THE TALEEF SHEREEF,
OR
INDIAN MATERIA MEDICA.
TRANSLATED FROM
THE ORIGINAL, WITH ADDITIONS.
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1 Am, Ambe, Anbe آم امبة انب.—The Fruit, Mangifera Indica.
The produce of a large tree very common in Hindostan. The fruit is about the size of, and very much resembling in shape, a goat’s kidney, and having the external appearance of an apple. When ripe, it sometimes retains the green color, but oftener becomes yellow, or red and yellow.
The virtues ascribed to this tree, are as follows:—The bruised leaves and young shoots applied to the hair, expedite its growth, and considerably darken its color.
The bark of the trunk of the tree, and of its roots, is cooling and astringent; the former powerfully so. The leaves are astringent, and promote digestion; their ashes styptic.
The young flowers are cool and drying; have a pleasant aromatic scent, and when taken internally, are cooling and astringent; recommended for the cure of chronic Gonorrhœa or Gleet, purulent expectoration, bilious foulness of the blood and boils. The young unripe fruit has much acidity, and is drying; moderately used, it increases all the animal secretions, and is beneficial in chronic affections of the liver; it promotes appetite, and is lithonthriptic. The fruit, when ripe, is sweet, cooling, mucilaginous and heavy, tending to allay thirst, and useful in nervous affections; strengthens the system, restores impaired appetite, (is said to moderate an increased secretion of bile,) and improves the complexion. The fruit is of various sizes, from a few drachms to a pound weight; but it is usually met with weighing about 4 ounces. It becomes acid about a month after the fall of the flower, in which state it is used as preserves, such as jellies, pickles, &c.; at this time, too, it is used as seasoning for Pilaus, and other dishes; for when the stone or kernel has become hard, it is no longer fit for these purposes. When the fruit has attained its full growth, and when nearly ripe, it is to be taken from the tree, and put into dry grass, straw, or the leaves of the Palass tree, and there allowed to become ripe; this process deprives it of all acidity, and also prevents the formation of a resinous gum, which it contracts when allowed to ripen on the tree, and which renders it too pungent to be eaten with relish.
The fruit is in perfection in the hot winds, and when the rains commence, it ripens very fast; before the cold weather it is usually out of season.
There are some trees that blossom the whole year, and some few that even produce fruit; but instances of this are very rare.