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| JEQUERITY |
Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Abrus
Species: precatorius
Common Names: Tento muido, Crab's Eye,
Precatory Bean, Jequerity, Cain Ghe, Graines Reglisse, Gunchi, Hint Meyankoku,
Hung Tou, Jequerit, Liane Reglisse, Ma Liao Tou, Paratella, Paternoster, Peonia
De St Tomas, Peonia, Pois Rouge, Reglisse, Rosary Pea, To-Azuki, Weesboontje,
Rakat |
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| DESCRIPTION |
Properties/Actions: |
Abortifacient, Anodyne, Aphrodisiac,
Antimicrobial, Diuretic, Emetic, Expectorant, Febrifuge, Hemostat,
Laxative, Purgative, Refrigerant, Sedative, Vermifuge |
Phytochemicals: |
(+)-abrine, Abraline, Abrasine, Abricin, Abrin, Abrisin,
Abrusgenic-acid, Abrusgenic-acid-methyl-ester, Abruslactone,
Abrussic-acid, Anthocyanins, Ash, Calcium, Campesterol, Choline,
Cycloartenol, Delphinidin, Gallic-acid,, Glycyrrhizin, Hypaphorine,
N,n-dimethyl-tryptophan,
N,n-dimethyl-tryptophan-metho-cation-methyl-ester,
P-coumaroylgalloyl-glucodelphinidin, Pectin, Pentosans, Phosphorus,
Picatorine, Polygalacturonic-acids, Precasine, Precatorine, Protein
Trigonelline |
Ethnobotanical Uses |
Abortifacient, Ache(Head), Anodynem, Antidote, Aphrodisiac,
Bilious, Bite(Snake,) Bladder, Blennorrhagia, Boil, Cancer, Chest,
CNS-Sedative, Cold, Colic, Collyrium, Conjunctivitis, Consumption,
Contraceptive*, Convulsion, Cough, Diarrhea, Diuretic, Dysuria, Emetic,
Emollient, Enteritis, Epithelioma, Expectorant, Expectorant*, Eye Fatal,
Fatality, Febrifuge, Fever, Fracture(Veterinary), Freckle, Gastritis,
Gingivitis, Gonorrhea, Gravel, Heart, Hemostat, Hoarseness, Homicide,
Hookworms, Insomnia, Jaundice, Kidney, Laxative, Loin, Malaria,
Masticatory, Myalgia, Night-Blindness, Ophthalmia, Ordeal, Pectoral,
Poison, Puerperium, Purgative, Refrigerant, Rheumatism, Sedative, Skin,
Sprue, Stomach, Styptic, Sweetener, Throat, Trachoma, Urogenital,
Venereal, Vermifuge |
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The plant is a slender twiner with alternately placed compound leaves. Each
leaf has about 20 pairs of narrow, oblong leaflets, looking like a delicate
feather. The rose to purple flowers are crowded at the end of a stalk. Fruits
are short, inflated pods, splitting open when mature to reveal the round, hard
and shiny seeds which are scarlet but black at the base. The plant is native to
the tropics. It grows by the seashore among the undergrowth and in hedges. Seeds
when broken or chewed or when the external coat is removed are toxic. The highly
attractive seeds are sought after by children for beads. They are sometimes made
into necklaces and rosaries. Seeds are extremely poisonous if cracked; a single
one, if swallowed can be fatal.
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| Quoted References |
From Medicinal Plants Information of Orissa
(India):
Local Names: Kaincha (Oriya), Kawa (Santal), Runja
Description of the
Plant: Climber. Flowering in October. Fruiting in November. Seeds of four
different colours (black, grey, white and red) are found in nature. Occurs in
hilly region.
Plant Parts Used: Root / Leaf / Seed.
Healthcare Properties:
- Abdominal discomfort: Grind the root of Abrus precatorius to make
a paste of it. Administer 5 g of the paste as a single dose. A single dose
cures abdominal tumour also. (G-12) [OR-1-3-385]
- Abortion: Collect the root of Abrus precatorius on any Saturday
and grind it with water to a fine paste. Take 5 ml to 10 ml of this paste
orally as a single dose once only. (T-1) [OR-2-1-1222]
- Contraceptive: Peel off seed coats of two seeds of Abrus
precatorius. Insert the seeds in a ripe banana. After menstruation, take
bath and eat the banana as one dose in a day. Follow this treatment for 3
days. (B-34) [OR-2-2-1324] (or) Peel off seed coats of three seeds of Abrus precatorius. Take the three seeds as a single dose on the third
day of the menstruation. This acts as a contraceptive for three years.
(S-16) [OR-1-1-100]
- Cough: Grind the roots of Abrus precatorius. Take 5 g of this
paste with pure ghee (made from cow's milk) thrice a day for four
days. Precaution: Don't take any non-vegetarian food during the course of
this treatment. (F-1) [OR-3-3-169]
- Evil spirit: Grind the root of Abrus precatorius with 3 to 5
number. of black pepper and 5 g of dried ginger to make a paste. Take this
paste orally to get rid of evil spirits or black magic. Also, tie a piece of
root on the arm to get immediate result. (G-12) [OR-1-3-386]
- Greying of hair: Grind the leaves and seeds of Abrus precatorius.
Extract juice from the paste. Apply the juice on hair as oil once a day one
hour before taking bath. Apply for 3-4 days. (B-5) [OR-4-2-314]
- Liquid purging due to griping: Grind the root of Abrus
precatorius and make a paste. Take 5 g of this paste with water only
once. Also smear a little of this paste on the body. (J-6) [OR-4-2-112]
- Spermatorrhoea: Bring fresh water and keep it for one day in a pot.
Grind half of one Abrus precatorius seed with a little water from the
pot. Administer this as one dose a day orally. Take 21 doses in 21 days.
(D-E) [OR-2-1-1206]
- Worm infection: Grind the dry seeds of Abrus precatorius to make
powder. Take one teaspoonful of this powder once a day for two days. (B-3)
[OR-3-2-80]
- Wound: Grind the roots of Abrus precatorius with fresh rhizome of Curcuma longa. Apply the paste on the wound until it cures.
(J-5) [OR-5-1-50]
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