Aegle marmelos, Bengal Quince
Bilva (Ayurveda)Vilva (Siddha)
Bael (Unani)
Bil ba (Tibetan)
Roxburgh, Plants of the coast of Coromandel, 1798
Dried sliced fruit(Photo by Susan Slater) (Wikimedia)
Botanical name:
Aegle marmelos (syn. Crateva marmelos, Belou marmelos)
Parts used:
Unripe fruit
Also Root, stem-bark, ripe fruit, leaf
Temperature & Taste:
FRUIT: Neutral (slightly Cool, moist)
UNRIPE FRUIT/ PERICARP: Cool, dry
Uses:
UNRIPE FRUIT (Alleviates Vata/Wind and Kapha/Phlegm):
1. Stops Leakage:
-Astringent; chronic diarrhea and dysentery
2. Clears Heat and Toxin, Relieves Swelling:
-pain and swelling of the Throat
-migraine, internal abscess
3. Benefits the Stomach:
-digestive, stomachic, carminative; reduces obesity
4. Externally:
-boiled in oil, applied to Hemorrhoids
FRUIT:
1. Stops Leakage:
-chronic constipation, chronic dysentery, diarrhea, colitis, enteritis, vomiting
2. Nourishes Fluids:
-nutritive, strengthens the interior, stimulant
-removes roughness of the vessels
-Hemiplegia, Facial Paralysis
3. Clears Heat:
-Antipyretic; used as a cooling drink in Summer
ROOT BARK:
Used in formulas against Toxin, Poison and Venom
Dose:
2–5 grams (up to 12 grams) of the powdered fruit
Decoction (1 in 4): 50–100 mls three times daily.
Comment:
1. The Leaf and Stem-bark have been used for Diabetes
2. Root is a part of Dashmula (the 10 Roots)
Correctives:
1. Sugar
2. Celery seed
Substitute:
1. Ispaghol (Plantago ovata seed) in Diarrhea and Dysentery (Unani)
2. Tamarind seeds
Main Combinations:
1. Diarrhea:
i. Fruit is used with Buttermilk for Diarrhea (Charaka)
ii. Summer diarrhea, dried fruit is used with Celery seed
iii. dried unripe fruit in doses of 2–3 grams, taken as a powder with Treacle.
iv. unripe fruit is also prepared as a conserve for Diarrhea
v. Diarrhea from malabsorption, paste of the fruit with Ginger, Jaggery and Buttermilk (Chakradatta)
2. Dysentery, Aegle with Symplocos, Black Pepper and Honey (Bhavaprakasha)
3. Heat, and to strengthen the Large Intestine, take with Triphala
4. Bleeding from the Gastrointestinal tract, Aegle with Madder and a little Rhubarb
Major Formulas:
Indian Bael Pills (Bilwadi Gutika)
Bilwadi Churna (Ayurveda)