Cinnamomum Tamala (Tejpatra, Indian Cassia):

Biological Name :

Cinnamomum tamala

Family :

Lauraceae

Other Names :

Indian Cassia, Cassia cinnamon, Tejpatra, Patraka, Patraja, Tejpatta, Tamalpatra, Katu-karuvpatte, Talishpatri, Tikhi, Akupatri, Dopatti, Gurandra..

Habitat :

Found in tropical and sub-tropical Himalayas (900-2500m), Khasi and Jaintia Hills (900-1200m), Eastern Bengal, Burma and U.P.

Additional Info :

Leaves are laghu (light), tikta (bitter), ushnaveerya (hot); beneficial in deranged kapha and vata, functional disorders of urinary bladder and skin diseases; mouth refresher and relieves headache.

Elements Applied :

Leaves and bark

Active Components :

d-a-Phellandrene, eugenol, terpene and cinnamic aldehyde have been isolated.

Used for :

• It acts as a stimulant, aromatic (gives soothing aroma - fragrance and stimulates appetite), carminative, stomachic (gastric stimulant and appetizer) and mouth refresher. It is useful in flatulence (excessive formation of gases in stomach and intestine), dyspepsia (Indigestion), relieves colic (intestinal spasms).
• It is also useful in rheumatism (joint pains).
• Extract of leaves shows a moderate degree of local antiseptic activity.
• Oil distilled from leaves is a powerful stimulant
• When clove was finally distributed across Europe, it was employed as a remedy for diarrhea, vomiting, sickness, flatulence, and indigestion. Additionally, it was applied for toothache, wounds, worms, warts, infertility, and coughs.
• In the early times of America clove was employed in gastro-intestinal conditions, and mixed with bitter herbal medications to enhance their taste. It was early American herbalists who first produced clove oil using its buds. This oil was applied to the gums to reduce toothache.
• In modern herbal medicine clove is applied as a toothache relief, and as a remedy for gastro-intestinal conditions.

Safety:

1-4 masha (1-4 gm) per day can be taken safely (Bhavaprakasha Nighantu). Exercise care. Herbs in Ayurvedic medicine are commonly mixed with other herbal medicines to reduce the toxic effect one of them may produce on the body.