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

Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Viola odorata 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

100. V. odorata, Linn, h.f.b.i., i. 184.

Vem. : — Banafsha(H.; Dec; Bom.; Guz.) ; Banosa (Beng.);

Vayilethe (Tarn.)

Habitat : — Kashmir.

A glabrato or pubescent herb. Root-stock stout. Stem

very short or 0. Stolons slender. Leaves tufted, in the

Kashmir plant, J-l in. diam., broadly ovate-cordate, obtuse,

crenate, tip rounded, nearly glabrous. Stipules entire or tooth-

ed, subulate, lanceolate. Sepals rounded at tip, very obtuse,

spur nearly straight, short, cyiindric, style inflated above ;

stigma decurved.

Parts used: — The flowers used dry. [Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: All parts are used as medicine.]

Uses : — By the Mahomedan hakims, it is generally consi-

dered cold and moist, and is especially valued as a diuretic and

expectorant, and as a purgative in bilious affections.

O'Shaughnessy experimented with the dry plant as a

substitute for Ipecacuanha, but without success.

Moodeen Sheriff considers it antipyretic and diaphoretic,

and very useful in relieving febrile symptoms and excitement

in all forms of fever, particularly in combination with other

drugs of the same class.

A certain amount of interest is attached to the leaves of

the violet on account of an apparent improvement following the

employment of the fresh infusion of the leaves in a case (L. '05,

i. 713) in which it was alleged that a patient might have been

suffering from malignant disease. A handful of the leaves was

N. 0. VIOLACEiE.

113

soaked in a pint of boiling water for 24 hours and the liquid

poured off, divided into 2 parts, 1 part being taken internally

during the 24 hours, and the other used as a fomentation. An

apparent recovery from a presumably malignant growth of the

mouth resulted.

An examination of the leaves of the common violet (viola

odorata) in the Lancet laboratory (L. '05, i, 1085) showed

the presence of two crystalline bodies, one glucosidal and

the other alkaloidal in character, and also a dark green oil.

Alcohol was found a much more effective solvent than an aqueous

menstruum ; in view of the employment of an aqueous infusion,

the latter point is of interest.

The alkaloid isolated behaved, chemically, much in the

same way as Emetine, the principal alkaloid of Ipecacuanha. It

has been stated (Y. B P. '05, 467 ; C. D. '05, ii. 977 ; P.

J. '05, ii. 869) that any activity which violet leaves possess

is due either to the glucoside, the product of its decomposition,

or a natural ferment associated with it. Reckoned as viola=

quercitrin, the glucoside from Princess of Wales violet leaves

amounted to 5 p. c. of the weight of the fresh leaves. A fresh

infusion was found to extract nine-tenths of the glucoside

present in the leaves. No volatile constituent was isolated,

no alkaloid could be detected, no salicylic acid was found. The

presence of a glucoside was proved, but the glucoside was not

isolated. Objection has been taken to the evidence of the uses

of violet leaves having been unfortunately collected chiefly by

unskilled persons, and that it has therefore been lacking in

definiteness, and consequently in value. After the definite

expression of the opinions mentioned in the above reference,

it is disappointing to find in a paper read before the Therapeu-

tical Society, October 30th, 1906, and reported in the Lancet,

'06, ii. 1318, that all attempts to isolate and identify a glu-

coside from violet leaves have failed ; similarly, there was no

evidence of a ferment being present ; the only positive facts

resulting from the experiments being that the leaves and their

preparations yield under certain conditions glucose.

It has been pointed out that the reputation of Violets for

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114 INDIAN MEDICINAL PUNTS.

the treatment of malignant growths was founded on the use

of wild Violets, at least as far back as James I, and that it is

therefore desirable that in any inquiry into the subject wild

Violets should be used, such as have been used for centuries,

and not a recent cultivated Violet, as employed at the present

time. In the light of the above remarks, the varieties officinal

in the Continental Pharmacopoeias will be of interest. It will

be noted that wild violets are officinal in the German and

Swiss Pharmacopoeias, and cultivated Violets in the Austrian.

(Peter Squire's Companion to the British Pharmacopoeia,

18th edition (1908), pp. 1235-1236).

A syrup is made from the petals which is a favourite

remedy for infantile disorders.

The root is a powerful emetic, and is frequently used to

adulterate ipecac. A dose of from forty to fifty grains of the

powdered root acts powerfully.

A principle called violine is present in all parts of the

plant, analogous in external characteristics to the emetine of

ipecacuanha, and possessing the same emetic properties. It

is an alkaline substance, and forms salts by its union with

acids ; it is soluble in alcohol, but hardly so in water.

The flowers were used in olden times as remedies in many

disorders, and were supposed to be especially serviceable to the

eyes and in ague.

The seeds were formerly believed to counteract the effect

of a scorpion's sting.

Syrup of violets is a favorite medicine for cough and

hoarseness. The French make great use of violets in their

confitures and household remedies ; and we have seen and

partaken of a delicate sweetmeat composed simply of the violet

flower prepared with sugar, yet retaining its delicious perfume.

(Sowerby's English Botany).

[Pankaj Oudhia’s Comment: In over 35000 Herbal Formulations Viola is added as tertiary ingredient. These Formulations are used for treatment of different types of Fever. In over 25000 Bhuiaonla based Formulations Viola is added as quinary ingredient. These Formulations are used for treatment of liver diseases. In over 36000 Formulations for Spleen related diseases Viola is added as septenary ingredient. In over 16000 Mamria based Formulations Viola is added as octonary ingredient. These Formulations are used for cancer complications. In over 25000 Rishabhak based Herbal Formulations Viola is added as nonary ingredient. These Formulations are used for vitality specially for the patients recovering from exhaustive diseases. The Traditional Healers are well aware of Viola excess, overdose and toxicity and they use hundreds of formulations to manage it. Please see Tables Viola-1 to Viola-350 for details.]

E-documents on Viola

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Citation

Oudhia, Pankaj (2014). Pankaj Oudhia’s Notes on Viola odorata L. [Kirtikar, Kanhoba Ranchoddas, and Baman Das Basu. "Indian Medicinal Plants." Indian Medicinal Plants. (1918)]. www.pankajoudhia.com