KALI MIRCHI
English : Black pepper/Pepper
Urdu : Kali Mirch/Gol Mirch
Telugu : Miriyalu/Marichamu
Description :
Pepper is one of the most ancient crops cultivated in India. Several types are known in cultivation. It is a stout and glabrous creeper much swollen at the nodes. Leaves of the creeper are broadly ovate 12.5-17.5 cm long and 5-12.5 cm wide,leathery,flowers in long spikes and fruits or berries small and glabose, at first yellow, becoming red when ripe.
Fruits are almost blackish brown or greyish black ,3.5-6 mm in diameter having reticulated wrinkled surface and a visible sessile stigma at the apex. They have aromatic odour and pungent taste.
Action and Uses:
Black pepper is an aromatic stimulant, hot, stomachic, and carminative and also anti-septic.It is used in dyspepsia, hypoacidity, flatulent abdomen and malarial fever. It is also used in nasal obstructions, sinusitis, headaches , throat affections , arthritic diseases and vertigo. Externally it is rubefacient like mustard and used locally as a paste for sore-throat, boils , pains , headache, toothache and urticaria.
Ibn Sina’s View:
It is hot and dry. It is warming for nerves and muscles. It is used with Natron as detergent inn vitiligo and with Zift as resolvent for scrofula. It is digestive and useful in flatulence and gripping. It is included in Linctil for coughs and chest pain.