921 Moogta Sukut مكتاسكت.—A name for the shell of the pearl-oyster; it is sweet and pungent, used in mucous disorders, difficulty of breathing, pains of the chest and bowels, and loss of appetite.
922 Moogtaphill مكتاپهل.—A name for the pearl.
923 Mukhara مكہارا.—Commonly called Mukhana, Euryale ferox. It is cool and heavy, useful in disorders of wind, mucus, and blood; is aphrodisiac, and increases semen; and is found very beneficial to women after labor. It is often called Talmukhana, but it is quite a different medicine.
924 Mullagheer ملاگير.—The name of a tree, the wood of which is very heavy, and full of veins. It is brought from a distance; when pounded, it is of a reddish black color, has fine smell, and is used in India for dying and for giving a pleasant odour to clothes. It is cardiac, strengthens the brain, and gives a pleasant effluvia to the perspiration; cures discolorations of the skin of the face, and in some Indian works is called a species of Sandal. Its properties are the same with Rukutchunden.
925 Mulleka ملكا.—A kind of the flower of the Rai-bele: it is hot, light, aphrodisiac; cures disorders of wind, eruptions of the mouth, and all affections thereof.
926 Mulleen ملين.—A root of India, of a clay color; hot, dry, and pungent; if bruised and applied to the head, it kills vermin; it destroys maggots in ulcers; the leaves possess the same property. I knew a man who had severe head-aches from maggots in the brain: I squeezed the juice of this into the nose, it killed and brought them away.
927 Moondie منڈي.—A. Raderyoos. “Spheranthus Indicus.” It is also called Tuppodenie, so denominated from its being used in penance; if any one preserves a constant respect for this, he will become the peculiar favorite of Heaven. It is also called Srawanie; this name is derived from the circumstance of its bearing fruit in the month Srawun. The leaf is somewhat like the mint, the flower round or globulated, and of a rose-color; it has a sweet smell, and is a medicine of great virtue. It is sweet and a little bitter, but very much so during digestion; it is hot, light; increases understanding; is vermifuge; useful in boils and eruptions of an obstinate nature; is pungent; cures pains in the parts of generation of the female, marasmus, gonorrhœa, and disorders of bile. If the plant be pulled out by the root before it flowers, and dried in the shade, and ate with wheat flour, cow’s ghee, and sugar, it will restore and preserve youth, and prevent the hair from becoming grey; and if pounded and often used in powder, it will be found peculiarly tonic. If its seed be ate with sugar, it will preserve health to the extreme of old age.
An old man is said to have eaten a preparation of this for a year constantly: the strength of youth was restored to him, and he lived to the age of 205 years. The physicians of India declare this to be the basis of the Elixir Vitæ. If the plant is taken before it flowers, and is bruised and eaten with ghee and honey, both the strength and appearance of youth will be preserved. Indeed, the extent of its virtues is only known to the most scientific of physicians. If its flowers are eaten for 40 days, the same effect will be produced; and the root used without intermission for a year, incalculable benefit will be the result. If the root and leaves be bruised and eaten for three days, with cow’s milk and honey, it will be found highly aphrodisiac. If one of the seeds be swallowed without water, the eye-sight will be preserved, and no affection of the eyes will take place for a year. If two are swallowed, the eye-sight will be preserved for two years, and so on. I used it myself in my infancy, or early days, and have preserved my sight in a wonderful manner. My uncle used the distilled water of this, in depression of the spirits, and as a cardiac, with great success: he sometimes distilled from equal parts of this and Gowjeban, at other times with other cardiac medicines. If half a masha of the oil of this be ate with Paan in the cold weather, it will produce a genial warmth over the body; it will also remove affections from cold, and be found aphrodisiac. The oil is thus procured:
The plant is moistened with water, and then rubbed between the hands with any sweet-scented oil, but not too much; it is then to be extracted in the same manner as that of Agur is procured. If a chittack of the following oil be eaten daily for 40 days, and during this time abstaining from intercourse with woman, it will be found that the aphrodisiac power will have become so great, that it will seem wonderful. It is thus prepared:
Take the leaves, root, and all parts of the plant; bruise them, sprinkling a little water over them; then squeeze out 20 seers of the juice, and add to it five seers of sweet oil; boil the whole till the juice shall have evaporated, and the residue is the oil. Some use the medicine in this manner. During the months of August and September, with cow’s ghee. In April and May, with honey. In June and July, with sugar. In February and March, with congee. In October and November, with cow’s milk; and in December and January, with sour milk. The author of the Dhara Shekoi has said that the root is to be bruised in a copper vessel, with a pestle of the Neeb tree, adding a little water, till it has become black; then taken up by dipping cotton into it, and preserved for use. In the ophthalmia, a little of the cotton moistened and applied to the eye, will remove the disease.