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Colóquios Dos Simples E Drogas Da India
''Colloquies on the Simples and Drugs of India'' () is a work published in Goa on 10 April 1563 by Garcia de Orta, a Portuguese Jewish physician and naturalist, a pioneer of tropical medicine. Outline of the ''Colóquios'' Garcia de Orta's work is in dialogue format. It consists of a series of 57 conversations between Garcia de Orta and an imaginary colleague, Ruano, who is visiting India and wishes to know more about its drugs, spices and other natural products. Occasional participants in the dialogue are apparently real people: * Antonia, a slave, Garcia de Orta's research assistant * Several unnamed slaves * D. Jeronimo, brother of a cholera sufferer * Dimas Bosque, a colleague who also contributes a preface to the book * Malupa, an Indian physician In general the drugs are considered in alphabetical order, but with exceptions. Each of the substances that comes up for discussion is dealt with fairly systematically: its identification and names in earlier texts, its source, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari (Tamil; / kəɳjɑkʊmɑɾiː/; referring to Devi Kanya Kumari, officially known as Kanniyakumari, formerly known as Cape Comorin) is a town and a municipality in Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southernmost tip of the contiguous Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland India, and thus it is informally referred to as "The Land's End". Kanyakumari town is about from Thiruvananthapuram and south of Nagercoil, the headquarters of Kanyakumari district. Kanyakumari is a popular tourist destination and pilgrimage centre in India. Notable tourist spots include its unique sunrise and sunset points, the '' Thiruvalluvar Statue'', and Vivekananda Rock Memorial off the coast. Lying at the tip of peninsular India, the town is bordered on the west, south, and east by the Laccadive Sea. It has a coastline of stretched along these three sides. On the shores of the city is a temple dedicated to the goddess Kanya Kumari ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carambola
Carambola, also known as star fruit, is the fruit of '' Averrhoa carambola'', a species of tree native to tropical Southeast Asia. The edible fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides (usually 5–6). When cut in cross-section, it resembles a star, giving it the name of ''star fruit''. The entire fruit is edible, usually raw, and may be cooked or made into relishes, preserves, garnish, and juices. It is commonly consumed in Southeast Asia, South Asia, the South Pacific, Micronesia, parts of East Asia, the United States, parts of Latin America, and the Caribbean. The tree is cultivated throughout tropical areas of the world. Carambola fruits contain oxalic acid and the neurotoxin caramboxin. Consuming large quantities of the fruit, especially for individuals with some types of kidney disease, can result in serious adverse health effects. Origins and distribution The center of diversity and the original range of ''Averrhoa carambola'' is tropical Southeast Asi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Camphor
Camphor () is a waxy, colorless solid with a strong aroma. It is classified as a terpenoid and a cyclic ketone. It is found in the wood of the camphor laurel (''Cinnamomum camphora''), a large evergreen tree found in East Asia; and in the kapur tree (Dryobalanops, ''Dryobalanops'' sp.), a tall timber tree from South East Asia. It also occurs in some other related trees in the Lauraceae, laurel family, notably ''Ocotea usambarensis''. Rosemary leaves (''Rosmarinus officinalis'') contain 0.05 to 0.5% camphor, while camphorweed (''Heterotheca'') contains some 5%. A major source of camphor in Asia is Ocimum kilimandscharicum, camphor basil (the parent of African blue basil). Camphor can also be synthetically produced from oil of turpentine. The compound is Chirality (chemistry), chiral, existing in two possible enantiomers as shown in the structural diagrams. The structure on the left is the naturally occurring (+)-camphor ((1''R'',4''R'')-bornan-2-one), while its mirror image show ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sweet Flag
''Acorus calamus'' (also called sweet flag, sway or muskrat root, among many other common names) is a species of flowering plant with psychoactive chemicals. It is a tall wetland monocot of the family Acoraceae, in the genus ''Acorus.'' Although used in traditional medicine over centuries to treat digestive disorders and pain, it has no clinical evidence of safety or efficacy and may be toxic if ingested, and so has been commercially banned in the United States. Description Sweet flag is a herbaceous perennial, tall. Its leaves resemble those of the iris family. Sweet flag consists of tufts of basal leaves that rise from a spreading rhizome. The leaves are erect yellowish-brown, radical, with pink sheathing at their bases, sword-shaped, flat and narrow, tapering into a long, acute point, and have parallel veins. The leaves have smooth edges, which can be wavy or crimped. The sweet flag can be distinguished from iris and other similar plants by the crimped edges of the l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aegle Marmelos
''Aegle marmelos'', commonly known as bael (or ''bili'' or ''bhel''), also Bengal quince, golden apple, Japanese bitter orange, stone apple or wood apple, is a species of tree native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is present in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal as a naturalized species. The tree is considered to be sacred by Hindus and Buddhists. Name The plant is known all over India and in Southeast Asia. Across the languages of India, the fruit is called ''sriphal'' and ''bilva'' in Sanskrit, ''bel'' in Urdu, Bengali, Punjabi and Marathi; ''baelputri'', ''bela'' or ''sriphal'' in Hindi; ''bela'' in Kannada; ''beeli'' or ''billi'' in Gujarati, ''koovalam'' in Malayalam, ''bilvam'' or ''vilvam'' in Tamil and ''bilavamu'' in Telugu. In Southeast Asia, it is called ''opesheet'' or ''ohshit'' in Burmese, ''maja batuh'' in Indonesian, ''matum'' in Thai, and ''tar imam'' in Vietnamese. In English, the fruit is alternatively known as bael fruit, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gum Benzoin
Benzoin or benjamin (corrupted pronunciation) is a balsamic resin obtained from the bark of several species of trees in the genus ''Styrax''. It is used in perfumes and some kinds of incense and as a flavoring and medicine (see tincture of benzoin). It is distinct from the chemical compound benzoin, which is ultimately derived chemically from benzoin resin; the primary active ingredient of benzoin resin is actually benzoic acid, not benzoin. Benzoin is sometimes called gum benzoin or gum benjamin, and in India ''Sambrani or'' loban, though loban is, via Arabic ''lubān'', a generic term for frankincense-type incense, e.g., fragrant tree resin. The syllable "benz" ultimately derives from the Arabic lubān jāwī (لبان جاوي, "frankincense from Java"). (mid 16th century: from French ''benjoin'', based on Arabic ''lubānjāwī'' ‘incense of Java’.) Benzoin is also called storax, not to be confused with the balsam of the same name obtained from the Hamamelidaceae famil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species being recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively, ''C. ruderalis'' may be included within ''C. sativa'', or all three may be treated as subspecies of ''C. sativa'', or ''C. sativa'' may be accepted as a single undivided species. The plant is also known as hemp, although this term is usually used to refer only to varieties cultivated for non-drug use. Hemp has long been used for fibre, seeds and their oils, leaves for use as vegetables, and juice. Industrial hemp textile products are made from cannabis plants selected to produce an abundance of fibre. ''Cannabis'' also has a long history of being used for medicinal purposes, and as a recreational drug known by ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indigo Plant
''Indigofera'' is a large genus of over 750 species of flowering plants belonging to the pea family Fabaceae. They are widely distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Description ''Indigofera'' is a varied genus that has shown unique characteristics making it an interesting candidate as a potential perennial crop. Specifically, there is diverse variation among species with a number of unique characteristics. Some examples of this diversity include differences in pericarp thickness, fruit type, and flowering morphology. The unique characteristics it has displayed include potential for mixed smallholder systems with at least one other species and a resilience that allows for constant nitrogen uptake despite varying conditions. Tree Species of ''Indigofera'' are mostly shrubs, though some are small trees or herbaceous perennials or annuals. The branches are covered with silky hairs. Most of them have pinnate leaves made of three foliolates wit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Storax
Storax (; , ''stúrax''), often commercially sold as styrax, is a natural fragrant resin isolated from the wounded bark of ''Liquidambar orientalis'' Mill. (Asia Minor) and ''Liquidambar styraciflua'' L. (Eastern US, Mexico, Central America) (Altingiaceae). It is distinct from Benzoin resin, benzoin (also called "storax"), a similar resin obtained from the Styracaceae plant family. Composition Purified storax contains circa 33–50% storesin, an Alcohol (chemistry), alcoholic resin, both free and as cinnamic esters. It contains 5–15% cinnamic acid, 5–15% cinnamyl cinnamate, circa 10% phenylpropyl cinnamate; small amounts of ethyl cinnamate, benzyl cinnamate, and styrene. Some may contain traces of vanillin. Some sources report a resin containing triterpenic acids (oleanolic acid, oleanolic and 3-epioleanolic acids). Uses Storax has a pleasant, floral/lilac, leathery, balsamic smell. Storax and its derivatives (Resinoid (perfumery), resinoid, essential oil, Absolute (perfumer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Licorice
Liquorice (Commonwealth English) or licorice (American English; see spelling differences; ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring is extracted. The liquorice plant is an herbaceous perennial legume native to West Asia, North Africa, and Southern Europe. Liquorice is used as a flavouring in confectionery, tobacco, beverages, and pharmaceuticals, and is marketed as a dietary supplement. Liquorice extracts have been used in herbalism and traditional medicine. Excessive consumption of liquorice (more than per day of pure glycyrrhizinic acid, a key component of liquorice) can lead to undesirable consequences. Clinically, it is suspected that overindulgence in liquorice may manifest as unexplained hypertension, low blood potassium levels ( hypokalemia), and muscle weakness in individuals. Consuming liquorice should be avoided during pregnancy. Etymology The word ''liquo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Asafoetida
Asafoetida (; also spelled asafetida) is the dried latex (Natural gum, gum oleoresin) exuded from the rhizome or tap root of several species of ''Ferula'', perennial herbs of the carrot family. It is produced in Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, southern India and Northwest China (Xinjiang). Different regions have different botanical sources. Asafoetida has a Pungency, pungent smell, as reflected in its name, lending it the common name of "stinking gum". The odour dissipates upon cooking; in cooked dishes, it delivers a smooth flavour reminiscent of leeks or other onion relatives. Asafoetida is also known colloquially as "devil's dung" in English (and similar expressions in many other languages). Etymology and other names The English language, English name is derived from ''asa'', a Romanization, Latinised form of Persian language, Persian 'mastic (plant resin), mastic', and Latin 'stinky'. Other names include, with its pungent odour having resulted in many unpleasant na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
