Traditional Medicinal knowledge about common herbs used as Heart Tonic in Chhattisgarh, India

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

In Chhattisgarh, the use of medicated wooden glasses in very common among heart patients. For different diseases, the traditional healers recommend different types of medicated wooden glasses. During my ethnomedico surveys in different parts of Chhattisgarh, I noted that these glasses are very popular in Southern and Eastern parts of state. From the herb dealers of Kolkata city, I got information that the medicated wooden glasses of Chhattisgarh are very popular in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar. Many traditional healers prepare these glasses and supply it to the traders at Kolkata city. The traders export these glasses to neighbouring countries after packing it in attractive boxes with details regarding instructions and method of use.

In my surveys, I have found that the traditional healers are aware of over 20 types of medicated wooden glasses, prepared from different herbs and used to treat common diseases. In this article, I am describing the medicated wooden glasses prescribed for heart patients in Chhattisgarh. Last year when I showed the carpenter, a medicated wooden glass, I have collected from the traditional healers of Bastar, he informed that this is made up of Koha wood. I requested him to prepare, the same glass using Koha wood. The traditional healers of Bastar, advise the patients suffering from heart disease to use specially prepared wooden glasses. The patients are advised to fill the glass with well water at night and next morning, drink the water (with leachate) in order to get relief from heart troubles. Most of the traditional healers use the glasses in supplement with regular treatment. The traditional healers of Bastar informed me that the leachate from wooden glasses is beneficial for persons of all age group. According to them, it is good heart tonic and its regular use can prevent heart troubles and delays it upto very old age.

During my surveys, I have seen different size of glasses. The traditional healer of Kanker region told me that the size of glasses depend upon the severity of trouble. For young persons, he prescribes small glasses whereas the older patients are advised to use bigger glasses. In general the medicated wooden glasses have a capacity to accumulate 250-300 ml. of water. Different traditional healers recommend different doses to their patients. According to the traditional healers one glass is sufficient for whole life. Many healers are not agree with this. They say that one must change the glass in every ten years. The traditional healer of Durg region, suggests his patients to use this medicated glasses only during winter months every year. According to him, one should not use it regularly. In the labels of export quality wooden glasses from Chhattisgarh, I have read that ‘Please do not use it after completion of six months.’ The traders told me that they have no base for this recommendation and to promote its use and consumption they have written this caption in labels. When I consulted reference literatures, surprisingly I got no information on medicated wooden glasses useful for heart patients even in Ayurveda.

After analysing the observations of surveys, many questions came into my mind, about the standardise doses. Every traditional healer claims that his dose is perfect and his patients are using it from very long time. Most of the traditional healers told that they have gained this knowledge from their forefathers, and they are just following the instructions from generations. I have also interviewed many patients using these wooden glasses. Many of them were satisfied with the efficacy of glasses but some patients complained that regular use of this wooden glasses cause many other problems like decaying of teeth and constipation. The patients getting harmful effects told me that their healers have given them some other herbs to eliminate these harmful effects and they have found it really useful. The discussions with patients clearly indicated that the traditional healers recommending medicated wooden glasses are aware of its harmful effects in certain cases and also they know how to eliminate these harmful effects. Mr. Juniwal from Kolkata, engaged in export of these wooden glasses in name of Yegi Medicated Glasses, informed me that his customers at Bangladesh have never complained about any harmful effects. He told that as it is natural product, so there is no chance of harmful effect. I am not in agreement with him.

Mr. Juniwal is now planning to establish his own workshop to manufacture these glasses in bulk. He told me that the process of manufacturing is very simple. Take wood of Koha tree and convert it into glasses with the help of lathe machines. The carpenter to whom I have ordered to prepare glasses from Koha tree, has also prepared the wooden glasses using the same process. When I tested the efficacy of the glass collected from the traditional healer and the carpenter’s glass with the help of Ayurveda experts , we have found the first one several times superior to the second one. This experiment clearly showed me that the manufacturing of glasses is not as simple as it looks. After knowing this fact, I again started detailed surveys focused on manufacturing process, used by the traditional healers. I have noted that the healers never use the services of carpenter’s to prepare the glasses. The traditional healer of Raipur region told me that he prefers the tree having at least 40-50 years age. The older the tree, the more potential will be the glasses. After the exhaustive surveys, I got some information regarding manufacturing. After cutting the tree, the traditional healers of Bastar, dip the wood piece in medicated solution for two to three days. After these days, wood piece is allowed to dry in shady places. Only after this, it is given the shape of glass.

The traditional healer of Dhamtari region, gives his patients the dried powder of herbs and instruct them to add a pinch of this powder in medicated glasses every night before filling the water. I have yet not get the information about the medicated solution in which the healers dip the wood piece and the dried powder of herbs recommended by the traditional healer of Dhamtari region. But I am proud to say that these information are still with the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh and most of the medicated wooden glasses that are in use in the state, are prepared by them. The traders from Kolkata city, have half knowledge (little knowledge is always dangerous) and ignoring this, they are continuously supplying these medicated glasses to neighbouring countries. The Koha trees are very common in Chhattisgarh. Its Sanskrit name is Arjun and scientific name is Terminalia arjuna (Family : Combretaceae). The uses of Koha tree bark in heart trouble are well documented in available literatures. Many traditional healers of Chhattisgarh, recommend their patients to drink the aqueous leachate of Koha tree bark every morning on an empty stomach to get relief from heart troubles. The decoction of bark is also in use.

In reference literatures the medicinal uses of bark, leaves and fruits are mentioned in detail, but utility of wood from old trees are not mentioned. According to Ayurveda, Arjun (Koha) as medicine is alexiteric, styptic, tonic, anthelmintic and useful in fractures, ulcers, blood - disorders, intoxication, urinary discharges, biliousness, strangury, heart diseases, anaemia, asthma, excessive prespiration, tumours, leucoderma, false presentation of foetus etc.

Before describing the other herbs used as heart tonic in Chhattisgarh, I would like to describe the botany of Koha tree. I have found in reference literatures. Koha is a large evergreen tree with a spreading crown and drooping branches, commonly 3m. in girth, but recorded upto 10m; Bark very thick, grey or pinkish -green, smooth, exfoliating in this irregular sheets; stem rarely long and straight, buttressed, sometimes fluted; leaf sub opposite, oblong or elliptic, coriaceous; Flower white, small, in panicled spikes; Flowering time in Chhattisgarh conditions varies between March to July; Fruit ovoid or ovoid-oblong, 5-7 seeded, 2.5-5.5 cm long, with winged angles; seed hard, upto 800 per kilogram, germination time 50-80 days and germination percentage 50 to 60 percent. As the use of Koha medicated glasses is not mentioned in reference literatures, most of the researchers are not aware of these glasses. I personally feel that there is a strong need of scientific evaluation of these glasses to know its efficacy and to standardise the doses. As the fruits and barks are one of the most demanded non-wood produces of Chhattisgarh, due to over exploitation, the number of Koha tree is decreasing in state. Recently the state government has taken a strong step and banned the collection of tree bark, in order to protect the Koha trees, in its natural habitat. As mentioned earlier, the traditional healers are aware of over 20 types of medicated wooden glasses, there are possibilities of establishing small scale industries for commercial scale manufacturing of these highly demanded medicated glasses with the help of governmental bodies. There is a tremendous scope in this field. This step will not only generate employment opportunities for unemployed rural youths but also generate revenue for the state government.

Almost all traditional healers specialised in heart troubles, recommend their patients to include pure honey in their routine diet. According to them, pure honey is a good heart tonic. The patients living in urban areas are getting poor quality honey full of impurities. The traditional healers advise these patients to not to use impure honey. The scientists of Indira Gandhi Agricultural University, Raipur, have developed many Apiculture practices but due to poor extension the Apiculture is still not popular in the state. In India, many reputed companies sell pure honey in attractive packs. But attractive packs are not the guarantee of good quality. Last year I got an opportunity to visit the Apiculture farm of a reputed company of New Delhi. You will be surprised to know that this company was using the sugarcane molasses chamber for bee-keeping and the honey collected was the result of molasses. I have also seen the systematic Apiculture farm of this company. The guide, off the record, informed that for export, the produce of advanced farm is used whereas the produce from molasses chamber is used for Indian customers. The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh are aware of this fact. Many healers recommend Honey with Nimbu Pani (Lemon water). They instruct the patients to take honey with lemon water daily morning empty stomach. According to them this is not only a good heart tonic but also good for respiratory troubles and constipation. As Nimbu is not cultivated commercially in the state, the healers advise the heart patients to plant this fruit tree in home gardens in order to get fresh lemon any time.

Now I am describing "the poor man’s heart tonic’. Raksi (in Hindi Kanghi) is a common rice weed in Chhattisgarh. The rice farmers are instructed by the weed scientists of the state, to remove this weed as soon as possible in order to save the valuable rice crop. But the farmers are aware of its utility. You will be surprised to know that in many parts of India where it is not common, the herbal drug manufacturers cultivate this so called weed. It is one of the most frequently used herbs in popular combinations. It is in the list of highly demanded non-wood forest produces of Chhattisgarh. In general rice farmers avoid to use agrochemicals to destroy this useful herb. For poor patients, the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh recommend the leaf juice of Raksi with sugar as heart tonic. The leaves collected before flowering are considered best. The traditional healers instruct the patients to use only seven leaves to extract the juice. If leaves are collected from flowering plant, the traditional healers advise the patient to use twelve leaves in place of seven leaves.

Common and popular names of Raksi (Abutilon indicum) around the world.
Languages/Regions/Countries	Names
1) Arabic	Deishar, Masht-ul-ghola, Masht-ul-ghoul
2) Bengal	Potari
3) Myanmar	Bonkhoe, Thanurchok
4) Kanarese	Gidutingi, Hettukisu, Hettutti, Kisangi, Srimudre
5) Chinese	Kuan Sha Yuan
6) Guam	Malbas, Malva, Matbas
7) Gujarati	Dabali, Kantaki
8) Hindi	Jhampi, Kanghi, Tepari
9) Hongkong	Tung K'uci
10) Malyalam	Katturam, Katturan, Tutti, Tuvatti, Uram
11) Marathi	Akakai, Kansuli, Karondi, Madmi, Mudra
12) Mauritius	Mauve du pays
13) Persian	Darakhteshanah
14) Philippines	Malvas, Malvas de Castilla, Tabing
15) Portuguese	Fruta gargontilha, Malwa
16) Sanskrit	Atibala, Balya, Balika, Bhuribala, Shitapushpa, Ghanta
17) Sinhalese	Anodagaha
18) Sind	Khapato, Pilibuti, Sunbul
19) Tamil	Nalatutti, Paniyaratutti, Tutti
20)Telugu	Adavibenda, Botlabenda, Dudi
21) Urdu	Kanghi
22) Uriya	Nakochono

During my ethnomedico surveys in Durg region, I have noted that natives are also well aware of the medicinal properties of Raksi. Before describing other herbs, I am describing the botany of Raksi. The scientific name of Raksi is Abutilon indicum (Family : Malvaceae). Raksi is an erect hairy herb, upto 3 meters height; Leaves broadly ovate-orbicular, acute or obtuse, 2-7 cm long (long leaves are preferred for preparation of juice), crenate-dentate or undulate; Flowers solitary, axillary; pedicles usually geniculate; Calyx campanulate, in fruit stellately spreading, much shorter than the schizo carp; lobes 3-4 mm long, triangular, hairy; corolla 25-30 mm across, hairy, yellow or orange-yellow; Petals obovate; Schizocarps globular with a flat or indented apex; Mericarps mucronate, dorsally hairy; seed 2-3mm across, glabrous or hairy. The flowering time in Chhattisgarh conditions vary between July to March. The traditional healers of Bastar region, advise their patients to dip the matured fruit of Imli (Tamarindus) in a cup of water in night and next morning drink the leachate empty stomach in order to make the heart trouble free. This is also ‘poor man’s heart tonic’ as Imli is a very common tree in Bastar region and the natives have not to pay for it.

The traditional healer of Mudpar, recommend the use of flowers to his patients as heart tonic . In every home in Chhattisgarh, you will find at least a plant of Jason. Although varieties having different flower colour are available in state but the red flowered variety is most common. The traditional healer prepare a Sharbat from these flowers and give it to the patients as heart tonic. As these flowers are one of the preferred foods of Orange banded blister beetles (Zonabris pustulata), the traditional healer instruct the patients to take special care during collection of flowers. The beetles are very dangerous as it can cause dermatitis and also lethal if eaten accidentally with flowers. The healers prefer only red flowered variety to prepare the Sharbat. The Scientific name of Jason is Hibiscus rosasinensis (Family : Malvaceae). In reference literatures, the medicinal properties of Jason are mentioned. According to Ayurveda, buds have a sweet odour and bitter taste and it is cooling, astringent, remove burning of body, urinary discharges, piles, seminal weakness, uterine and vaginal discharges etc. The healer also use the Sharbat prepared from Harshingari flowers. Like Jason, Harshingari is not a common ornamental herb in home gardens. The scientific name of Harshingari is Nyctanthes arbor-ristis (Family : Oleaceae). The traditional healer of Mudpar prefers Jason flowers as compared to Harshingari flowers as heart tonic.

In literatures related to different systems of medicine in India, a lot of information is available on herbs used as heart tonic. In my article, I have tried to describe some less known and unknown information on this important aspect. As in rural and forest areas of Chhattisgarh, the heart troubles are not as common as in urban areas the traditional healers are not taking keen interest in new research and experiments. My surveys are still in progress and I will write more on this important aspect in my future articles.