Fagonia, Dhanvayasa

Dhanvayasa (Ayurveda)
Dhamasa (F. cretica); Badavarda (F. arabica) (Unani)

Fagonia cretica
G. Dyckman, Icones varianum plantarum [mss. (1501-1600)

Fagonia cretica
Botanical Magazine (Curtis), vol. 7. (1794)

Fagonia cretica
(Photo by Patrice78500) (Wikimedia)

Botanical name:

Fagonia cretica (syn. F. erecta, F. deflexa, F. delongata, F. hispanica), F. arabica

Parts used:

Whole plant

Temperature & Taste:

Cool, dry. Bitter
“Cold and Dry in the first degree” (Avicenna)

Uses:

1. Liver Heat and Toxin:
-Fever (steam inhalation has been used)
-Acne, Boils, Scabies, Pruritus
-Inflammation
-Diarrhea, Dysentery
-prophylactic against Small Pox
-Dizziness and Vertigo from Liver heat
-“The oral intake of a decoction of its roots, is useful in Chronic Diarrhea” (Avicenna)

2. Clears Heat, Stops Bleeding:
-bleeding from Heat
-“The oral intake of a decoction of its roots proves to be a good drug for treating Hemoptysis” (Avicenna)

3. Externally:
-Abscesses; poultice to promote suppuration of Abscesses
-Roots are plastered on Phlegmatic Swellings (Avicenna)
-Wounds
-Scrofula
-decoction gargled for sores and ulcers of the mouth and throat
-intense itchiness of the skin, as a bath

Dose:

Whole plant in standard Decoction (1 in 10): 50–100mls

Substitute:

1. Alhagi pseudalhagi has been used as a substitute.

Main Combinations:

1. Liver Heat and Fever, Fagonia with Picrorhiza, Fumitory
2. Inflammation, Fagonia, Turmeric, Cyperus rotundus, Licorice
3. Bleeding, Fagonia with White Sandalwood

Major Formulas:

Cautions:

None noted