KAMELA
English : Indian kamela/Rottlera/Monkey-face-tree
Urdu : Kamala/Kamela
Telugu : Kumkuma
Description :
It is a small, much-branched,evergreen tree having thin, grey and somewhat rough bark, broadly ovate or ovate-lanceolate leaves, glabrous above, pubescent with numerous red glands beneath, small flowers in spike and 3-lobbed,3-valved and globose capsules, covered with a bright red powder, known as kamala dye or kamala powder.This powder is seperated from ripe fruit by beating and shaking. It may be obtained by stirring the fruits vigorously in water. When the dye settles down as a sediment, it is collected, dried and foreign matter or other refuse seperated by sifting.
Kamala dye or powder is available as granular reddish brown resinous powder, almost with out odour and taste.It is insoluble cold and water, slightly soluble in boiling water and freely soluble in alkalies,alcohol and ether forming deep red solution.
Action and Uses:
Kamala powder is purgative and anthelmintic against tape worms when take internally. The drug is mixed with milk or honey and then used. The worms usually expel at the third or fourth defecation.If the first does fails it may be repeated after an interval of a week. In full does, it occasionally causes nausea.
Kamala powder is considered as a good healing agent and desiccant.It is also anti-parastic when used externally in scabies and fring worm and in other skin diseases e.g herpes,pimples and
pityriasis etc.
Ibn Sina’s view:
It is strong astrigent and vermicidal for round worms and tape worms.