Cerasa, Cherry

Aloo Baloo Valo, Aluvalu, Elavaluka (Ayurveda)
Picture Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491

Picture New Kreuterbuch, Matthiolus, 1563

 Picture Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578
Picture Koehler’s Medizinal Pflanzen, 1887

Picture Dried Sour Cherry as used in Ayurveda and Unani

Botanical name:


Prunus spp.
  1. P. avium (Mazzard, or Sweet Cherry)
  2. P. cerasus (Morello, or Sour Cherry)
Sour Red and Sweet Black varieties were used; Black is best and most nourishing
 
According to Unani, there are several varieties of Cherries:
  1. Sweet: Emollient, Diuretic, Lithontriptic
  2. Sweet-Sour: reduces Heat and Bile, anti-bilious, Liver tonic
  3. Sour-Bitter: astringent, lithontriptic

Parts used:


Fruit; Gum
Ayurveda and Unani use the dried Sour fruit

Temperature & Taste:


Cool, moist. Sour / Sweet

Classifications:


2S. STRENGTHENING MEDICINES
3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS
4c. CARDIAC    4g. HEPATIC
Preparers and Purgers of Bile

Uses:


1. Clears Heat, Resists Poison, Alleviates Thirst:
-Fevers
-Poison (West, Ayurveda)
-reduces Bile; Burning sensation (Sour variety)
-quenches Thirst (Sour Variety; West, Ayurveda)

2. Nourishes the Blood, Settles Wind:
-Strengthen the Heart, Brain and Nerves
-weakness from Blood deficiency
-Black Cherries were much used for Epilepsy, Apoplexy and Paralysis
-Itching from Wind diseases
-also Bleeding from Heat in the Blood (including excess Menstruation) (West, Ayurveda)

3. Benefits the Heart:
-Cardiac disease (Ayurveda)

4. Clears Heat, Benefit the Stomach
-good for Stomach Heat, strengthens the Stomach
-Conserve of Cherry was used to promote appetite

5. Promotes Urine, Clears Stones:
-Dysuria (West, Unani)
-Clears Stones (Sour fruit, Unani)
-Cherry kernels and Cherry tree gum breaks Stones (West)
-fruit was also regarded as Lithontriptic

6. Externally:
-fruit and the oil are used to beautify the Skin
-Cherry kernel oil is used for chronic joint disease


Dose:


Dried Cherries in Decoction: 6–9 grams
Cherry Kernels: 1–3 grams in Powder

Corrective:


Black Pepper, Salt (Unani)

Substitute:


Prune

Main Combinations:


1. Dried Sweet variety with Fennel seed promotes Menstruation and clears Stones (Unani)

Major Formulas


Powder for Kidney Obstruction (Wirtzung)

Cautions:


1. Kernels are toxic in excess due to hydrocyanic acid
2. Sweet fruit should be avoided in Cold and Dampness of the Stomach

Main Preparations used:


Preserved, Juice or Rob, Syrup of the Juice, Distilled Water of Black Cherries, Spirit of the Black Cherries, Tincture and Extract, Oil of the Kernels