Encyclopedias & Dictionaries | Monier-Williams: A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (p. 446) m. Diospyros embryopteris, (n.) its fruit (yielding a kind of resin used as pitch for caulking vessels &c.) MBh. R. Suśr. VarBṛS. &c.; m. = -du q.v.; n. a kind of weight (= karṣa; = suvarṇa Car. vii, 12) ŚārṅgS. i, 21 Ashṭāṅg.; (ī) f. = -ki Suśr. iv, 2, 42 and 21, 8 VarBṛS.lxxix Kāś. 447,1 Monier-Williams: A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (p. 447) f. Diospyros embryopteris, L. Tamil Lexicon, University of Madras (p. 2573) paṉiccai: 1. A mode of dressing the hair of women; 2. Depression on the nape of the neck; 3. Swollen ulcer on the back of the head Dymock, Warden, Hooper: Pharmacographia Indica (vol. II., pp. 366-367) Diospyros Embryopteris, Ebenaceae Fig.- Indian Persimmon (Eng.) D. Embryopteris is the Tinduka of Sanskrit writers; its bark is described in the Nighantas as a good application to boils and tumours, and the juice of the fresh bark as useful in bilious fever. The fruit when unripe is said to be cold. light, and astringent, and when ripe beneficial in blood diseases, gonorrhoea and leprosy. A kind of Tinduka called Visha-tinduka, "poisonous tinduka," is said to have similar properties; as well as a plant called Kanki or Kinkini. Mir Muhammad Husain, speaking of Ebony, mentions GÄb as a kind of Indian ebony, but is silent as to its medicinal uses. Rheede (Hort. Mal iii., p.46), speaking of D. Embryopteris, says- "Arborix cortex in pulverem redactus ac cum oryzae infuso, et expresso e matura nuce Indica lacteo succo mixtus, atque febricitantibus exhibitus aestum potenter extinquit; ex seminibus oleum exprimitur." The circumstance that the unripe fruit abounds in an astringent viscid juice, which is used by the natives of India for daubing the bottoms of boats, was communicated by Sir William Jones to Roxburgh in 1791. The introduction of the fruit into European medical practice in India is due to O'Shaugnessy. In 1868 it was made official in the Pharmacopoeia of Indica. The fruit is eaten by the poorer classes. The seeds are preserved by the country people and given as an astringent in diarrhoea. The testa is the astringent part, the albumen being almost tasteless. Although the ripe fruit is very sweet, insects will not touch it.
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