MULI
English : Radish/Common Radish/Indian Radish
Urdu : Muli
Telugu : Mullangi
Description :
This is an annual or biennial bristly herb with a white or brightly coloured tuberous tap root.Stems are simple or branched,erect, 20-100 cm,basal leaves long, flowers in long terminal recemes,usually white or lilac with purple venis,fruits inflated,25-90 mm long,with a long tapering beak hardly or irregularly constricted and filled inside with white pith between the seeds which are 2-8,globose,yellow or brown.
The indigeneous types usually cultivated are white, with a conical shape,attaining 25-40 cm in length and are said to be generally more pungent than the introduced European types.Amongst the latter,there are red,purple, or scarlet types.
Salt is prepared by incineration of leaves and root.It is commonly used in treatment and known as Namak-e-turb.
Action and Uses:
Seeds and leaves are carminative,expectorant,resolvent,diuretic,lexative and lithontriptic.Seeds are also emetic and emmenagogue.Leaves are considered more powerful diuretic and juice of fresh roots, is powerful anti-scorbutic.
Root is digestive,carminative, appetizer. Diurtic, , resolvent and lithontriptic and itself is lately digestable. Salt is a very good digestive, diuretic,and lithontriptic.
Seeds are used in gonorrhoea,abdominal distension,dropsy and colitis.Root is a reputed medicine for gastric pains, colitis,piles,liver,and gall-bladder diseases e.g hepatitis,dropsy and jaundice,cholecysititis and gall stones and also used in urinary complaints esp.Kidney stones,dysuria and strangury.Root in the form of syrup is used in hoarseness,whooping cough,bronchial disorders and other chest complaints.Oil prepared from the juice extracted from the root in the sesame oil.Is used effectively in earache and tinnitus.Salt is used in stomach troubles and kidney stones.
Ibn sina’s view:
As food,it is phlegm producing and lately digestable and flatulent.Seeds are carminative and strong attenuant.They are excellent for rheumatism.Decoction is good for chronic and persistent cough and useful in asphyxia.Caused by toad-tool and increases milk.Leaves and their juice relieve hepatic obstruction and cures jaundice.Seeds application with honey cures malignant ulcers and acne.