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Jamayet Ali

Natakaranja is an extensive climber plant; branches finely grey-downy, armed with hooked and straight hard yellow prickles. It is found in fallow lands and jungles in all parts of rural Bangla. It is also found in India, Myanmar and other tropical countries. It is an important medicinal plant. All parts of this plant are useful. The nuts are used for making into bracelets, necklaces, rosaries etc. Necklaces of the seeds strung upon red silk are worn by pregnant women as a charm to prevent abortion. The seeds are used by children in place of marbles.

Medicinal Properties: The root-bark is good for tumours and for removing the placenta. The sprouts are useful in the treatment of tumours. The juice of the leaves is anthelmintic; good in elephantiasis and smallpox; destroys the bad odour due to perspiration. The flower is bitter, heating to the body; cures "kapha" and "vata" ; the ash is used in ascites. The fruit is acrid, heating to the body; astringent to the bowels, aphrodisiac, anthelmintic; cures urinary discharges, leucorrhoea, piles, wounds. The oil from the fruit is good for indolent ulcers (Ayurveda). The seed is hot and dry; styptic, antiperiodic, anthelmintic, prevents contagious diseases; cures inflammations; useful in colic, malaria, hydrocele, skin diseases, leprosy (Yunani).

In an official report, the Madras Committee for the proposed revision of the Indian Pharmacopoeia, remark that "the seeds are very useful and cheap and antiperiodic, antipyretic, and tonic; valuable in all ordinary cases of simple, continued and intermittent fevers. They have also been found useful in some cases of asthma." In Madras, an ointment is made from the powdered seeds with castor oil and applied in hydrocele and orchitis. In disorders of the liver, the tender leaves are considered very efficacious. In Cochin China they are reckoned as a deobstruent and emmenagogue; and an oil expressed from them is given in convulsions, palsy, and similar complaints.

In Malaya, the young leaves are used in intermittent fevers, and for expelling intestinal worms. In Ceylon, they are applied for toothache, and they are also given for worms in children. In La Reunion and Madagascar, the roots are considered febrifuge and anthelmintic; they are much used as an astringent in Leucorrhoea and blennorrhagia. The seeds are considered tonic, febrifuge, anthelmintic, antiblennorrhagic; and specific in treatment of hydrocele. The oil from the seeds is used in convulsions and paralysis. The leaves are a good emmenagogue. In Guinea, the pounded seeds are considered vesicant; a decoction of the root is prescribed in fever; the boiled leaves are used as a gargle for sore throat. The powdered seeds were administered mixed with equal part of pepper powder to malarial patients and were found to possess feeble antiperiodic properties. In malignant malaria, they did not do any good.

The leaves and seeds after roasting with castor oil are applied externally to inflammatory swellings especially to inflamed piles, hydrocele, and orchitis with benefit (Koman). The seeds contain a fairly good percentage of pale yellow thick oil having an agreeable odour. It has iodine value of 96.1 and saponification value of 292.8. We could not confirm the presence of an alkaloid as noted by the previous investigators, but they contain a non-glucocidal bitter principle insoluble in water which is pharmacologically in active. According to some authors the quantity of oil varies between 20 to 25 per cent, whereas in our specimen we did not get more than 14 per cent. As the seeds to do not show any marked therapeutic properties and the reinvestigation of their chemical composition does not reveal the presence of any active principles with marked physiological action, further clinical trials were considered unnecessary (Chopra and Ghosh) (Indian Medicinal Plants, KR. Kirtikar and BD Basu, 842-44).

Medicine: The Seeds or Nuts- The seeds are viewed as possessing well-marked antiperiodic properties, and are largely used by the natives instead of quinine. For this purpose they are pounded with black pepper, from 5 to 30 grams being regarded as the proper dose. Ainslie seems first to have drawn the attention of Europeans to this powder, but even up to the present date it has not apparently taken the position which it deserves as a tonic and febrifuge. It was made officinal in the Indian Pharmacopoeia, the dose of powder being 18 to 15 grains. "In Intermittent fevers, especially in those of the natives, this remedy has been found very useful. It is best given in the following: Take of Bonduc seeds, deprived of their shells and powdered one ounce, black pepper powdered, one ounce, mix thoroughly, and keep in a well stoppered bottle. Of this the dose is from 15 to 30 grains three times a day for adults. In smaller doses it is a good tonic in debility after fever and other diseases"

Thwaites says: "Every part of the plant is used medicinally in Ceylon."

O'Shaughnessy remarks, that 'the seeds afford a powerful tonic and very valuable febrifuge." "Nitric acid reddens the nut and subsequently gives it a yellow colour." Dr. Irvine, in his Medical Topography of Ajmere says: "The seed is very bitter; used very generally as a tonic, februfuge, and deobstruent; common at Ajmere. Natives foolishly suppose the seed will cure a scorpion-sting." In an official report, the Madras Committee for the proposed revision of the Indian Pharmacopoeia remark that "the seeds are very useful and chief (antiperiodic, antipyretic, and tonic, valuable in all ordinary cases of simple, continued, and intermittent fevers. They have also been found useful in some cases of asthma. They resemble Aconitum heterophyllum in their action, but are preferable to it for cheapness. The root bark is inferior to the seeds, and the root quite useless. Fever- nut may be substituted for Pulv. Jacobi as a febrifuge, and for Valerian as antismasmodic, and for Gentian and Culumbo as a tonic. "In Persia and India the seeds are considered to be hot and dry, useful for dispersing swellings, restraining haemorrhage, and keeping off infectious diseases. They are also given internally in leprosy, and are thought to be anthelmintic." (Surgeon-Major W. Dymock, Bombay.) Dr. Ch .. Rice writes to the. author that the "seeds are used among the Malays as astringent tonics in bowel complaints. They have also been reported as facilitating child birth."

In debility after fevers and other diseases, "the bark of the root of Bonduc shrub in 10-grain doses is reported to be even more effectual than the seeds themselves." (Waring.) It would thus appear that a difference of opinion prevails regarding the properties of the root, but all authors agree in extolling the virtue of the seeds. An ointment is made from the powdered seeds, with castor oil, and applied externally in hydrocele.

The leaves- In disorders of the liver the tender leaves are considered very efficacious. Drury says that in Cochin China the leaves are reckoned as a deobstruent and emmenagogue, and that an oil expressed from them is useful in convulsions, palsy, and similar complaints. Dr. Oh. Rice informs the author that "the young leaves are used in intermittent fevers and for expelling intestinal worms" At the late Colonial and Indian Exhibition a pale orange-coloured nut was known by the West Indian Colonies as obtained from a special cultivated form of this plant. This is not in India, the nuts being all of a slaty-olive green.

Special Opinions: The kernel of the seeds is decidedly tonic and antiperiodic, but much inferior in this respect to the cinchona preparations. It is useful in dispensary practice where economy is a desideratum." (Surgeon R.D. Murray, M.B., Burdwan.) "Nata is decidedly antiperiodic, but feeble in its action, requiring 3 to 3 and half grs. of the powdered seed to check an ordinary intermittent fever." (Surgeon R.L. Dutt, M.D. Pubna.) "I have often used it as an antiperiodic, it is certainly of value. The powdered seed smoked in a hukka, in liew of tobacco, is said to be very efficacious in colic." (Surgeon-Major C.W. Calthrop, M.D. Morar.) "In doses of 5 to 20 grains, the powdered seeds constitute an efficient antiperiodic, little inferior to cinchona febrifuge." (Surgeon W. Barren, Bhuj, Cutch) "Used in charitable hospitals as an antiperiodic, but it is decidedly inferior to cinchona febrifuge, and in large doses it produces nausea." (Brigade Surgeon S.M. Shircore, Murshedabad.)" Much used as a tonic and a mild antiperiodic, in 5-grain doses, in dispensary practice" (Surgeon G. Price, Shahabad.) "The kernel, in the form of a powder, has been extensively used by me in the treatment of ague, specially the tertian and quartian varieties, and found useful in about 50 per cent of cases." (Assistant Surgeon Bhagwan Dass, Rawalpindi, Panjab.) " Its antiperiodic properties are not well marked.

I have found it useful in convalescence, after fevers." (Assistant Surgeon Shib Chunder BhuttachaIji, Chanda, Central Provinces.) "The seeds are said to be useful in colic (dose one seed), and the ash as an external application to ulcers." (Surgeon Joseph Parker, M.D. Poona.) "The burnt seeds are used with alum and burnt areca-nut as a dentifrice, useful in spongy gums, gum-boils, also in intermittent fever and debility." (Brigade Surgeon J.R. Thornton, B.A., M.B. Monghyr.) "Sometimes used as a febrifuge in doses of about 30 grains, but has a nauseous taste and does not appear to be an efficacious remedy" (Assistant Surgeon Jaswant Rai, Mooltan.) "The kernel of the seeds of Caesalpinia (Guilandina) Bonducella is a very useful and cheap drug, and is antiperiodic, antipyretic, tonic, and antispasmodic. It has been used with good results in mild cases of intermittent and continued fevers, and also in asthma and general debility. Doses 3i to 3ii as an antiperiodic and antispasmodic, from 40 to 90 grains as a tonic." (Honarary Surgeon Modeen Sheriff, Khan Bahadur, Triplicane, Madras) "A cake made of 30 grains of the powdered kernel, the contents of one egg, and fried in ghee, is taken twice a day in cases of acute orchitis, ovaritis, and scrofula. The kernel made into a paste is used locally for scorpion stings." (Surgeon W.A. Lee, Mangalore.) "The leaves, boiled with castor oil or ghi, are thickly applied on painful and swollen testicles. The tender leaves are said to be most efficacious' (Honorary Surgeon P. Kinsley, Ganjam, Madras) (Dictionary Of The Economic Products Of India).