The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jamayet Ali

Marich (Chilli) is a herb or under shrub with small white flowers and long, cylindrical pungent fruits, cultivated throughout the country as a spice crop, mainly in Bogra and Comilla for the fruits. Prehistoric chilli species have been found in burial sites in Peru, indicating that the original home of chillies may be tropical South America. There seems to have been a diffusion from there to Mexico, or an independent origin in the latter Centre where a great diversity of the genus is found. The chillies were introduced into Spain by Columbus. Subsequently, the prolonged viability and easy germination and easy transportation assisted in its dispersal throughout the world. Chilli was introduced into sub-continent by the Portuguese. Besides Bangladesh, it is used as a condiment in large quantities in India, Africa, and tropical America, where the fruit develops greater pungency than in the cold regions. It has, however, become a popular condiment the world over. The long and thin constitute the source of dry chillies of commerce. The wide popularity of chilli and its extensive cultivation are due probably to its being a short duration crop and its ease of cultivation under a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions particularly in comparison with black pepper, which was used for its pungency before the introduction of chilli.

Botanical name of chilli is Capsicum annuum Linn. It is the most wide species, cultivated almost throughout the world.

The original distribution of this species appears to have been from the South of Mexico extending into Columbia. Chilli is essentially a crop of the tropics and grows better in hotter regions. It is cultivated over large areas in all Asian countries, Africa, South and Central America, parts of USA and southern Europe both under tropical and sub-tropical conditions.

The major chilli growing countries are India, Nigeria, Mexico, China, Indonesia and Korean Republic. Japan has shown the highest yield of green chillies, followed by India. In most of the chilli growing tracts, the crop is grown during monsoon, the seed being sown usually in June or July. The crop can be sown almost allround the year where the winters are mild and the rains are not heavy; the best period, however, is from April to June, both for the hills and the plains. Flowering in chilli generally starts within 30 days after transplanting and in another 21-30 days the green fruits are ready for the first harvesting; but in some areas, the fruiting is reported to take up to 60 days. Irrigation prolongs the life of plants and they continue to bear up to the end of February. Generally, from November onwards the fruits begin to ripen, reaching the maximum ripening by mid-December, when 70% of the crop is gathered.

Analysis of the fresh green, and dried chillies gave the following values, respectively: moisture, 85.7, protein, 29; fat, 0.6; fibre, 6.8; carbohydrate, 3.0; and minerals, 1.0%; calcium, 160; magnesium, 24; sodium, 6.5; potassium, 217; copper, 1.55; sulphur, 34.; chlorine, 15; phosphorus,80; iron, 1.2; thiamine, 0.19; riboflavin, 0.39; niacine, 0.9; vitamin C, 50 mg/l00g; carotene, 175 mg/I00g; and energy, 29 KCal/l00g. Chilli is a good source of vitamin C, the amount varying with the cultivar, stage of maturity and season. The vitamin C gradually increases during maturation and reaches maximum at the semi-ripe or pink coloured stage and decreases thereafter. (Wealth of India, Raw Materials, Capsicum)

Medicinal Properties: The fruit has a bitter sharp taste; expectorant, analgesic; enriches the blood; lessens inflammation and pain (Yunani). It acts as an acid stimulant, and externally as a rubefacient. It is used in putrid sore-throat, and scarlatina ; also in ordinary sore-throat, hoarseness, dyspepsia and yellow fever; and in diarrhoea occasionally; also in piles. The fresh fruit is given as a stimulant in cases of snake-bite but it has no value in the symptomatic treatment and is not an antidote to the poison. Madagaskar, the fruit is given in delirium treatment. The fruit enters into the preparation ofthe arrow poisons of the Dayaks of Borneo and the Yuri-Tabocas (Indian Medicinal Plants, K.R. Kirtikar & B.D. Basu, Vol. III, 1772).

Medicine: Dr. Stewart says that the fruit is used externally in the form of plasters and taken internally in cholera; it is eaten from a conviction that it counteracts the effects of bad climates. As a drug, red pepper is considered by the natives as stomachic and stimulant and is used externally as a rubefacient (Dymock). "It is employed in Medicine in combination with cinchona in intermittent and lethargic affections and also in atonic gout.

It is a valuable adjunct to bitters, tonics, and other stimulants in weak states of the stomach; in cold leucophlegmatic habits, dyspepsia, and flatulence, and as a gargle in relaxed states of the throat it is highly extolled and has also been used with success in the advanced stages of rheumatism. In native practice it is given, in conjunction with asafetida and sweet-flag root, in cholera. By German physicians it is supposed to be particularly injurious in gonorrhoea" (Murray's Pl. Drugs of Sind). Dr. Sakharam Arjun says that the fruit is used as a stimulant in snake-bite.

Special Opinions: "Stimulant and rubefacient, useful in dyspepsia ; recommended in infusion as an external application to the eye" (Assistant Surgeon Nehal Sing, Shaharanpur). "Chiefly used as a condiment and considered to be stomachic" (Assistant Surgeon Anund Chunder Mookerji, Nokhally). "Anti-malarious to a certain extent" (H.D. Masani, Surgeon, H.M.'s 30th N.I., Bombay, Karachi). "Carminative, cooling medicine. The decoction with opium and fried asafetida seeds is used in cholera. In the form of gargle it is useful in stomatitis and sore-throat. It is an ingredient in what is called masa/a in the Deccan, Guzerat and Cutch" (W. Barren, Surgeon, H.M.'s 25th N.L.I., Bombay, Bhuj, Cutch). "The capsule is innocuous; the seeds, as well known, are powerfully irritant" (R.T.H. Morar). "Chillies are applied by natives to dog-bites. An infusion made with 4 drams of chillies and a bottle of boiling water has been found useful in severe sore-throat" (Assistant Surgeon Bhagwan Dass, Rawalpindi). "In delirium tremens in 20-grain doses" (Surgeon-Major George Cumberland Ross, Delhi). "Is used in liniments as a rubefacient; in cholera pills with camphor and asafetida; as an application to elongated uvula and relaxed throat it is very useful" (A Surgeon). "Active principle, an acrid oil capsaisin. In dyspepsia, a good pill is made with equal parts of capsicum, rhubarb and ginger" (C.M Russell, Civil Surgeon, Sarun, Bengal). "Internally it has a stimulant action on the bowels and helps to relieve constipation" (Surgeon-Major A.S.G. Jayakar, Muskat) (Dictionary Of The Economic Products Of India, Watt, Vol. II, 135-37).

Medicinal Values: Medicinally Capsicum is a powerful warming stimulant, tonic, stomachic, and carminative. It acts on the circulation and digestion systems and is used to treat a wide range of complaints from arthritis and chilbains to colic and diarrhoea. They are used as counterirritant in lumbago, neuralgia and rheumatism. Capsicum is also reputed to possess antiseptic and analgesic properties. Leaves are used in headache, pain, dysuria, bronchitis and inflammation. Ethanolic extract of the aerial parts is diuretic (Medicinal Plants Of Bangladesh, Abdul Ghani, Second Edition, 147).