FOETID CASSIA HELPS IN DIGESTION

CASSIA TORA LINN

The Foetid Cassia is a very common annual herb. The leaves are obovate. The flowers are yellow, small, in axillary pairs. The pods are long, curved, four-sided. It grows about 1 metre high. It is found in waste land, along roadsides, and in paddocks. Ecologists have found that this plant can inhibit the growth of Parthenium or Congress weed. Being a leguminous plant, it also provides nitrogen to the soil.

Medicinal use:

• As a mild, gentle laxative.
• Prevents recurring diseases such as malaria.
• To reduce or eliminate fever.
• To kill or expel worms from the body.
• Helps in digestion.
• Can be administered for intestinal disorders.
• Provides a valuable remedy for itching of the skin, ringworm chronic inflammation of the skin and other skin diseases.

How to use:

• The leaves are administered to children in infusion, for intestinal disorders.
• The decoction of the leaves is a mild laxative.
• The leaves and the seeds applied as a poultice is a valuable remedy for various skin diseases such as itching, ringworm, and chronic inflammation.
• The paste of the root is also a good remedy for ringworm, a fungal disease causing ring-like patches on the skin.

Parts used:
The leaves, root and seeds.

Dose:
40 to 50 grams for litre of water. Use 2 to 3 cups a day.

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