Indian Bdellium (Gugal)
Also known as
Latin : Commiphorahmukul
English : Indian bdellium tree
Sanskrit : Gugguluh
Hindi : Gugal
Marathi : Guggul
Tamil : Gukkulu
Telugu : Guggulam
Malayalam : Gulgulu
Kannada : Guggulu
That which protects from disease" is the meaning of the Sanskrit word
Guggulu.
How it looks�It is a small armed tree with thorny branches and ash-coloured flaky bark. The young parts are glandular, and the leaves serrate in the upper parts and obovate
otherwise. The flowers are small and brownish red with 8-10 stames and the fruits are drupes, red when ripe.
"Guggul" is the resinous gum, obtained from the bark. It is an irregular roundish glistening mass and is opaque, reddish brown when dry and aromatic.
What we use�Gum resin
What it does�It is aromatic, thermogenic, expectorant, digestive, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, anodyne, antiseptic, nervine tonic, demulcent, aphrodisiac, liver tonic,
stimulant, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, haematinic, diuretic and rejuvenative.
How we use it�
In
injury�Apply a mixture of myrrh and amhaldi over the wound to reduce pain and inflammation and quicken healing.
After
delivery�Myrrh is highly indicated in women who have recently delivered, owing to its astringent, digestive, antiseptic and rejuvenative properties. Take a piece of myrrh
and fry it in ghee (it swells like asafoetida). Mix it in a morsel of rice and give it to the woman who is recuperating after a delivery.
In
enlarged glands�Guggulu or myrrh is used in a variety of combinations to reduce enlarged glands of the neck and benign tumours or to control inflammation of any sort. It may be
fried in ghee and rolled into tiny pills and a pill may be taken twice a day.
In
tuberculosis�Myrrh acts as antiseptic and anti-inflammatory and can be combined with asafoetida, ginger and some sugar to make small pills to be given in the early stage of
tuberculosis to arrest progress of disease.
In
rheumatic swellings�As a highly effective anti-inflammatory, myrrh resin can be given in joint swellings in combination with dry ginger and castor oil. Again, small pills are
rolled out of the above mixture and one is given twice a day.
In
syphilis�In late syphilis, when most other drugs fail, application of Guggulu internally and externally has been found to be useful.
In all the above preparations, myrrh resin which is over a year old is to be used for its enhanced medicinal value.
