Crude drug sample data base

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Crude drug name

Market nameAmaltas
Urudu nameAmaltas
Arabic name /
Persian name		Khiyar-shambar / Khiyar-Shambar
English namePurging Cassia
Original plant nameCassia fistula Linn., Purging Cassia
Family nameCaesalpiniaceae (Former Leguminosae)
Used partClassificationPlant origin
Sub classification fruit
Collection informationPeople's Republic of Bangladesh, Dacca [Dhaka], Essa Bros. & Co.
Collection date1964/3/6
CollectorTsuneo Namba
IdentifierJaved Ahmad
DescriptionFeatures:
Pods cylindrical, dark chocolate brown in colour with a short strong woody stalk and a blunt end suddenly contracted into a point. The oval flattish seed is of reddish-brown colour. The pods' cells contain a soft black pulp which has a mawkish sweet taste.
TMPW No.9515

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Production area information
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23.810332
90.41251809999994
Collection information
People's Republic of Bangladesh,Dacca [Dhaka]
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Scientific information data base

Crude drug nameUrudu name,
English name		Amaltas, Purging cassia
Arabic name / Persian nameKhiyar-shambar / Khiyar-Shambar
crude drug image
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Original plant nameCassia fistula Linn.
Family nameCaesalpiniaceae (Former Leguminosae)
Used partFruits
Distribution areaIndian laburnum is commonly cultivated tree as an ornamental for attractive yellow blossoms in pendant racemes. Commonly planted as avenue tree in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
DescriptionThere are two kinds of purging cassia. One is Kabuli and the other is Masri (Egyptian). The best kind is obtained from the brighter and oily stalks. Such stalks are very bright and smooth. Outer coat of pods and inner partitions of pods with seeds (having black and sweet pulp) are used medicinally.
Function and propertiesFevers, Chest, Swellings, Joints, Liver.
Purgative / cathartic, pulp of the pods-agreeable laxative, seeds emetic. Resolvent of inflammations, emmenagogue. Safe laxative for malhumours.
Specific actionsLaxative / purgative (for malhumours), emmenagogue.
Frequency in useCommonly cultivated tree throughout India.
Common usesFevers: It is also used in hot fevers.

Respiration: It is useful in diphtheria, when used as a gargle by the drug soaked in fresh coriander water with the mucilage of the seeds of ispaghula.

Chest: Being antiphlegmatic it is useful for relieving thoracic obstructions, heat of the blood, as a safe aperient and demulcent for children and women. It is also given in cough and bronchitis.

Swellings: Purging cassia is useful in hot visceral swellings. It is especially beneficial in the swellings of throat when gargled with the juice of garden nightshade. If it is painted on the hard swellings, it proves to be useful. It dissolves the hard swellings.

Joints: Purging cassia is painted on gout and painful joints.

Liver: It cleanses (the foul humours) the liver and is useful in jaundice and hepatalgia.

Kidneys: Confection of the pulp is given in cases of diabetes.

Parturition: With saffron and aqua rose, decoction of the pulp is useful in bringing parturition and expelling fetal remnants. Cassia pulp is thus employed as a useful ecbolic and in difficult menstruation.

Excretion: It causes relaxation of the bowels and evacuates the burnt bile and phlegm. It is a convenient purgative and proves to be suitable even for pregnant women and relaxes their bowels.
Side effectExcessive use or large doses may cause intestinal irritation, tenesmus, nausea, colic and abortion.
Medical systemUnani
Traditional conceptTemperamentIt is hot and moist in the first degree.
Drug effectIt is aperient and purgative (for malhumours). It is also phlegmagogue.
Dosage24 gm to 48 gum. (approximately)
SubstituteTurbud (Operculina turpetham (L.) Silva Manso.) and Turanjebin (Alhagi pseudalhagi (Bieb.) Desv.) or (Fraxinus ornus Linn.) for purgation.
Corrigent (corrective)Mastagi (Pistacia lentiscus Linn.), Anisun (Pimpinella anisum Linn.) and butter / oily substances.
Important compound preparationsLaooq Sapistan Khiyar Shamberi and Ma‘jun Kalkalanj.
ReferencesReference book　

Tips！

Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants, 1956. Chopra, R.N., Nayar, S.L. and Chopra, I.C., Council of Scientific & Industrial Research, New Delhi. - New Edition (1996) National Institute Science Communication; Supplement
p 54.

Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi.
pp 89-90.

Dictionary of Economic Plants in India, 1996 (2nd Rep.). Singh, U; Wadhwani, A. M. and Johri B.M. Indian council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi.
p 44.

Al-Qanun Fil-Tibb. Avicenna. (English translation of the critical Arabic text), Book 2, 1998. Hameed, H. A. (editor), Dept. of Islamic Studies, Jamia Hamdard (Hamdard University), New Delhi.
p 202.

Hamdard Pharmcopoeia of Eastern medicine, 1969. Said, H. M. (editor), The Times Press, Sadar Karachi.
pp 248, 281.

Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi.
pp 143-144.

RemarksPost-amaltas (outer covering of pod) and Maghz-amaltas (inner pulp of the pod with seeds) are used separately in Unani system of medicine. According to Hakim Kabiruddin the outer covering of the pod is hot and dry in second degree. Post-amaltas is mainly used in the retention of menses. Its decoction is also given to pregnant women for making delivery easy. Its dosage is from 6 gm to 12 gm.
According to Unani physicians the heating of the fruit pulp decreases its potency.
Last renewal date2024/02/22
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