Tamarind (Imli)
Also known as
Latin : Tamarindus indicus
English : Tamarind tree
Sanskrit : Cinca, Tintrini
Hindi : Imli
Marathi : Chincha
Tamil : Puli Amilam
Telugu : Chintapandu
Malayalam : Puli, Kolpuli
Kannada : Huli, Amli
How it looks—It is a large evergreen tree with tiny leaflets, yellow flowers, and pod fruits.
What we use—Roots, leaves, fruits, seeds.
What it does—Root bark—astringent, emmenagogue, constipating
Leaves—astringent, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, diuretic.
Fruits—refrigerant, digestive, carminative, laxative, antiseptic
How we use it—
In
infections and fevers—Drink the juice of the leaves with some turmeric powder and cold water everyday to cleanse the system of infections and micro-organisms.
In
fractures—The fruit of tamarind is pasted with sesame oil and applied as a warm poultice over the fractured area.
In
swelling and hernias—Paste the leaves of tamarind and apply on swellings twice a day to bring them down.
Ripe fruit is specific for intoxication from liquors or dhatura.
In
earaches—A few drops of the fruit juice of tamarind should be instilled in the ear after slightly warming to foment and soothe the ear.
In
excessive white discharge—Soak some tamarind seeds in a glass of water overnight. Paste the soaked seeds in some milk the next morning and drink it. This treatment, when followed
for a few weeks stops white discharge completely.
In
itching—In any condition of itching, apply the juice of the leaves on the affected skin to allay the irritation.
In
anal fistula—Apply a paste of the seeds of tamarind everyday in case of fistula- in-ano
In
rectal prolapse—Steam the seeds of tamarind and paste the seeds along with the flowers to apply on the prolapsed rectum. Push the projecting part back into the anus. Repeat this
procedure everyday for a few weeks to prevent mucoceles and rectoceles.
In
offensive body odour—To prevent excessive sweating and foul body odour, paste the ripe fruits of tamarind with its flowers and apply on the sweaty areas of the body. This helps
close the pores and prevents body odour.
In
diarrhoea—Though the fruit of tamarind is laxating, the seeds act as an astringent. Powder 5-6 tamarind seeds with a tsp of cumin seeds and drink with some sweetened water to
arrest loose motions.
In
burns—Burn the leaves of tamarind in a closed pot. Finely sieve the ash thus obtained and mix with sesame oil and apply over the burnt part for quick healing.
In
sprains—Apply a thick paste of tamarind with lots of salt on the sprained area to prevent swelling and pain.
