The New Nation - Internet Edition

Jamayet Ali

Shoti is a perennial rhizomatous herb with tufted large tapering elliptical leaves, short stem and pink or yellow flowers widely cultivated all over Bangladesh. It also grows wild in damp and shady places, gardens and fallow lands. Roxburgh says it is a native of Chittagong, but according to Ainslie, it is a native of the East Indies and Cochin China. The red powder Abir, used by the Hindus at the Holi festival, is often made from the rhizome of this plant, ground to a powder and left for sometime to saturate in water. Guibourt says: "The round Zedoary is grayish white, externally heavy, compact; grey and often horny internally, having a bitter and strong camphoraceous taste, like that of the long Zedoary, which it also resembles in odour. The odour of both drugs is analogous with that of ginger, weaker unless the rhizomes be powdered, when it develops a powerful aromatic odour similar to that of cardamoms." The rhizomes of this plant constitute one of the most important articles of native perfumery. Botanical name of Shoti is Curcuma zedoaria Rosc. The tubers are rich in starch. The shoti starch of commerce is a product extracted from the tubers and used as a substitute for arrowroot and barley. It is highly valued as an article of diet, especially for infants and convalescents. It is cooling and demulcent, and is often made into confections. It is also cultivated more or less throughout India and other warm countries.

Medicinal Properties: The rhizome is pungent, bitter, fragrant; heating; appetizer; vulnerary, anthelmintic, antipyretic, alexiteric; destroys foulness of the breath; useful in leucoderma, piles, bronchitis, asthma, tumours, tuberculous glands of the neck, enlargement of the spleen, epileptic seizure (Ayurveda). The rhizome has a bitter, sharp, hot taste, and a good odour; laxative, tonic to the brain and the heart, aphrodisiac, alexipharmic, emetic, emmenagogue, expectorant, carminative; useful in gripping of children, pains, inflammations, toothache (Yunani). The fresh root is considered to be cooling and diuretic, it checks leucorrhoeal and gonorrheal discharges and purifies the blood. The juice of the leaves is given in dropsy (Rheede).

The rhizomes possess aromatic, stimulant and carminative properties. Employed as a stomachic, and also applied to bruises and sprains. The root is chewed to correct a sticky taste in the mouth; it is also an ingredient in some of the strengthening conserves which are taken by women to remove weakness after child-birth. In colds it is given in decoction with long pepper, cinnamon and honey, and the pounded root applied as a paste to the body. The rhizome is used internally in Cambodia as a stimulant, tonic, and depurative; it is administered in the form of a tincture in malaise and vertigo, and given three times daily to women during the two weeks which follow delivery. The corms are chewed by Cambodian mothers who then apply them together with their saliva to the head and body of children suffering from convulsions. The leaves are used as plasters in lymphangitis, furunculosis, and adinites. The rhizome is not an antidote to scorpionvenom (Indian Medicinal Plants, K.R. Kirtikar & B.D. Basu, Vol. IV, 2420, 2421).

Medicine: The rhizomes possess aromatic, stimulant, and carminative properties.

Employed in native practice as a stomachic, and also applied to bruises and sprains. "The natives chew the root to correct a sticky taste in the mouth; it also an ingredient in some of the strengthening conserves which are taken by women to remove weakness after child-birth. In colds it is given in decoction with long-pepper, cinnamon, and honey, and the pounded root is applied as a paste to the body" (Dymock). In the Kangra Gazetteer it said of what appears to be this plant that "it is ,given as a carminative medicine internally and applied on the skin as a plaster to remove pains" "The root is of a pale- yellow warm and aromatic, like turmeric, but bitter."

Special Opinions: "The rhizome of this plant is the Amba-haldi of the Bombay bazaar. Bruised with alum in water, it is applied to bruised joints and other parts to remove echimoses" (Assistant Surgeon Sakharam Arjun Rabhat, L.M., Girgaum, Bombay). "Small bits of the rhizomes are put in the mouth and chewed to allay cough" (Assistant Surgeon Arund Chunder Mukerji, Noakhally). "Demulcent, expectorant, and aromatic, dose about one drachm" (Civil Surgeon Jhon McConaghey, M.D., Shajahanpore). The rhizome is considered to be a cooling medicine, also and expectorant" (Surgeon-Major) J.M. Houston, Durbar Physn., Travancore, and Civil Apoth. John Gomes, Medical Storekeeper, Travandrum). "This is the Kochora of the bazaar. It is used as an odoriferous ingredient of the cosmetics used for the cure of chronic skin diseases and internally as a mild aromatic stimulant in fever and colds" (Assistant Surgeon Sakharam Arjun Ravat, L.M., Girgaum, Bombay). "The roots imported into Leh as kachur, judwar, and called by the Bhotes 'Bozbrga' employed in Yarkand for washing the body acting as a rubefacient" (Surgeon-Major J.E.T. Aitchison, Simla). "The rhizomes are used by singers as a masticatory for clearing the throat of tenacious mucus; they are also used in cases of irritation of the faces and upper part of the wind-pipe. The decoction is employed with sugar-candy, black-pepper, and liquorice in relieving cough and bronchitis" (Civil Surgeon J.R.Thornton, B.A., M.B., Monghyr). (Dictionary of the Economic Products of India, Watt, Vol. II , 670, 671).

Properties and uses: Rhizome is used as stimulant, carminative, expectorant, diuretic, demulcent and rubefacient. Decoction of fresh rizome is used for blood purification. Juice of leaves is given in dropsy. Roots are used in colds, coughs and fevers, flatulence and dyspepsia, fresh roots check leucorrhoeal and gonorrheal discharges. Essential oil from rhizome possesses antimicrobial properties and is effective on pathogenic fungi. (Medicinal Plants of Bangladesh, Abdul Ghani, Second Edition, 197).

Medicinal Values: The rhizome possesses stimulant and carminative properties. A decoction of the rhizome administered along with pepper, cinnamon and honey, is beneficial for colds. In indigenous medicine, it is prescribed as a stomachic. It has a local effect on the digestive organs similar to, milder than, ginger and has been occasionally employed as a gastro-intestinal stimulant in flatulent colic. Zedoary is used in the manufacture of liqueurs, stomach essences and bitters and in perfumery and cosmetics (Wealth Of India, Raw Materials, Vol. II, 406).