Azadirachta Indica

PREPARATION.--The fresh bark is pounded to a pulp and macerated in two

parts by weight of alcohol.



(The following synopsis of Azadirachta Ind., is

contributed by P. C. Majumdar, M. D., of Calcutta,

India):



Azadirachta Indica. Syn.: Sanskrit, Nimba; Bengala and Hindi, Nim.

Belongs to the natural order Meliaeae. It is a large tree. Bark is used

for making tinctures rom which provings were instituted. The leaves,

bark, wood, roots and fruits, in short, every part of this tree, is

intensely bitter. According to Ayurveda (Hindu System of Medicine) the

different parts of this tree possess different medicinal properties.

Bhava Misra, Charak, Susratha and several other Sanskrit authors agree

that its bark, though very disagreeable in taste, is generally used with

success in cases of lassitude, thirst, cough, fever, loss of appetite,

helmenthiasis, boils, bilious derangements, catarrh, vomiting, cutaneous

diseases, hiccough, gonorrhoea, etc.; its leaves are used in some

forms of ophthalmic disease, helmenthiasis and disorders brought on by

deranged bile or use of poisonous things. A decoction of fresh leaves is

used as a favorite wash to cure old ulcers of long standing. It removes

within a short time the sloughs and promotes the healing. The fruit is

purgative, demulcent, and is used in some forms of cutaneous affections.

A kind of oil is produced from the seed of ripe fruits, and this oil is

said to cure lepra, eczema and some other obstinate skin diseases.



Nim is also praised by some of the Allopathic physicians for its tonic,

antiseptic, astringent and anti-periodic properties. Its febrifuge

action is well-known in our country. Kanirages (native physicians) use

Nim as the principal substance in their febrifuge medicines. The vast

range of its action is chiefly due to azaderine, margocine and katechin,

the three active principles found in this tree. Nim was proved by me and

one of my students, U. C. Bagchi. A full report of the proving was

published in the Indian Homoeopathic Review, Vol. iii, No. 1. Here I

give the most reliable and peculiar symptoms obtained in its proving.



Mind: Depressed and forgetful, mistakes in writing and spelling words,

weak and dull, full of anxiety, inactive, could not think or remember

names of persons very familiar, or what has been done in the previous

day. No desire to go out or walk out. Loss of memory.



Head: Giddiness, as if the head were moving to and fro, especially when

rising from a sitting posture; headache, pressure in the head, by moving

it; headache, throbbing in the temporal arteries, especially of the

right side, with a little vertigo; aching, drawing and throbbing in the

whole head; headache, by wet compress, with much pain in the right

eyeball; headache, on moving; headache on the right side with much pain.

Frontal headache, especially on the right side, in the open air.

Throbbing in the vertex, by stooping; scalp is painful and sensitive to

touch, even the hair is painful. Vertigo at 10 A.M.; intense headache,

pain in the whole head; on walking pain is felt in the back part of the

head.



Eyes: Burning in the eyes; burning of the eyes continued throughout even

the next day; burning, dull and heavy. Pain in the eye, by slightest

pressure; red, congested and burning with slight coryza; sense of

pressure in the right eye; eyes red and sunken; pressive pain in the

right eyeball.



Ears: Buzzing in the ears; a peculiar cracking sound is heard in the ear

like tickling with a feather, which is increased on opening the mouth.



Nose: Running of watery fluid from the nose.



Face: Flushings of the face; flushing and heat in the face; face pale.



Mouth: No thirst but mouth is clammy, water has relish; taste good, but

mouth is clammy and bitter. On the sides and surface of the tongue a

painful burning sensation is felt as if scalded; papillae seem to be

enlarged and prominent. Putrid taste in the mouth. Saliva coming out

which tastes salty. Slight difficulty in deglutition, especially water

and meat.



Throat: Bitter taste in the throat; left-sided sore throat.



Stomach: No thirst; appetite very acute and keen; very great thirst for

large quantity of cold water; very great thirst at long interval.

Heart-burn and water-brash. Uneasy sensation in the thorax.



Abdomen: Great uneasiness in the abdomen with flatulent rumbling in the

bowels; twisting pain in the epigastric region; no tenderness in the

abdomen; clutching pain in the umbilical region, obliging to bend

forwards, which affords some relief; abdomen a little distended, passing

of offensive flatus; painful tension in the hypochondriac region.



Stools: Insufficient; bowels very much constipated; stools hard, small

and knotty; stools hard, but natural; stools copious, soft, semi-solid.

Diarrhoea, no satisfaction after stool.



Genito-urinary organs: Great excitement of sexual organ (in male);

sexual desire a little diminished. Urine scanty and high-colored, and

scalding; urine white, clear and copious; urine of strong odor (once

with purple sediment).



Respiratory organs: Very troublesome cough after bathing at 1 P.M. Sputa

white in small lumps expelled with much difficulty. Sighing, breathing

at intervals. Slight hoarseness. Cough with greyish expectoration; cough

with thick sputa; short, dry cough in the afternoon; very troublesome

cough with white sputa and tasteless. Deep breathing at long intervals;

breathing very rapid and hot.



Chest and throat: Aching in the lower part of the right chest, below the

nipple. Stitches in the chest. Crampy pains in the lower part of chest.

Transitory stitches in the chest, especially in the right side.



Pulse, quick and hard, feeble.



Neck and back: Pain and debility in the nape of the neck.



Extremities: Numbness of the limbs, as if the limbs are paralyzed.

Gnawing in the legs. Strength of the hand diminished. Burning of the

hands and soles of the feet. Numbness of the hands only, especially the

right hand. Rheumatic pains in the lower extremities.



Sleep and dreams: Sleeplessness and tossing in bed; dreamy and

interrupted sleep at night. Dreams of quarrels and beating in the latter

part of night.



Fever: Fever commences with very slight chill or without chill from 4:30

P.M., and abates from 7:30 P.M.; afternoon fever. Glowing heat and

burning, especially in the face, eyes, palms of the hands and soles of

the feet, in open air.



Copious sweat, especially on the forehead, neck and upper part of the

body; sweating commences on the forehead, gradually extending towards

the trunk; no sweat in the lower part of the body.



Skin: Itching of various parts of the body, without the appearance of

any eruption; itching of the body. Sudamina on the back.