Calotropis Procera An Unani Herbal Medicinal Plant

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Common Name :Giant Swallow Wort, Milkweed, madar, arka

Part Used :Mainly Bark, Roots And Whole Plant.

Habitat :Throughout india, in dry waste places.

Product offered :Leaves, Seeds, Fruits, Flower

The fruit is described by the Roman Jewish historian josephus, who saw it growing near Sodom: “…as well as the ashes growing in their fruits; which fruits have a color as if they were fit to be eaten, but if you pluck them with your hands, they dissolve into smoke and

ashes.”

In his Biblical Researches in Palestine, Edward Robinson describes it as the fruit of the Asclepias gigantea vel procera, a tree 10-15 feet high, with a grayish cork-like bark called osher by the Arabs. He says the fruit resembled a large, smooth apple or orange, hanging in clusters of three or four. When pressed or struck, it exploded with a puff, like a bladder or puff-ball, leaving in the hand only the shreds of the thin rind and a few fibers. It is filled chiefly with air, which gives it the round form. In the center a small slender pod runs through it which contains a small quantity of fine silk, which the Arabs collect and twist into matches for their guns. The plant, however, is not native solely to Israel. It is known to occur throughout the tropical belt and is also common in the West Indies (e.g. Jamaica), where the locals know it as “pillow cotton”. When the ripe “apples” burst, the fibrous contents are ejected along with the seeds. The former are collected by the Jamaicans and used for filling pillows.

The Sodom Apple is mentioned in the Mishana and the Talmud. The long fibers attached to the seeds may once have served as wicks. The rabbis rule that these fibers were not suitable for  Shabbat wicks: “It may not be lighted with cedar-bast, nor with uncombed flax, nor with floss-silk, nor with willow fiber, nor with nettle fiber.

Uses :Calotropis procera plays an important role in improving soil fertility and improved soil water holding capacity. The root bark is febrifuge, anthelmintic, depurative, expectorant, and laxative. The powdered root promotes gastric secretions and useful in asthma, bronchitis, and dyspepsia. Dried whole plant is good tonic, expectorant, depurative and anthelminthic. The root skin, latex, flowers, leaves and the ksara of arka are used for medicinal purpose. Arka is useful both, internally as well as externally. The poultice of its leaves effectively reduces the pain and swelling in rheumatic joints and filariasis. The medicated oil is beneficial in otitis and deafness; The topical sprinkle of dried leaves powder hastens the wound healing. In glandular swellings the topical application of latex reduces the inflammation. In skin diseases, associated with depigmentation, the latex combined with mustard oil, works well. The fomentation with its leaves, slightly warmed with thin coat of castor oil, is beneficial to relieve the abdominal pain. The local application of latex is recommended in hairfall and baldness. It also, is useful in piles. The latex also mitigates the dental aches.
Madar root-bark is very largely used in India as a treatment for elephantiasis, leprosy, and in chronic eczema. It also used as antidote substance and for abortive purposes. Leaves are useful in the treatment of paralysis, arthralgia, swellings and intermittent fevers. Flowers are useful in asthma, catarrh, anorexia, inflammations and tumours.

The large doses of its latex and leaf juice produces toxic symptoms like burning in throat, irriation of the stomach, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, tremors, vertigo and convulsions. In these conditions, withdraw the use of arka or its preparations and advise the milk and ghee in diet.

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