava)
Parts used. Bark, resin
useful in diabetes, piles anaemia, digestive, improves taste.
Skin diseases
Bark is made into a paste and applied on affected parts ( as
required)(ch.ci.11)
Ear inflammation
Oil prepared with the bark is used as an ear drop in case of
ear inflammation (3-5 drops) (su.ut.21)
11. ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS (Satavari)
Part used – Root
Uses – The root of Satavari is used in the form of juice, paste,
decoction and powder to treat intrinsic haemorrhage, diarrhoea,
piles, hoarseness of voice, cough, arthritis, poisoning, diseases of
female genital tract, erysipelas, fever, as aphrodisiac and as
rejuvinative.
As rejuvinative/ Rasayana
Ghee cooked with paste and decoction of satavari and added
with sugar is used as a rejuvinative (AH.U.39.157)
As galactagogue / increases breast milk
Satavari pounded and taken with milk increases the flow of
breast-milk (10-20 gms) (YR.P.427)


12. AZADIRACHTA INDICA (Nimba)
Parts used – All parts
Uses – The all parts of Nimba are used in the form of juice and
decoction to treat fever, intrinsic haemorrhage, bleeding piles,
wound, oedema, , arthritis, skin diseases, diabetes, eye diseases,
leucorrhoea, as, poisons, jaundice, for fumigation, diseases of
teeth, heart diseases, as specific digestive and diseases of vagina.
Skin diseases (Kustha)
1. The decoction of nimba and patola (Trichosanthes cucumerina)is
efficacious in skin diseases (40-60 ml) (CS.Ci.7.97-99)
2. Intake of haritaki (terminalia chebula)and nimba or nimba and
amalaka (Phyllanthus emblica) for a month overcomes all types
of skin diseases (40-60 ml) (GN.2.36.87)
3.Local application of the juice of dhattura (Datura metal) , nimba
and betel leaves separately destroys skin diseases such as eczema,
ring worms etc. (10-20 gms) (SG.3.11.52-53)
Diabetes (Prameha)
1. Decoction of bark, leaves, root fruit and flowers of nimba
aragvadha, (cassia fistula) saptaparna,(Alstonia scholaris)
murva (Maerua arenaria) kutaja (Holarrhena antidysenterica) ,
katphala (Gmelina arborea) and palasa (Butea monosperma)
destroys all types of diabetes (40-60 ml) (SS.Ci.11.8)
Wounds
1. Decoction of nimba leaves cleans the wound (120 ml)(CS.CS.
25.84)
2. Nimba leaf mixed with honey acts as cleansing agent. Both of
them added with ghee promote healing (10-15 gms)
(SS.Ci.1.68)
3. Paste of nimba leaves and sesamum mixed with honey cleanses
wound while mixed with ghee it acts as healing agent. (10-15
gms)(VM.44.28)
4. The paste of nimba leaves, by external application, cleanses and
heals wound while it intake it alleviated vomiting, skin diseases
disorders of pitta and kapha and worms (10-15 gms) (SG.2.5.5)


13. Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi)
Parts used – whole plant
Uses – The whole plant of Brahmi is used in the form of juice to
treat insanity,
epilepsy, paediatric diseases, pox and as a rejuvinative.
Mental disorders
Brahmi, kusmanda(Benincasa hispida ) and sankhapuspi
((convolvulus microphyllus ) separately mixed with kustha
(Saussurea lappa) and honey is used in mental disorders (10-15
gms) (VM.20.3; SG.2.1.18)
Epilepsy
1. Old ghee processed with brahmi juice, vaca(Acorus calamus) ,
kustha (Saussurea lappa) and sankhapuspi (convolvulus
microphyllus )alleviate insanity, inauspiciousness, and
epilepsy (10-15 gms) (CS.Ci.10.25)
To promote intellect
Juice of Brahmi, or mandukaparni(Centella asiatica) are be
taken with honey and ghee to promote intellect (10-15 ml)
(KS.P.5)
14. Baliospermum montanum (Danti)
Parts used – Root, leaves, seed and oil
Uses – The root, leaves, seed and seed oil is used in the form of
powder, seed and oil to treat piles, anaemia, jaundice, skin
diseases, cyst, as purgative, wound and conjunctivitis.
Piles (arasa)
Leaves of trivrt(ipomoea turpethum), danti(Baliospermum
montanum), cangeri(oxalis corniculata) and citraka(Plumbago
indica) fried in oil and ghee (mixed) and added with fatty
layer of curd should be given as vegetable (10-15 gms)
(CS.Ci.14.122)
Skin diseases (Kustha)
Danti (Baliospermum montanum), trivrt (ipomoea
turpethum)and brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) powder together
should be taken with honey and ghee. It is beneficial for skin
diseases, diabetes and numbness (10-15 gms) (AH.Ci.19.34)


15. Bixa orellana (Sinduri)
Parts used – Root, bark, seeds
Uses – The root, bark and seeds of Sinduri is used to treat
intermittent fever, gonorrhoea, as mosquito repellent, dysentery
and for colouring edible materials.