Khadir Tree Medicinal Benefits
Botanical Name—Acacia catechu
Common Name—Khadir
Family—Leguminosae (Shimbi kul)
Habit—A moderate sized deciduous tree.
Properties-
Property—Lightness, dryness
Taste—Bitter, fragrant
Potency—Cooling
Metabolic Property—Acrid
Specific Property-
- Anti-Leprotic
- Dentifricer
- Anti-pruritics
- Bronchial sedative
- Appitiser
Parts used—Bark, heart wood (kath)
Description—Cutch tree is a small tree, growing 3-15 m high. The stem is dark brown to black, with rough bark which peels off in long strips in mature trees; young trees have corky bark. The fern-like leaves are 100-200 mm long and contain between 8 and 30 pairs of small leaves made up of numerous, oblong pairs of secondary leaflets 2-6 min long. Glands occur on the stem below the first pair of leaves, and between the uppermost six pairs of leaves. Pairs of stout thorns up to 10 mm long are found at the base of each leaf. The flowers are white or pale yellow, about 3 mm long and bunched tightly together to form a cylindrical flower spike, 35-75 mm long, resembling a lamb’s tail. The brown, beaked seed pods are 50-125 mm long on a short stalk and contain between four and seven seeds, which are dark brown, flat and 5-8 mm in diameter. The taproot branches to 2 m depth.
Dosage—
Powder -3-5 gms.
Decoction -50-100m1.
Kath -/2-1 gm.
Uses-
- One suffering form Kustha should use Khadir in always—bathe, food & drinks etc.
- In Vitiligo—Intake and local application of Khadir is very effective.
- Decoction of Khadir and Triphala added with buffaloe’s ghee and powdered vidanga destroys fistula—in ano.
- One should take heart—wood of Khadir (powder) with paste of Pippali and mixed with rock-salt to destroy cough.
- Decoction of Khadir & Neem root removes the diseases of teeth.
- Paste of heart—wood of Khadir & sala mixed with honey taken with cow’s urine in morning alleviates filaria.
