Biblical Medical Plants - Macquirelatory.com

6 Duke’s Handbook of Medicinal Plants of the Bible
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Rajputanans bruise the leaves to apply to sore eyes in children (KAB).
Senegalese chew antiscorbutic bark and take bark tea for diarrhea, dysentery, and toothache
(UPW).
Unani consider the leaves astringent, cerebrotonic, febrifuge, hepatotonic, and useful for
gonorrhea, leukoderma, and strangury (KAB).
Unani consider all parts of the plant aphrodisiac (KAB).
DOWNSIDES (INDIAN GUM ARABIC TREE):
None covered (AHP, KOM). Large internal doses may lead to constipation and dyspepsia (PH2).
NATURAL HISTORY (INDIAN GUM ARABIC TREE):
Older shrubs are very important in diet of impala and kudu (X15278425). Lac insects often occur
on the tree, with resultant production of lac resin and shellac (BIB).
NOTES (TALH):
TALH (ACACIA SEYAL DELILE.) ++ FABACEAE
I will plant in the wilderness… the Shittah tree.
Isaiah 41:19 (KJV)
I tend to side with Zohary, who identified the shittah as Acacia tortilis (q.v.). Still, according to Walker
(1957), the Shittah tree is mentioned in the Bible only once but its wood is referred to many times as
shittim, which is the plural of shittah in Hebrew. It was natural for Moses to turn to shittim to build
the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle. No one is sure which species of Acacia was meant.
COMMON NAMES (TALH):
‘Alk (Arab.; BOU); Abre à Gomme (Fr.; BOU); Buffalo Thorn (Eng.; UPW); Bulkia (Gambia;
UPW); Daci (Niger; UPW); Dedera èl Beida (Arab.; Sen.; UPW); Goga (Ghana; UPW); Gomme Friable
(Fr.; UPW); Gum Talha (Eng.; Trade.; AH2); Mimosa Epineux (Fr.; UPW); Sadra Bed (Arab.;
Mauritania; UPW); Sasé (Upper Volta; UPW); Seyal (Arab.; BOU); Seyal Acacia (Eng.; FAC); Shittah
Tree (Eng.; BOU); Shittim Tree (Eng.; Ocn.; AH2; BOU); Sittim Wood (Eng.; FAC); Suakim
(Trade; UPW); Talca (Ocn.; AH2); Talakh (Ber.; BOU); Talh (Scn.; AH2); Tamat (Ber.; BOU); Tefi
(Ber.; BOU); Teleh (Arab.; Mali; UPW); Thala (Ber.; BOU); Thirsty Thorn (Eng.; BOU; UPW);
Thirty Thorn (Eng.; USN); Tutampolel (Nig.; UPW); Whistling Tree (Ocn.; AH2); Whistling Wood
(Eng.; USN); White Galled Acacia (Eng.; UPW); White Whistling Thorn (Eng.; UPW).
ACTIVITIES (TALH):
Analgesic (f; BOU); Aphrodisiac (f; UPW); Astringent (f; UPW); Diuretic (f; UPW); Emollient
(f; UPW); Febrifuge (f; UPW); Hemostat (f; UPW); Insectifuge (f; UPW); Pediculifuge (f; UPW);
Stimulant (f; UPW).
INDICATIONS (TALH):
Biliousness (f; UPW); Aphrodisiac (f; UPW); Bleeding (f; UPW); Burn (f; UPW); Cancer (f1; UPW);
Cold (f; BOU); Conjunctivosis (f; UPW); Diarrhea (f; UPW); Dysentery (f; UPW); Enterosis (f;
DAW); Fever (f; BOU; UPW); Gastrosis (f; BOU); Gonorrhea (f; UPW); Headache (f; UPW); Impotence
(f; UPW); Inflammation (f; BOU); Jaundice (f; UPW); Leprosy (f; UPW); Lice (f; UPW); Ophthalmia
(f; UPW); Pain (f; BOU; UPW); Puerperium (f; BOU); Respirosis (f; BOU); Rheumatism (f;
BOU; UPW); Snakebite (f; UPW); Syphilis (f; UPW); Ulcer (f; BOU); Venereal Disease (f; UPW).