Crude drug sample data base

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Crude drug name

Market nameGulab
Urudu nameGul e-surkh
Arabic name /
Persian name		Ward ahmar / Gule-surkh
English nameRose
Original plant nameRosa damascena Mill., Rose
Family nameRosaceae
Used partClassificationPlant origin
Sub classification flower
Collection informationIslamic Republic of Pakistan, Karachi [Karachi], Sind, Amjad Unani Medicine (Pvt.) Ltd.
Collection date1994/1/22
CollectorTsuneo Namba
IdentifierJaved Ahmad
DescriptionFeatures:
It is a famous flower. Thorny shrub, with strongly smelling, numerous and rose-petalled flowers.
TMPW No.14621

The capital city, provincial capital city or the representative　　
location of its administrative area is indicated.　　
Production area information
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25.0700428
67.2847875
Collection information
Islamic Republic of Pakistan,Karachi [Karachi], Sind
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Scientific information data base

Crude drug nameUrudu name,
English name		Gul e-surkh, Rose
Arabic name / Persian nameWard ahmar / Gule-surkh
crude drug image
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Original plant nameRosa damascena Mill.
Family nameRosaceae
Used partFlowers
Distribution areaCultivated throughout India, but Ghazipur (U.P.), is the main centre for the production of rose water. Deoghar and Madhupur of Eastern Bihar, are best places for its growth and production of rose water. Rose is also found in other countries of the world.
DescriptionRose is a famous plant. It is planted for decoration in the houses. The flower petals and the powder of petals and stamens (Zerward) are used as drug. Oil is extracted from the flower petals. It is sold in the markets as Arq gulab (rose water). Flowers are fragrant. It has many kinds on the basis of the colour of flower. But red variety is used in Unani system of medicine.
Rose has a composite potency of aqueous and earthy substances. It contains some pungent, astringent, bitter and a mildly sweet taste. Its moisture content reduces it heat and this makes it sweet and bitter. Its rarefying potency removes its astringency. Mostly it causes coryza. Fresh rose contains bitterness. When it dries up, the bitterness is reduced.
Function and propertiesCosmetics, Swellings, Ulcers, Head, Eye.

The flowers are somewhat bitter, astringent in taste, acrid, with a good odour, cooling (refrigerant), mild laxative, aphrodisiac, antipyretic and cardiotonic. It is deobstruent and detergent. The dry flowers are more astringent and cold. It controls the ‘movement’ of yellow bile. Plumules (including stamens) located in the middle of the flower, strengthen the internal organs. Its astringency does not exceed its dissolving property. The desiccant property of rose is stronger than its astringency because it is more bitter than astringent in taste (Avicenna).
Specific actionsExhilarant, resolvent, mild laxative and mild astringent.
Frequency in useAbundant.
Common usesCosmetics: When used in bath, it removes the foul odour due to perspiration. Often women use roses as garlands, around their necks.

Swellings: According to some people pulverized roses help in extracting all types of warts. Application of a plaster prepared from a decoction of powdered flowers without squeezing, dissolves hot inflammations and proves to be useful in erysipelas.

Ulcers: It promotes granulation in chronic ulcers and relieves abrasions particularly those affected parts between the thighs and armpits. Some people state that its powder helps to expel arrow tips and thorns.

Head: The fresh rose and its decoction relieve headache. Inhaling of rose oil induces sneezing. Some people attribute this to its gas retaining property. This is probably because the rose possesses two contradictory potencies; (a) deterging and (b) resisting. The later affects the brain and helps in retaining fine superfluous matters. The rose elicits errhine actions in persons having 'hot' brain.

Eye: Rose gives relief to ocular pain which is attributed to heat. Collyrium prepared from a decoction of dry roses is good in thickening eye-lashes. Its extract and oil also act similarly. It is useful in conjunctivitis particularly when the white pollens are removed from the flowers.

Respiration: Sipping of rose water is beneficial in cases of syncope. Both the extract of flowers and the juice from branches are good for treating haemoptysis/hemoptysis. Its buds also have the same property.

Heart: Internally it is useful in palpitation, fainting and weakness of the heart.

Food: Roses are good for the liver and stomach. Its preserve in honey is called julanjibin. This strengthens the stomach. It helps in digestion. Both the flowers and their juice are useful in 'wetness' of the stomach. Rose oil relieves feeling of burning in the stomach. Similar benefit is achieved when it is painted on the abdomen. Rose syrup is useful for treating persons suffering from gastric paralysis.

Excretion: It is useful in gastralgia and uteralgia attributed to heat. A decoction of dry roses acts similarly and is also useful in rectal pain.
An enema with its decoction is useful in cases of intestinal ulcers. It strengthens the intestines.

Wounds: Its powder dries up the wounds.
Side effectSleeping on a bed of roses reduces the sexual desire. Fresh flowers taken in a dose of 35gm. act as a purgative resulting ten motions. The dry flowers elicit no such action. Rose oil relaxes the bowels. Fresh rose causes coryza to weak individuals. It checks excessive perspiration.
Medical systemUnani
Traditional conceptTemperamentIt is cold and dry in the second degree (Kabiruddin).
The second view is that it is cold and moist in the first degree.
Galen opined that the rose is not very cold in relation to the human body. It may be cold in the first degree.
Avicenna (Ibn Sina) considers the rose, particularly in its dried state, to be cold in the first phase of the second degree.
Drug effectIt is strength giving to vital organs like brain, heart and liver. It is harmful for penis.
Dosage5 to 7gm.
SubstituteBanafsha (Viola odorata Linn.) and Marzanjosh (Origanum majorana Linn.).
Corrigent (corrective)Anisun (Pimpinella anisum Linn.) and Habb al-Zalam (Pistacia species).
Important compound preparationsJawarish Zarishk, Dawa al-Misk Barid Sada, Sherbat Ward, Ma`jun Dabeedul Ward and Ma`jun Kalan.
ReferencesReference book　

Tips！

Indian Materia Medica, Vols. 1-2, 1976 (Repr. 1989). Nadkarni, A.K., Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Bombay
Vol. 1, pp 1072-1073.

Avicenna's Tract on Cardiac Drugs and Essays on Arab Cardiotherapy, 1983. Hameed, H. A. Hamdard Foundation Press, Karachi.
pp 45-46.

Makhzanul-Mufradat (Khawasul Adviyah), Hakeem Kabiruddin, Daftar Al-Masih, Qarol Bagh, Delhi.
pp 316-317, 489-490.

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 198.

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.
pp 461-462.

Hamdard Pharmcopoeia of Eastern medicine, 1969. Said, H. M. (editor), The Times Press, Sadar Karachi.
pp 81-82, 128-129, 189, 269-270, 280.

Indusyunic Medicine, 1997. Usmanghani, K., Saeed, A. and Alam, M. T. Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi, Karachi.
pp 381-382.

Unani Adwiyah Mufradah, 1984. Ali, Saifuddin, A. (3rd edi.). Taraqi-e-Urdu Bureau, R. K. Puram, New Delhi.
pp 241-242.

RemarksThe drug Zerward is described independently by Kabiruddin.

According to Avicenna the fragrance of rose is suitable for the pneuma. Rose is also included by him among sixty-three drugs which have been mentioned exclusively for cardiac aliments in ''al-adwiyat al-Qalbia&' (Cardiac Drugs). The drug otherwise is very easily available and have no problems of adulteration.

Rose water, rose oil, conserve (gul kand) and Zerward (stamens from the central part of the flower) are the important preparations of rose. It is said that the smell of fresh flowers is regarded as tonic for heart and brain, but in weak or cold tempered individuals or in those allergic to its fragrance, some respiratory catarrhal affections may occur.
Last renewal date2024/02/26
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