Modern use: Fresh and dried root-bark: used as uterine tonic and emmenagogue;

regulates menstrual flow; Fresh juice from root- bark: useful in congestive and
neuralgic forms of dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea, urinary trouble, bronchitis,
broncho-pneumonia, carbuncles and poisonous boils; Leaf: used in diabetes,
rheumatic pain and sinusitis. Phytography : Shrub, branches downy; leaf simple,
cordate, 10-15 cm by 10-12.5 cm, base 3-7 costate, repand-denticulate while the
upper narrower leaves are entire, glabrescent above and tomentose below,
petiolate, petioles 1.25-2.5 cm long, stipules linear, as long as the petiole,
deciduous; flowers axillary, pedunculate, peduncle 3.5 cm long; capsules 5-angled,
5-winged, obpyramidal, thrice as long as the persistent calyx; seeds albuminous,
numerous. Distribution: Widely distributed in hotter parts of India up to 1500 m;
Bangladesh, Pakistan and the adjacent countries. Ecology and cultivation: Plant
prefers hot and moist climate; sometimes planted, occasionally found as an escape.
Chemical contents: Plant: fixed oil, a little resinous matter, alkaloid (minute
quantity) and water-soluble bases.
following: (a) roots of A. precatorius, (b) the refuse of molasses, (c) exudation from a
sapling of Diospyros tomentosa, (d) exudation from Acacia catechu, (e) little
saltpeter, and (f) pinch of sulphur; (v) to treat the variety of childbed complaints
(usually caused by anaemia) characterized by profuse diarrhoea, roots of A.
precatorius are used in preparing two different varieties of mixtures; the ingredients
of the mixtures are given below: (a) first variety: roots of A. precatorius,
Elaeodendron roxburghii, Coix lachryma-jobi, Piper longum, Ruellia suffruticosa,
white onion, rhizome of Zingiber officinale; (b) second variety: roots of A.
precatorius, Coix lachryma-jobi, Embelia robusta, Piper longum, bark of Casearea
tomentosa, Elaeodendron roxburghii, Gmelina arborea, Emblica officinalis, white
onion, leaves of Ocimum sanctum, rhizome of Curcuma angustifolia and Zingiber
officinale - all these are ground together, boiled and mixed with the refuse of
molasses; (vi)roots as abortifacient and in paralysis; (vii) apply leaf-paste with limewater (2:1) on swelling of glands; (viii) grind the leaves of whiteflowered A.
precatorius, warm slightly and plaster on the loins to kill pain there; (ix) grind leaves
of A. precatorius along with leaves of Lawsonia alba and Tamarindus indica (1:1:1),
add a little salt, boil a little and apply the plaster on the whole body to get relief
from muscular pain caused by overexhaustion; (x) make a paste of leaves of A.
precatorius along with roots of Carissa carandas and Gossypium arboreum, warm
the paste slightly and plaster the same over the whole body of the patient suffering
from stealth convulsions; (xi) leaf-paste in leucoderma; (xii) seedpaste in skin
diseases; (xiii) seeds after some processing as contraceptive. MUNDA: Root-paste in
gonorrhoea. ORAON:dried root-powder as mild purgative. AGNI PURANA: (i) husks of
A. precatorius along with the same of Vitis vinifera and the decoction of Polyalthia
longifolia, Moringa pterigosperma, payomuca and tripha/a (fruits of Terminalia
belerica, Terminalia chebula and Emblica officinalis) destroys all intestinal worms;
(ii) the mixture of powder of A. precatorius, marine salt and pathya in warm water
removes all fevers; (iii) consumption of the seeds of A.precatorius along with the

fruits of Melia azadiracta, Holarrhena antidysenterica (leaves). Acorus calamus

(young leaves) and Glycyrrhiza glabra (powder of stem) causes vomiting; (iv)
regular drinking of A.precatorius along with Acorus calamus, G/oriosa superba, vasa,
nisagada, Zingiber officinalis, Glycyrrhiza glabra and marine salt daily in the
morning enhances memory of young boys; (v) A. precatorius can enhance the span
of a man's life, if it is eaten with marine salt and some other plants (Tinospora
cordifolia, pathya, citraka, dried rhizome of Zingiber officinalis).Modern use: Roots:
emetic and alexiteric; Decoction of roots and leaves: for cough, cold and colic;
Seeds: purgative, emetic, tonic, aphrodisiac, used in nervous disorderand cattle
poisoning; Poultice of seeds: as suppository to bring about abortion; Paste of seeds:
applied locally in sciatica, stiffness of shoulder joints and in paralysis. Phytography :
Copiously branched climber with slender branches; leaves alternate, pinnately
compound with numerous deciduous leaflets; flowers small, in dense racemes on
axillary peduncles or short branches; pods 2.5-3.7 by 1.0-1.25 cm; seeds bright
scarlet and black or whitish or black or mixed black and white, large like pea.
Phenology: Flowering: August and September; Fruiting : January to March (even up
to May). Distribution: Occurring throughout greater parts of India, ascending the
outer Himalaya up to 1200 m, occasionally planted in gardens. Ecology and
cultivation: Naturalised in tropical countries. Chemical contents: Root and Leaf:
glycyrrhizin, isoflavanquinones, abrusquinone A, B & C; leaves taste sweet and roots
less so; roots also contain precol, abrol, abrasine and precasine. Seed: poisonous,
principal constituents being 'abrin'; a fatsplitting enzyme, haemaagglutinin, urease;
alkaloid (abrin), a glucoside (abralin) and a small quantity of fatty oil have also been
isolated from seed. Pharmacologically,abrin is considered to be intensely poisonous.
Besides abrin, a seed contains hypaphorine, two steroidsone oily and the other
crystalline- - sitosterol, stigmasterol, 5 B-cholanic acid, abricin, abridin, cholesterol,
lectins and toxic proteins. Remark: Root is used as an adulterant of the root of
Glycyrrhiza glabra (Fam. Fabaceae).
Lasan -- gangrene of the lung and whooping cough; Garlic juice: good for treatment
of laryngeal tuberculosis, lupus and duodenal ulcer; Inhalation of fresh garlic juice:
useful in pulmonary tuberculosis, dyspepsia, flatulence and colic; in external
application, the juice is used as a rubifacient; in skin diseases, as an eyedrop and in
earache. Phytography : Hardy perennial bulbous scapigerous herb; stem flat, dry,
lower portion of the plant forms bulb which consists of several smaller bulbs called
cloves, surrounded by a thin white or pinkish sheath; leaves flat, narrow green;
heads bear small white flowers and bulbils. Phenology: Flowering and Fruiting:
Winter. Distribution: Cultivated throughout India since ancient days; also cultivated
in Pakistan, Bangladesh and almost in all tropical countries. Ecology and cultivation:
It favours a richer soil and higher elevation (1000-1300 m), well-drained,
moderately clayey loam is best suited for cultivation; requires a cool, moist period
during growth and a relatively dry period during maturing of the crop; takes 4-5
months to mature, harvested during February to April. Yields good results, if treated
with farmyard manure and top-dressing of ammonium sulphate mixed with

superphosphate. It grows as a late irrigated crop; in South India, it is rotated with

ragi. Chemical contents: Garlic: protein 6.3%, fat 0.1 %, carbohydrate 29%, Ca
0.03%, Fe 1.3 mg/100 g, vitamin C 13 mg/100 g, and also Cu-peptides, 2 mercaptoLcysteins, anthocyanins, glycosides of kaempferol and quercetin, polysaccharides,
allinase, sterols, hydrocarbons, alliin (nonvolatile sulpher amino acid), sativin I & II,
scordinines A & B; Essential oil: the bulbs, on distillation, yield 0.06-0.1 % of an
essential oil containing allyl-propyl-disulphide, diallyl disulphide and two sulphur
containing compounds
AYURVEDA: alternative, bitter, cooling, purgative, sweet, tonic, anthelmintic, useful
in eye diseases, tumours, enlargement of spleen, liver troubles, vomiting, skin
diseases, biliousness, asthma, leprosy, jaundice, strangury, ulcer; Flowers:
anthelmintic. UNANI: Gheekawar is useful in inflammation of spleen, lumbago,
muscular pain, ophthalmia, digestive, purgative; Leaves good for piles and
biliousness. Modern use: Aloe: in menstrual diseases, stomach pain, tonic after
pregnancy, uterine disorders, high fever; Pulp: menstrual suppressions, nervous
imbalance; Aloe compound: in treatment of women sterility;Mucilage: painful
inflammation; Root: colic pain; Aloe mixture with other plant extracts: for treating
obstruction of lymphatic system. Phytography : A coarse-looking plant with a short
(30-60 cm high) stem; leaves succulent, green, large (37 cm long, 10 cm broad, 2
cm thick), densely crowded; flowers in racemes, bright yellow, tubular, stamens
frequently projected beyond the perianth tube. Phenology: Flowering: SeptemberDecember; Fruiting: scarce. Distribution: A native of North Africa, Canary Islands and
Spain; naturalised in India; many varieties are found in a semi-wild state in all parts
of India; also cultivated in pots and gardens. Ecology and cultivation: Xerophyte;
propagated by suckers. Chemical contents: Plant: aloin, aloe-emodin and resins.
Adulterant: Aloe candelabrum Berger is used as substitute for Aloe barbadensis
Miller.