Camphor is another boon provided to us by nature, which holds many health giving and restorative merits. It is a virtuous herb that is believed to subside all the three humors of the body viz. vatta or air, pitta or heat and kapha or the phlegm. In Ayurveda, camphor is referred as ‘tridoshhara’ i.e. that what combats all the three doshas or the body humors. The Latin name combats is ‘Cinnamomum camphora’ , while in the local are ‘karpoor’ i.e. that what provides healthy and keeps the disease away. ‘ chandra’ i.e. it is white and cold as the moon, ‘himhava’ i.e. it is cold and white like ice.
The evergreen trees of camphor grow 100 feet tall and all the parts of the tree contain a peculiar odour of camphor. The part used for medicinal purposes is the exudate.
Properties
Camphor is light and robust by nature and cold in potency. The taste is a combination of sweet, bitter and pungent, while the after taste is bitter.
Chemically, camphor is a ketone, which is produce naturally or synthetically in the form of synthetic camphor. It is found in the form of white coloured or sometimes translucent crystals that form of white coloured or sometimes translucent crystals that emit a characteristic and penetrating fragrance. It is soluble in alcohol, chloroform, and ether and in fixed and volatile oils.
Uses
Relieves Pain and Inflammation: In case of an injury or wound, you could sprinkle some powder of camphor on the site so as to combat inflammation, blood loss and pain and also prevent degeneration of the wound.
Diuretic: Camphor tends to provide a natural stimulus to the kidneys, thus causing a free flow of the urine. This property makes it recommendable in curing the urinary disorders like dysurea and diminished expulsion of the urine. The prescribed dosage of camphor is 125 to 375mg and is to be taken either mixed in sweetened milk or with sugar.
Antitoxin property: as a medicine, camphor is quite useful in treating the maladies resulting from intake of any toxin or poisonous substance. A number of Ayurvedic drugs like ‘Karpoor rasa’ and ‘Ark Kapoor’ are used extensively. Camphor is also useful in combating intestinal and stomach worms.
For Asthmatic Patients: when the phlegm remains stuck and is expelled with difficulty, camphor again comes as help. It tends to loosen the phlegm and makes the expectoration easy. You could massage the throat externally with camphor added to mustard oil. This relieves sore throat.
Dental Cure: in the dental ailments like toothache, degradation of the teeth or bleeding gums, try a massage with the powder of camphor. Not only does it provide relief in the said ailments, but also act as a mouth freshener and helps stay clear of bad odour.
Alleviate Joint Pains: for the arthritis patients here is a word of help. Camphor or ‘Kapoor’ can be added to the oil normally used for local massage of the affected joint e.g. mustard oil, sesame seed oil or any medicated il. This could relieve the inflammation, swelling as well as pain.
Aphrodisiac: When taken in small quantity, camphor acts as an aphrodisiac.
Fights Dandruff: Here is an easy home remedy that is good for your hair. Dissolve a piece of camphor in coconut oil and leave it nightlong. Apply this oil to your hair on alternate days and wash. Find the difference in just a few days.
No mention of how great it is for cold sores….it’s awesome!