The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jamayet Ali

Fig (Dumur) is a common fruit grows wild in lands, nooks and corner of the houses, by the side of the ponds, ditches and jungles of rural Bangla. It is considered to be a native of Asia Minor and is grown in nearly all tropical and sub-tropical countries. It is cultivated chiefly in the Mediterranean region from Turkey in the east to Spain and Portugal in the west. It is also grown commercially in parts of USA and Chile and to a small ex1'ent m Arabia, Persia, India, China and Japan.

The fig tree does not require very rich soil. Alluvial or loamy soil of yellow or reddish brown colour with a rocky bed 3 or 4 feet below the surface is best suited to its growth Fig trees also thrive in clayey soil but the land must not be water logged. A climate is necessary at the time of fruit development and maturation. The plant is less exacting as to soil and can tolerate more moisture when the crop is raised for use as fresh fruit: but when the crop is raised for drying, a warm moderately dry, farley sandy soil with a considerable amount of lime is required.

Four distinct classes of figs are found. These are: 1. Common fig 2. Capri fig 3. Smyrna fig and San pedro fig. Of these four types, Smyrna fig is commercially important and is extensively grown in Europe and America. It has superior nutty fiavour due to the presence of fertile seeds and considerable attention is paid to "Caprification" on which its quanty depends, the fig tree begins to bear a fair crop from the second or third year after planting. Though rooted cuttings and layered plants are known to bear fruits even m the first year of planting. Under suitable, the trees continue to bear for 12 to 15 years, after which they show a marked decline in yield. Normally the trees bear two crops in a year, but in some types even a third crop is obtained.

Figs are consumed fresh, dried, preserved, candled or canned. Fresh figs are delicious and may be used dessert or for jam. The great bulk of the crop is consumed as dried fruit. Better of dried fig are used for making fancy packs, while other grades are used in Mediterranean countries for the production of alcohol and wine. A preparation known as Fig coffee is manufactured in Europe and used in coffee substitute. Figs are roasted like coffee beans, cooled and packed in containers. Other fig products are: Spiced or Pickled Figs, Fig Bread, Fig Meat and Fig Brownies. Ripened fruits are picked either from the tree or gathered after they drop on the ground. In the major fig growing countries, special devices are necessary for collecting fruits from the tree and pickers are protected against the acrid juice. Fresh figs do not keep well even under cold storage (32-35 F), for more than a month. Fresh fig is a delicious fruit with highly nutritive value. The average composition of the edible part of the fresh Indian fig as follows: moisture, 80.8; protein, 1.3; ether extract, 0.2 mineral matter, 0.6; carbohydrates, 17.1; calcium, 0.06; and Phosphorus 0.03 0'0. Iron 1.2 mg: carotene, 270 international vitamin A units, nicotinic acid, 0.6 mg, riboflavin 50 and ascorbic acid 2 mg /100 g. (Wealth of India, Raw Materials).

Figs owe their food value chiefly to their mineral and sugar contents. The total mineral content is 2 to 4 times that of more other fresh foods and only cheese and a few of the nuts have a higher calcium content.

They are richer in iron and copper than nearly all fruits and vegetables and most other dried fruits. Traces of zinc are also reported to be present. Both fresh and dried figs contain appreciable quantities of vitamins A and C (c 30% of the vitamin A activity is lost in drying) and small amounts of vitamins of the B group and D.

Fig leaves are used as fodder for which purpose they are gathered after the fruits have ripened. The leaves contain: moisture, 67.6 ; crude protein, 4.3 ; crude fat, 1.7 ; crude fibre, 4.7 ; ash, 5.3 ; N-free extract, 16.4 ; and pentosans, 3.6 %. The leaves also contain 0.002 % carotene (dry wt. basis). The fig also yields a latex containing resin, albumin, cerin, sugar and malic acid.

Medicinal Properties: All parts of the tree are bitter, cooling, acrid ; astringent to the bowels, antidysenteric; useful in "Kapha", biliousness, psoriasis, anaemia, piles, jaundice, haemorrhage of the nose and mouth , disease of the blood.

The fruit is sweetish, cooling ; aphrodisiac, tonic, lactagogue, emetic; causes "vata" and constipation (Ayurveda). The acrid milk is used medicinally in Kongra. In Bombay and the Konkan, the powdered fruit heated with water to form a poultice is apllied to buboes. It is also given to milch cattle to dry up their milk. The fruit, seeds and bark are possessed of valuable emetic properties. ( Indian Medicinal Plants, K. R. Kirtikar & B.D. Basu , Vol. III , 2330).

The fruit, fresh or dried is valued for its laxative property. It is diuretic, demulcent, emollient and nutritive. It is used in the form of confection and syrups.

The preparations sold under the name of 'Syrup of figs' contain senna as one of the constituents. Figs are considered useful in the nutritional anaemias. The ash of figs is highly alkaline (Wealth Of India, Raw Materials).

Medicine: Fig latex is used as an anthelmintic. It is toxic when administered parenterally to animals but has no toxic effect when administered orally. The anthelmintic action has been traced to ficin, an enzyme which has the remarkable role of digesting living helminthes. Ficin is effective against both trichurus and ascaris. The dried fruit is demulcent, emollient; nutritive and laxative. It is however only rarely employed medicinally.

Persons suffering from habitual constipation find it useful as an article of diet. The fruit is also used in the form of a poultice to effect suppuration. The pulp of the fig mixed with vinegar and sugar is very effective in bronchitic affections (Dr. Emerson).

Fluckiger and Hanbury say the dry fig contains about 60 to 70 percent of grape sugar and the unripe fruit starch. Ainslie remarks that the vytians prescribe figs in consumption cases. The Arabians place them among their Mobehyat or aphrodisiacs and Muzijat or suppurantia. Smyrna figs are deemed the best.

Special Opinions: "The juice of the leaves is of use when applied locally in the early stages of leucoderma" (Narain Misser, Kathe Bazar Dispensary, Hoshangabad, Central Provinces). (Dictionary of the Economic Products of India).