Siddha Home Remedies: Adathoda Vasica Part II

Couple of my earlier posts on cough, cold and asthma contain preparations made using adathoda. Along with thippili (piper longum), chukka (dry ginger), pepper, adathoda, thoothuvalai (tri lobatum)are the common herbs used in treating all conditions related to lungs, airway passage, throat etc. Of this, adathoda holds a vital position in treating asthmatic conditions.

Adathodai kudineer and manappagu are the two time tested Siddha remedies used in treating asthma. Kudineer is tamil word for decoction. Adhatoda kudineer is prepared by boiling adathoda leaves in water and then cooling down the water for consumption.

Now for the ingredients needed to prepare the kudineer or decoction. Adathodai leaves, chukku or dry ginger, and pepper are taken. They are crushed and put in 1 litre of water and allowed to boil. Once it boils for 3-5 minutes, remove from the stove and allow it to cool. When it reaches a lukewarm state, drink this. This is done three times a day for 3-4 days. This is found to be helpful in clearing cough, cold and phlegm in chest.

One other preparation for treating cough is to follow the above-mentioned process using adathoda root and kandankathiri root. Piper longum powder is added to this decoction. This is taken three times a day after food.

In case of chronic wheeze, the following time-tested preparation can be used. Prepare a decoction using adathoda leaves, terminalia chebula (kadukkai), and grapes. Add honey and palm candy to this decoction and take it three times a day after food. Continue this till there is no wheezing.

Another combination is to prepare a decoction of adhathoda root, kandankathiri root, dry ginger, horsegram and adding powder of alli kizhangu (nymphaea rubra) tuber. This is also effective in curing wheezing.

The juice obtained from the leaves can be used to treat bloody stool and mucus in stool.

The dry leaves can be rolled and smoked as a cigar to treat wheezing. The flower of adathoda can be used to treat ailments of eye. For this, the flowers are slightly shown on fire and then placed on the eyelids. Regular application is said to cure eye irritation and other minor ailments.

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Siddha Home Remedies: Adhatoda Vasica

Adhatoda vasica (Adathoda in Tamil and Adalodakam in Malayalam) is a medicinal plant used extensively in treating cough and cold. It is a native of the Asian continent. The flowers, leaves, bark, root are used in preparing Ayurvedic and Siddha medicines to treat various bronchial and lung diseases. It has a bitter taste. It is an expectorant and bronchodilator. Alternative systems use preparations made from this plant to treat asthma.

The general areas of treatment where it would be of use include vata diseases, fevers, stomach diseases, cough, wheeze, vomiting, etc. It improves the tone of your voice.

Juice of the leaves 10-20 drops with honey is found to cure the above mentioned diseases, especially cough, wheeze, fevers.

A decoction made of the leaves plus honey can also do the trick.

Three leaves of adathoda cut to pieces along with a cardamom is soaked in 400 ml hot water. After two hours, filter out the leaves and cardamom.  50 ml of this water is given three times a day for fever and cough due to phlegm.

One time tested preparation for bringing out phlegm in chest as well as treating cough and cold is mentioned below.

Three leaves of the plant are cut into very small pieces.  Using a fresh mud put, fry these finely cut leaves using 2-3 teaspoon honey. Frying will give rise to a nice aroma. Once you get this smell, add finely ground athimathuram 2 gm, thippili 2 gm, thalisapathiri ½ gm, sitrarathai ¼ gm, to the adhathoda leaves along with a litre of water and reduce it to ¼ litre.  This preparation can be given morning and night for a day or two for expelling the phlegm from chest.

More remedies using the adathoda plant to follow.

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