The New Nation - Internet Edition

-Jamayet Ali

Lemon grass is a large, coarse, glaucous grass found wild in many places, including by the side of the rivers, ditches, canals etc. It also grows wild in forests and specially in Chitagong Hill Tracts. Eminent Scientist (late) Prof. Dr. Nurul Absar Khan, ex-Chainnan, Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR), successfully developed high yielding varieties of Lemon grass L G I C L-77 while serving as the Director, Dhaka Laboraties and Chitagong Laboratories after total 16 years of hard experiments. This variety of Lemon grass is able to yield 0.69 to 0.85 % oil which is now being cultivated in many parts of the country. Lemon grass oil is largely used in cosmetic industries. Lemon grass is also cultivated in India, Srilanka, Singapore and other tropical countries. It rarely or never bears flowers. Its botanical name is Andropogon citratus.

Medicinal Properties: Lemon grass oil is an important ingredient in preparing medicine under Ayurvedic and Unani system. When pure it is of a pale sherry colour, transparent, with an extremely pungent taste, and a peculiar fragrant lemon like odour. The properties atributed to it are stimulant, carminative, antispasmodic, and diaphoretic; locally it is a rubefacient It is recommended to be administered in flatulent and spasmodic affections of the bowels and in gastric irritability. In cholera it has been

spoken highly of as a remedy of great value, allaying and arresting the vomiting, and aiding the process of reaction. Dr. Waring, in the appendix to the Indian Pharmacopoeia, records a high testimony in its favour both as an external application in rheumatism and in other painful affections, and as a stimulant and diaphoretic internally. He states that among the Indo-Britons of South India, it is one of their most highly esteemed remedies in cholera. Dr. Ross, in the same notice, reports very favourably of a warm infusion prepared by macerating about four ounces of the leaves in a pint of hot water. This he has used very successfully as a diaphoretic in febrile affections, especially in weakly subjects, or when the fever is of a typhoid type.

Special Opinions: "Infusion of the leaves (tea) is largely used as an agreeable sudorific in mild cases of fever, and as a medicinal vapour bath for the same purpose. It is often combined with Mentha arvensis, when used with the above object" (Assistant Surgeon Sakharam Arjun Ravat, Bombay.) "Taken internally, in some parts of India, in the fonn of an infusion like tea or with milk, it is said to be a stimulant and diaphoretic. The vapour of a hot infusion is inhaled by fever patients to produce diaphoresis" (Surgeon W. Barren, Bhuj, Cutch, Bombay). "An infusion of the leaves (known as "lemon tea") is very refreshing." (Honorary Surgeon P. Kinsley, Chicacole, Ganjam, Madras.) "The roots and tender leaves are sometimes given with black pepper in cases of disordered menstruation and in the congestive and neuralgic form of dysrnenonrrhola. The oil is useful in flatulent colic and other spasmodic affections of the bowels, and as an application in chronic rheumatism, &c." (Brigade Surgeon J.H. Thornton, B.A., M.B., Monghyr.) "Carminative and tonic to the intestinal mucus membrane, useful in vomiting and diarrhoea, externally it forms a useful liniment" (Surgeon-Major Henry David Cook, Malabar.) "Lemon grass oil, applied with prolonged friction, is a pleasant and useful application in lumbago." (H. De Tatham).

Kantanatey

Kantanatey is an erect, glabrous, herbaceous weed with a hard main stem having many grooved branches with sharp divaricate spines, ovate or lanceolate leaves, numerous sessile flowers interminal and axillary dense or interrupted spikes, grows wild in all parts of Bangladesh. It also grows in India, Srilanka and other many tropical countries. The leaves make a good spinach and pot-herb, through the sharp spines in their axles are troublesome to pick. The poor among the natives use the leaves as pot-herbs, especially in times of scarcity. Its botanical name is Amarantus spinosus.

Medicinal Properties: The plant is cooling; digestible, alecteric, laxative, diuretic, stomachic, antipyretic; improves the appetite; useful in "kapha" and biliousness, blood diseases, burning sensation, hallucination, leprosy, bronchitis, rat-bite, piles, leucorrhoea. The root is heating, expectorant; lessens the menstrual flow; useful in leucorrhoea and leprosy (Ayurveda). The root is considered a specific in gonorrhoea. It is used in menorrhagia and eczema; and as a poultice it is applied to buboes and abscesses for hastening suppuration. it is also considered a lactagogue and a specific for colic. The boiled leaves and roots are given to children as a laxative; they are applied as an emollient poultice to abscesses, boils, and burns. The whole plant is used in the treatment of snake-bite; but no part of it is an antidote to snake-venom. In Cambodia, the root is used internally as a diuretic, sudorific and febrifuge. In the Gold Coast, it is used as an enema for stomac trouble and the Krobos use it for curing piles. In Madagascar, the root is considered diuretic, laxative and galactagogue. The root ground in water is applied to eczematous skin. The ash of the plant is applied topically to fungating chancre. In La Reunion, the herb is usud as a refiigerant and diuretic. For blennorrhagia the root is chewed and its decoction is drunk. (Indian Medicinal Plants, K.R. Kirtikar & B.D. Basu, Vol.-Ill, 2557, 2558) .

Medicine: The whole plant is used as an antidote for snake-poison, and the root as a specific for colic. The root has been found useful in the treatment of gonorrhoea: it is said to arrest the discharge.

Special Opinions: "Hindu physicians prescribe the root in combination with other drugs in menorrhagia. A poultice of the leaves was officinal in the Bengal Pharmacopoeia." (Dymock's Mat Med., W. Ind.) It is also considered a lactagogue, and, boiled with pulse, is given to cows. "The root has lately been introduced into European practice as a remedy for gonorrhoea, and is advertised by some of the London druggists." (Surgeon-Major Dymock.) "Roots made into poultice are applied to buboes and abscesses for hastening suppuration. (Surgeon Anund Chunder Muketri, Noakhally). "Supposed to be an excellent remedy for gonorrhoea. Dose of the decoction of the root one to two oz." (Surgeon W. Barren, Bhuj, Cutch.) "Kanta nutia is a cooling diuretic. An infusion in hot water I have used in some cases of gonorrhoea. It lessens burning and relieves pain." (Surgeon R.L. Dut, M.D., Pabna.) "Used frequently for colic pain and for scorpion-bite." Surgeon C.J.W. Meadows, Barisal.) "Emollient and used in the form of poultice." (Deputy Surgeon-General G. Bidie, Madras.) "Given to cows as a lactagogue." (Asst Surgeon Shib Chunder Bhutacharji, Chanda, Central Provinces.) (Dictionary of the Economic Products of India, Wat, Vol.!)

Properties and uses: Plant is febrifuge, antipyretic, laxative, stomachic, appetiser and diuretic. It is used in treating blood diseases, hallucination, bronchitis, leprosy, leucorrhoea and piles. Decoction of leaves and roots are used as laxative and as emollient poultice to abscesses, boils and burns. They are also used in constipation, flatulence, jaundice and gonorrhoea and in treating rat-bites. Root is heating and expectorant It reduces menstrual flow and is specific for gonorrhoea. Root is also used in leucorrhoea, menorrhagia and eczema. Pollen extract is useful in allergic asthma or allergic rhinitis in human patients. (Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh, Abdul Ghani, Second Edition, 90).