The Taleef Shereef

Part 1

TRANSCRIBER'S NOTICE

THE

TALEEF SHEREEF,

INDIAN MATERIA MEDICA;

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL.

GEORGE PLAYFAIR, Esq.

SUPERINTENDING SURGEON, BENGAL SERVICE.

PUBLISHED BY

The Medical and Physical Society of Calcutta.

Calcutta:

PRINTED AT THE BAPTIST MISSION PRESS, CIRCULAR ROAD. SOLD BY MESSRS. THACKER & CO. CALCUTTA; & BY MESSRS. PARBURY, ALLEN & CO. 1833.

TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE.

In the course of a practice of upwards of twenty-six years in India, I have often had occasion to regret, that I had no publication to guide me, in my wish to become acquainted with the properties of native medicines, which I had frequently seen, in the hands of the Physicians of Hindoostan, productive of the most beneficial effects in many diseases, for the cure of which our Pharmacopeia supplied no adequate remedy; and the few which I had an opportunity of becoming acquainted with, so far exceeded my expectations, that I determined to make a Translation of the present work, for my own gratification and future guidance.

Having finished the translation, I became convinced, that I should not have fulfilled the whole of my duty if I did not make it public; and ill calculated as I know myself for such an undertaking, I have ventured to offer it to the world, with all its imperfections.

Conscious, that the liberal minded will give me credit for the best of motives, I shall not dread criticism; and if it has the effect of inducing those more competent to the task to an inquiry into the properties of native medicines, my views will have been fully accomplished.

In writing the names of the different medicines, I have followed the Author's example, and have been guided solely by the pronunciation, without altering the sound given to the letters in English, and have not borrowed a single name from any work of Oriental literature. In this I may have acted wrong, but I did so from the conviction, that by this method, the names would be more familiar, and better understood, by the Natives in researches after the different drugs.

I have inserted as many of the systematic names as I could trace, both from Dr. Fleming's work, and those of others; but I regret, that I was not honored in the acquaintance of any Botanist who could have assisted me with more.

To the youth of the profession, I trust the work may be acceptable, by leading them to the knowledge, that such medicines are in existence; and my medical brethren of the higher grades may not deem further inquiry into the properties of native drugs beneath their notice.

To the profession at large, then, I beg leave to dedicate this Translation, with the hope, that they will make due allowance for all faults, and that some of the more experienced will favor us with another and better edition.

To my respected friends Messrs. Wilson and Twining, the profession is indebted, that this little work ever saw light; and though they are godfathers to none of its errors, yet without their encouragement and aid, it must have slumbered in oblivion, and remained as was intended, (after the failure of an attempt on the part of the translator,) a manual for his own private use.

GLOSSARY.

Acouta, Herpes. Aruk, Distilled liquid. Boolbul, Indian Nightingale. Badgola, Splenitis. Coir, Fibrous substance surrounding the Cocoanut. Daad, Impetigo. Dhats, Component parts of the human frame. Elaous, Disease of the Intestines. Introsusception. Fetuck, Hernia. Goor, Unrefined Sugar. Juzam, Black Leprosy. Jow, Barley. Junglie Chuha, The Forest Rat. Khoonadeer, Khoonazeer? Lupus, Cancer. Kunzeer, Cancer. Mootiabin, Total blindness, Gutta Serena. Naringee, The Orange. Nachoona, Opacity of the Cornea. Neela Totha, Sulphate of Copper. Nuffsoodum, HÊmoptysis. Pilau, Poolau, Dish made of meat and rice, seasoned with spices. Peshanee, The Forehead. Paddy, Rice in the husk. Panroque, Cold with Fever, also Jaundice. Peendie, A formula for females. Paan, A leaf, chewed by the Natives, with Catechu, Betel, and Lime. Raal, Gum Resin. Rajerogue, Carbuncle. Soonpat, Loss of sensation in parts of the body. Soorkhbad, Erythema.

THE TALEEF SHEREEF, OR INDIAN MATERIA MEDICA.

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL, WITH ADDITIONS.

1 Am, Ambe, Anbe.--The Fruit, Mangifera Indica.

The produce of a large tree very common in Hindostan. The fruit is about the size of, and very much resembling in shape, a goat's kidney, and having the external appearance of an apple. When ripe, it sometimes retains the green color, but oftener becomes yellow, or red and yellow.

The virtues ascribed to this tree, are as follows:--The bruised leaves and young shoots applied to the hair, expedite its growth, and considerably darken its color.

The bark of the trunk of the tree, and of its roots, is cooling and astringent; the former powerfully so. The leaves are astringent, and promote digestion; their ashes styptic.

Part 2

The young flowers are cool and drying; have a pleasant aromatic scent, and when taken internally, are cooling and astringent; recommended for the cure of chronic Gonorrhoea or Gleet, purulent expectoration, bilious foulness of the blood and boils. The young unripe fruit has much acidity, and is drying; moderately used, it increases all the animal secretions, and is beneficial in chronic affections of the liver; it promotes appetite, and is lithonthriptic. The fruit, when ripe, is sweet, cooling, mucilaginous and heavy, tending to allay thirst, and useful in nervous affections; strengthens the system, restores impaired appetite, (is said to moderate an increased secretion of bile,) and improves the complexion. The fruit is of various sizes, from a few drachms to a pound weight; but it is usually met with weighing about 4 ounces. It becomes acid about a month after the fall of the flower, in which state it is used as preserves, such as jellies, pickles, &c.; at this time, too, it is used as seasoning for Pilaus, and other dishes; for when the stone or kernel has become hard, it is no longer fit for these purposes. When the fruit has attained its full growth, and when nearly ripe, it is to be taken from the tree, and put into dry grass, straw, or the leaves of the Palass tree, and there allowed to become ripe; this process deprives it of all acidity, and also prevents the formation of a resinous gum, which it contracts when allowed to ripen on the tree, and which renders it too pungent to be eaten with relish.

The fruit is in perfection in the hot winds, and when the rains commence, it ripens very fast; before the cold weather it is usually out of season.

There are some trees that blossom the whole year, and some few that even produce fruit; but instances of this are very rare.

There is a variety of this tree on which the fruit is sweet from its first formation; this requires to be used early, otherwise it will in all probability become a prey to insects.

Some trees produce fruit only once in 4 years. In general, it produces fruit in abundance every second year, and less in the alternate year; some are even perfectly barren every alternate year.

There is a mode of manuring this tree, which it is said improves the flavour of the fruit greatly; this is mixing the juice of its fruit with milk, and pouring it over the roots. It is also said to be possible to communicate the flavor of any particular fruit to the mangoe, by its expressed juice being made use of, as an application to the roots of the tree.

The kernel of the mangoe, roasted, is pleasant to the taste, and grateful to the stomach; it is much recommended in laxities of the bowels, and strengthens the primÊ viÊ; water drank after having eat of this kernel, seems to possess a flavor peculiarly excellent. The usual mode of preparing them, is to allow them to remain exposed to the rains, till the shell shall have become decayed; by this process it is deprived of any heating or irritating property. Prepared in this manner, and kept a short time in lime juice, taken out, bruised and mixed with salt, fennel, &c, it is much extolled for strengthening the stomach, and promoting digestion.

If preserved for 3 years, pounded, and swallowed to the quantity of a tolah, with a little water, no medicine is preferable for strengthening bowels habitually lax.

In the acid state, the fruit is very prejudicial to those who have any disorders in their teeth, a cough, an affection of the chest, or who are subject to cholicky pain in the bowels, but very beneficial when used in irritable habits. The best method of using them is this. The acid unripe fruit, after the outer rind has been peeled off, is to be cut into thin slices, and infused for some hours in water; this water so impregnated, is to be drained off, mixed with a sufficient proportion of sugar, and used as sherbet. It produces a great relish for food, and is in other respects beneficial. The same effects are produced by the unripe fruit, being roasted and allowed to remain in water, as above mentioned. It is recommended in paralysis, from coup de vent. Many physicians have considered the mangoe to be of a cooling nature, but, in my opinion, it is heating in all its stages. The Yunani physicians have stated the ripe fruit to be hot in the 2d, and dry in the 3d degree.

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