PODINA
English : Mint/Marsh Mint/Field Mint Peppermint
Urdu : Podina/Pudina/Pudinah
Telugu : Pudina
Description :
Mentha arvenis grows in kashmir near Gulmarg and cultivated through India.It is known as ‘Field mint’ which is an erect hairy or glabrous herb, 10-60 cm high , having leaves 2.5-5 cm long , oblong-ovate or lanceolate and flowers lilac in axillary Mentha arvensis subsp.Haplocalyx Briq-var-piperascens Holmes,is introduced from Japan and cultivated in Jammu and Kashmir.It is known as ‘Japanese Mint’ which is a downy perennial herb with running root-stocks and rigid branching stem 60-90 cm high,having lancolate or oblong sharply toothed 3.7-10 cm long with minute hairs and puplish flowers.It yields peppermint oil,known as Japanese Peppermint oil which is used through out the word as a substitute for true peppermint.
Mentha piperita is cultivated in temperate regions of Europe,Asia,North America and Australia.Now it is grown in Indian gardens and also cultivated in Kashmir,Delhi,and Dehar Dun.It is known as white mint or peppermint which is an erect,glaburous,strongly scnated herb 30-90cm high with purplish or green stem,ovate or oblong lanceolate,2.5-10 cm long and purplsih flowers,in thick terminal spikes.This herb is the source of true peppermint oil.
Acction and Uses:
Mint leaves or the whole plant is aromatic,carminative,stimulant,stomachic , anthelmatic, emmenagogue and anti-billious. It is also used in cases of dyspepsia and indigestion,intestinal colics,nausea and vomiting constipation and helminithiasis. It is used in cough and billary headaches.
Mint leaves are very useful in cases of urticaria. For this purpose, 10 ml of juice of green leaves, 50 ml of rose water and 10 ml of oxymel are mixed together and taken orally. Mint leaves are also used with cardamom seeds or carway seeds or cumin seeds in cases of abdominal flatulence, flatulent colics and indigestions.
Ibn Sina’s View:
It is warming and astrigent. With flour of roaste wheat it is applied on abscesses.It prevents haematemesis and other haemorrhages. It strengthens and warms stomach.It is digestive and anti-emetic.Useful in jaundice.