Herbal remedy of hepatitis

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Jamayet Ali
Bahera is a favourite fruit used as a constituent of 'trifala' made with the combination of other two fruits Haritaki and Amlaki. The tree is a common associate of sal, teak and other important trees, occurring more or less scattered and not gregariously in Bangladesh, India, Srilanka, Java and Malaya. Its Botanical name is Terminalia bellirika Roxb. The tree is a light demander but can withstand slight shake when young. Young seedlings are known to tolerate fairly heavy shade during the first or second year, heavy shade after wards kills them. It is decidedly sensitive to frost, the leaves being usually affected more readily than those of almost any of its associates.

The fruits ripen during November-February. Freshly fallen fruits are collected from the ground, swept clean in advance. The pulp in immediately removed and the seed dried in the sun before storing. The seeds remain viability for about a year. The plant can be raised in the field by direct sowing or by transplanting the nursery raised entire seedlings of one year growth. Stamp-plants are not satisfactory when compared to entire transplants. The seedlings are ready for transplanting in July when they are two to four month old. The fruit is eaten when fresh by goats, sheep, cattle, deer and monkeys. The kernel is eaten. It tastes like a filbert, but is said to produce intoxication when eaten in excess.

Medicinal Properties: The bark is useful in anaemia and leucoderma. The fruit is bitter, pungent, acrid; digestible, laxative, anthelmintic, useful in bronchitis, sore throat, biliousness, inflammations, strangury, asthma and in diseases of eye, the nose the heart and the bladder. The seed is acrid, intoxicating; useful in thirst; vomiting, bronchitis, corneal ulcers; relieves "vata" (Ayurvada).The fruit is bitter; astringent , tonic, attenuant, aperient, antipyretic; useful in dyspepsia, bilious headache, diarrhea; applied to the eyes, to piles; brain tonic (Yunani).In the Konkan, the kernel, with that of the marking nut, is sometimes eaten with betel-nut and leaf in dyspepsia; the fruit also is used as an astringent, usually in combination with chebulic myrobalans. There is no doubt about the narcotic properties of the kernel. The part used in medicine is the pulp.

In the Punjab, it is chiefly employed in dropsy, piles, diarrhea and leprosy; also occasionally in fever. When half ripe, it is considered purgative, when fully ripe of dried, astringent. Mixed with honey, it is employed as an application in cases of ophthalmia.The oil is considered a good application for the hair. The gum is believed to be demulcent and purgative.Like other kinds of Terminalia, the Beleric myrobalans afford a yellow fixed oil which is prepared by the poorer classes in the Central Provinces and used as a substitute for ghee and as an application for rheumatism.The fruit is combination with other drugs is prescribed for snake-bite and scorpion-sting.The bark is a mild diuretic .The fruit is not an antidote to snake venom or to scorpion-venom.(Indian Medicinal Plants, K.R.Kirtikar and B.D. Basu)

Medicine: When half ripe it is considered purgative; when fully ripe or dried, astringent. Mixed with honey it is employed as an application in cases of ophthalmia. The oil is considered a good application for the hair.; the gum is believed to be demulcent and purgative. Dymock states that the kernel, with that of the marking nut, is sometimes eaten in the Konkan with betel-nut and leaf as a cure for dyspepsia. (Dictionary of the Economic Products of India).

Properties and uses: Fruit of the drug constitutes the principal drug, which is a laxative, tonic and astringent, and is used in the treatment of hepatitis, breathing problems, coughs, hoarseness, eye diseases and scorpion-stings. Inner part of the fruit is useful in treating dysenteric diarrhea. Dried pulp is useful in the treatment of sore throat, cough, hoarseness, dyspepsia, indigestion, dropsy, piles and leprosy. The fruit is also used as a hair tonic. The half-ripe fruit acts as a mild purgative.