Botanical Name: Vitex Negundo L.
Family: Lamiaceae / Verbenaceae
Common name: Chaste Tree
Sanskrit: Sinduvara, Indrani, Nila nirgundi
Tamil: Nochi
Hindi: Nirgundi, Sindvar
Malayalam: Karinochi, Vennocchi
Telugu: Vavili
Kannada: lakki gidda, Nochi
Bengali: Nishinda
Assami: Aslak
Gujarati: Nagod
Punjabi: Sambhalu, Banna
Description:
Vitex negundo, commonly known as the five-leaved chaste tree, is a large aromatic shrub with quadrangular, densely whitish, tomentose branchlets. It is widely used in folk medicine, particularly in South and Southeast Asia.
In China, the flowers are used to treat rheumatic difficulties, colds, cough, angina, and gonorrhea. The leaves are used to calm itchiness of eczematous eruptions. The roots are used to treat colds and rheumatisms, and the stems are used to sooth burns and scalds. An infusion of the stems is drunk to treat headache, dizziness, convulsions of children, cough, mental unrest, and to promote wakefulness. In the Philippines, Vitex negundo L. is used to promote milk secretion and menses.
In India, the plant is used to soothe inflammation and to calm itching. The anti-inflammatory property of Vitex negundo L. is confirmed
Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) is the remedy of choice for external use in ear infections. The juice of the
leaves is mixed with mustard oil and boiled. This medicated oil is dropped into the ear twice daily.
The leaves are used as a vulnerary. An oil prepared with the juice of the leaves is applied to sinuses
and scrofulous sores with beneficial results. A decoction of the leaves is taken internally for flatulence. Externally, the leaves reduce inflammatory and rheumatic swellings in joints and swellings in the testes due to gonorrhea.
A pillow stuffed with the leaves is said to cure headache and catarrh. The leaves, roots and bark are used in snake-bite cures. The expressed fresh juice is given internally and poured into the nostrils for cases of stupor or coma. The roots are used for many ailments such as coughs, asthma, fever, etc., and on scrofulous ulcers.
A tincture of the root is administered for irritation of the bladder and rheumatism.
Lagundi is commonly used for wounds, fever, stomach ache and dysmenorrhea.
Medicinal Benefits:
- Nirgundi is best analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial.
- Nirgundi is used for cleaning and healing wounds
- Nirgundi is also used as a hair tonic
- Nirgundi leaves after heated are tied over the affected part in headache, scrotal swelling, arthritic pain.
- Decoction prepared form Nirgundi leave powder is used for tub bath in endometritis, colitis and orchitis, in these conditions it reduces the obstruction of blood and amakapha, increases perspiration, reduces oedema and also relieves pain.
- Gargles with decoction of Nirgundi leaves powder are useful in pharyngitis, stomatitis, difficulty in deglutition and inflammation.
- Nirgundi is an analgesic, brain tonic and alleviates vata, therefore useful in headache, sciatica, rheumatic arthritis, synovitis, improves memory.
- Nirgundi improves menstrual flow therefore used in dysmenorrhoea and obstetric conditios.
- Nirgundi is stimulated every part of the body, therefore it acts as a rasayan in body.
Dosage:
Take 5gram powder at morning in the empty stomach boiled with water and drink after filtering or as directed by your naturopaths.
