Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Punica granatum L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)].

Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Punica granatum L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)].

Pankaj Oudhia

Introduction

Based on Ethnobotanical surveys since year 1990 in different parts of India Pankaj Oudhia has documented vital information about Medicinal Plants mentioned in the famous publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918). Through this research document Pankaj Oudhia has tried to present original document with additional notes. For complete paper with pictures, Interactive Tables, Video and Audio clips please visit pankajoudhia.com

For original publication by Kirtikar and Basu (1918) please visit https://archive.org/details/indianmedicinalp01kirt

516. Punica granatum, Linn, h.f.b.i. ii. 581,

Roxb, 402.

Sans. : — Dadima.

Vern. : — Anar-ka-per, dhalim, dharimb. Flowers : — Gulnar,

julvar, darim pushp. Fruit : anar, daram, damu (H.) ; Dalim-

gachh. Flowers : gul-anar, unnum. Fruit : anar, dalim, darim,

darmi. Rind : anar-ka-chhilka. Seed : habul-kilkils (B.) ; Dalim

dalimba (Uriya) ; Dalim (Assam); Anar-ka-jar. Flower: gule-

nar. Fruit : anar (Dec.) ; Madala, michi. Tree, etc. Fruit : anar,

darim. Rind : nasput kushi-ala, post-anar (U. P.). Tree,

etc. Fruit : daru, daruni, dariun, danu, doan, jaman, daran,

anar. Flowers : gul anar, darim, paslik. Rind : naspal, chal-

anar. Seeds : anar-dana (Pb ). Tree, etc. Fruit : anor, anar,

nargosh, ghar-nangoi (Pushtu). Tree etc. Fruit : anar, dhalim,

dharimb, darhu. Bark : daru-jo-kul. Seeds : daru-bij. Rind :

khashi'ala-chodi (S.) ; Anara, dalimba (B.) ; Dalimba-jhada.

Fruit: dalimba (Mar.). Dadamnu-jhada. Flowers: gal-anar.

Fruit: daram, dadur, dadam (Guz.); Madalai, madalam,

mugilan. Flowers: pumadalai. Fruit: madalaip-pazham (Tarn.) ;

Danimma, dadima, dalimba. Flowers : peurri-danimma. Fruit:

dadima-pandu, dalimba-pandu, danimma-pandu(TeL) ; Dalimbe-

gida. Flowers: pushi-dulimbe. Fruit : dalim be-kayi (Kan.)

Habitat : — Cultivated throughout India.

A large shrub or small tree. There are two varieties, one

bearing a male flower consisting of a mass of scarlet petals

which are abortive stamens, the filaments of which are a reversion

N. 0. LYTHRACE^. 569

to petals ; with here and there an abortive anther or anthers ;

the second is the variety which bears hermaphrodite flowers

finally bearing fruit. Branchlets round, often spinescent.

" Bark grey, thin, peeling off in small flakes. Wood light-yellow,

with a small dark-coloured, irregular heartwood, hard, compact,

and close-grained " (Gamble). Brandis says the tree is deci-

duous. Leaves opposite, often fascicled on arrested branches

commonly l-3in. long by -jrfm. broad, narrower at both ends,

oblong-lanceolate or oblanceolate, obtuse, narrowed into a slender

petiole, intra-marginal nerve distinct or obscure. Hermaphrodite

flowers shortly pedicelled, axillary, solitary or somewhat clus-

tered large orange red. Calyx- tube funnel-shaped, coriaceous,

adnate to the ovary below, enlarged above the ovary ; lobes

5-7 persistent on the fruit. Petals |in., inserted in the mouth

of the Calyx-tube crumpled in bud. Stamens numerous, insert-

ed at different levels below the petals, anther-cells attached

to the edges of a broad connective. Style long, bent. Stigma

capitate. Carpels in several tiers on the inside of a hollow

receptacle, here called Calyx-tube. Ovules numerous, placentas

in some cells axile, in others parietal. Carpels coalesce early

and form a large globose indehiscent fruit crowned by the

persistent Calyx and containing under a coriaceous rind two

tiers of cells, Sin. the lower, 5-9in., the upper, tier. Seeds

numerous in each cell, and surrounded by red juice. Cotyledons

foliacious, spirally convolute.

" An anomalous genus allied to Myrtacece through Psidium, and to Rosacece

through Cydonia." (Duthie).

Uses :— Hindoo physicians use the fresh juice of the fruits

as an ingredient of cooling and refrigerant mixtures of some

medicines for dyspepsia. They also use the rind of the fruit

and the flowers, combined with aromatics, such as cloves,

cinnamon, coriander, pepper, etc., as a bowel astringent in

diarrhoea. The seeds are considered to be stomachic, the

pulp cardiac and stomachic. No notice is to be found of the

medicinal use of the pomegranate root-bark in Sanskrit works [Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: Disagree.]

(U. C. Dutt).

[Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: Through Ethnobotanical surveys among Primitive Tribes of India I have collected vast Knowledge about medicinal properties and uses of Punica. Here is list of diseases and no. of Traditional Herbal Formulations. Most of these Formulations are new to the modern science and waiting for clinical trials. For details please see Table Punica-1 to Punica-128.    

Abnormal prostate (plus 500 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Acid reflux (plus 12000 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Acute leukemia (plus 800 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Alzheimer's Disease (plus 300 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Age-related macular degeneration (plus 300 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Allergic Diseases (plus 1500 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Anal fistula (plus 4500 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Asthma (plus 8000 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Bile duct cancer (plus 200 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Bone cancer (plus 900 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Central sleep apnea (plus 300 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Chronic Constipation (plus 4000 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Diabetic kidney disease (plus 7000 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Epilepsy (plus 7000 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Hearing Loss (plus 1200 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Infectious Diseases (plus 3000 Traditional Herbal Formulations), Seasonal Flu (plus 700 Traditional Herbal Formulations) etc.]

The Arabs recommend the root-bark as being the most

astringent part of the plant, and a perfect specific in cases of

72

570 INDIAN MEDICINAL PLANTS.

tapeworm ; it is given, in decoction, prepared with two ounces

of fresh bark, boiled in a pint-and-a-half of water till but

three-quarters of a pint remain ; of this, when cold, a wine-

glassful may be drunk every half-hour, till the whole is taken.

This dose sometimes sickens the stomach a little, but

seldom fails to destroy the worm, which is soon after passed

(Dymock).

Pomegranate peel, combined with opium and an aromatic,

such as cloves, is a most useful remedy in chronic dysentery

as well as in diarrhoea. A decoction of the bark followed by a

purgative, acts as an anthelmintic (Pharrnacographia).

The root-bark and rind of the fruit are officinal in the Indian

Pharmacopoeia.

There are two chief alkoloids, viz., Pelletierine and Isopelleticrine present

in the bark. These alkoloids are closely related, are liquids and volatile at

ordinary temperatures and are present to the extent of 0'5— per cent. The

bark also contains 25 per cent of tannic acid.

Citation

Oudhia, Pankaj (2013). Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Punica granatum L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)]. www.pankajoudhia.com