MASTAGI
English : Mastic/Mastiche/Mastiche tree
Urdu : Mastagi/Mastaki/Rumi Mastagi
Telugu : Rumardhakamu/Pilli-Kandla-guggilan
Description :
Mastiche tree is indigeneous to the Mediterranean countries.Mastiche is an oleo-resin which exudes from the punctured bark of the tree and hardents.
Mastiche occurs in small hard globular or pyriform pieces about 4-8 mm in diameter or more,rarely in ovoid or nearly cylindrical pieces upto 2 cm long and 1 cm wide,when fresh,the tears are pale yellow in colour,clear and glassy but on keeping the surface becomes dull and dusty they are brittleand break with a conchoidal diseases e.g haemoptysis,and haemetemesis etc.Mastiche is included in the formulations of purgatives to correct their side-effects.
Action and Uses:
Mastiche is stomachic,carminative,reslovent,expectorant and anti-septic and hence used in gastro-intestinal diseases e.g gastric upset,useful in bleeding diseases e.g haemoptysis,and haemetemesis etc.Mastiche is included in the formulations of purgatives to correct their side-effects.
Mastichi is a cleansing agent and included in the prescriptions to be used for beautification of face.Mastiche is kept as astrigent in the mouth for sore-mouth and applied for the cure of apthae on the tongue.It is used as a masticatory to sweeten the breath and preserve the teeth and gums.
Ibn sina’s view:
It is astrigent and resolvent.All parts of the tree are asttrigents.Useful for herpetic inflammations,cough and haemoptysis esp.decoction of root and bark.It is stomachic,liver tonic and appetizer and also intestinal tonic.It is useful in their inflammations and decoction of root and bark is useful in dysentery and gripping.