Medicinal plant No 10

Acacia sinuata (Lour.) Merr. (A. concinna (Willd.) DC.) Mimosaceae (बब्बुल कुलम्

Eng : Soapnut-acacia Hin : Sätalā, Koci (HCCT, peit) Kan : Śēge (Ser) Mal : Carmalanta, Carmantala, Cikkākkā, Cinikkā, Civikkā

(ചർമലന്ത, ചർമന്തല, ചീക്കാക്കാ, ചീനിക്കാ, ചീവിക്കാ) San : Saptalā, Carmasāhvā (HTT, GHET) Tam : Cikaikkäi, Ciyakkāi, Cikkāi (6ATU, Gwia, & Sw) Tel

: Śikaya (85000)

Distribution: Throughout India, in forests The plant: A stout prickly climbing shrub with brown branches dotted with

white; leaves bipinnate, main rachis bearing sharp hooked prickles and a large gland on the petiole, pinnae 8 pairs or more, leaflets subsessile, sensitive, unequal sided, glabrous; flowers small in globose heads, polygamous; fruits short-stalked thin pods, flat,

coriaceous, the sutures straight; seeds 6 - 10 per pod. Parts used: pods Properties and uses: The pods are bitter, astringent, cooling, diuretic,

emetic, deobstruant, detergent, depurative and anthelmintic. They are useful in vitiated conditions of pitta, burning sensation, constipation, renal and vesical calculi, strangury, haemorrhoids, erysipelas, leucoderma, leprosy, prurigo, abscesses and eczema.

The powdered pods (known as cikkikkai powder) are the best alternatives to soaps in all cases of skin diseases.

सातला सप्तला सारी विदुळा विमला/मला । बहुफेना चर्मकषा फेना दीप्ता मराळिका ।। (ध.नि.) ["Satalā saptalā sari vidulā vimalāſmalā Behuphena carmakaşa phena diptā maraļikā" (Dha.ni.)]

'सातला शोधती तिक्ता कफपित्ताग्रदोषनुत् । शोफोदराध्मानहरा किञ्चिन्मारुत द्भवेत् ॥ (ध.नि.) {"Sātalā sõdhani tiktā kaphapittāsſadoşanut Sophodarādhmānaharā kiñcinmarutakşdbhavēt" (Dha.ni.))"सातला कफपित्तनी ला तिक्ता कपायिका । विसर्पकुष्ठविस्फोटग्रणशोफनिकृन्तनी ॥ (रा.नि.) ("Sātalā kaphapittaghni laghu tiktā kaşāyikā Visarpakusthavisphòțavraņasophanikontani" (Rā.ni.))

मूलत्वगादिकं ग्राह्य ["Mūlatvagādikam grāhyam")

Remarks: In 'Amaraköśa', vimalā, sātalā, bhūriphēnā and carmakașa are given as

synonyms for saptalā. In the same text saptala is mentioned as a synonym for navamallika (tusimulla) also. This has led to lot of confusion.

The Sanskrit Commentary 'Vākyapradipikā' (Trikkovil Uzhutra Varier) on 'Aștāngahşdayam' gives the term brahmi in Malayalam for saptalā included under the vegetable group of drugs Paçõlasaptalārişțādi as mentioned in 'Așțāngahşdayam- Sūtļasthānam. Chapter -6. But *Pāțhyakāra' interprets it to mean carmantara and gives it another Sanskrit term brāhmi viseșaḥ. Since saptalā and carmasahvā are the synonyms for the same drug, it may not be proper to regard them as two different ones. In the text 'Sahasrayogam' in the formulation of Nāracakacurņam the Malayalam term þrahmi is used for sätala. In 'Abhidhānamañjari' both sätalā and carmasahvā, the two synonyms of saptalā, have been used as sātala brah.ni in Malayalam.

It would not be proper to identify carmasahvā, (Acacia sinuata) as brahmi or brahmiviseșam as the former is a terrestrial prickly climber seen in forests while the latter is a hydrophyte growing along the water courses. Besides, the words saptalā, sātalā and carmasahva are synonyms of the same drug carmakașa which is always identified in Malayalam as carmalanta (Acacia sinuata). The word carmakașa, which means that which rubs away skin eruptions, is also appropriate for cinikkā (carmalanta).