The soup Pod is a very popular and hardy shrub armed with
numerous prickles. It belongs to the
plant family Mimosaceae. The branches of
this shrub are brown in color with white dots on them. The leaves are bipinnate, 5-10 cm. long with
the main rachis armed with sharp prickles and a large gland at the base of the
petiole. There are 12-25 pairs of
leaflets that are 6.13 mm. long. The
flowers are globose heads found at the terminal ends of the branches. The pods contain saponin and are shortly
stalked, 7-12 cm. long with 6-10 seeds.
They are thick and freshly when immature but wrinkled and dark brown
when dry. In India the pods are
popularly called shikakai, the ‘fruit for the hair’ and this natural soap pod
has been in use as a common hair cleanser for centuries.
Medicinal use
·
Constipation
·
Jaundice
·
Pain in the chest, hip, and limbs.
·
Freckles.
How to use
·
To take care of the constipation, remove the
seed from a pod, crush and soak the rest in a glass of water for an hour. Administer the infusion.
·
To take care of Jaundice, make a decoction with
the tender leaves, add 3 or 4 dry peppercorns, a bit of tamarind pulp and a
small pinch of red chilli and salt. The
decoction can be taken after meals.
·
For pain in the chest, hip, and limbs, apply a
little castor oil on the affected areas.
Foment the area with a hot water bag and gently massage with powdered
pods for 10-15 minutes. Wash area with
warm water and wipe with a dry towel.
·
To control dandruff, boil the powdered pods in
water, in the ratio of 1:50, for 10 minutes.
Cool and filter. Use this water
to rinse the hair. Repeat this procedure
regularly until all the dandruff has disappeared.
·
To eradicate freckles, apply a finely ground
paste of the pods every day. Wash of
after 15 minutes
Parts used
Leaves and pods
Dose
As recommended above
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