Mesua ferrea, Cobras Saffron

Iron Wood tree
Nagakesara, Keshara (Ayurveda)
Narmushk, Nag Kesar (Unani)

Mesua ferrea
Drakestein, Hortus Indicus Malabaricus, 1682

Mesua ferrea flower
(Photo by Ajtjohnsingh)

Botanical name:

Mesua ferrea (syn. M. nagassarium)

Parts used:

Flowers, Stamens, Flower buds
also Fruit, Root-bark and Seed Oil

Temperature & Taste:

Warm, dry.
“hot and dry in the third degree” (Avicenna)

Uses:

1. Stops Leakage and Bleeding:
-Diarrhea, Dysentery
-past of the flowers with butter and sugar is given for Bleeding Piles and Dysentery (Charaka)
-Uterine Bleeding, Menorrhagia

2. Benefits the Heart, Calms the Mind, Settles Wind:
-Insanity, Melancholy, Mental Disease

3. Nourishes Blood, Benefits Qi:
-low energy, low immunity, chronic fatigue
-weakness after chronic illness
-Infertility (taken with Ghee)
-skin conditions, Ulcers, Leprosy

4. Benefits the Stomach:
-Indigestion or irritable Stomach
-“good for cold stomach and liver and is as effective as Nard (Spikenard)” (Avicenna)

5. Clears Damp, Promotes Urine:
-irritability of the Bladder; dribbling or obstructed Urine
-Leukorrhea (taken with buttermilk)
-Gout

6. Externally:
-flowers topically stop perspiration
-flowers are applied to Piles
-vapor from the hot infusion benefits the eyes
-in ointments for Ulcers and Swellings
-flowers are used in baths and saunas
-powdered flowers mixed with washed Ghee is applied to burns
-flowers are used in preparations for burning of the feet
-seed oil is applied to Sores, Scabies, Wounds
-seed oil is applied to Arthritis and Rheumatism

UNRIPE FRUIT:
-Purgative

Dose:

Flowers: 3–5 grams
Stamens: 1–3 grams

Corrective:

Honey

Substitute:

1. Valerian, Cyperus rotundus (Unani)
2. Calophyllum inophyllum (Ayurveda)
3. The buds of Cinnamonum tamala are also said to have the properties of Mesua
4. “The substitutes of iron wood tree are; dried ginger one-fourth its quantity, half quantity of Pistachio nut, and one sixth quantity of Nard (Spikenard).” (Avicenna)

Main Combinations:

1. Dysuria, Suppressed, Difficult or Obstructed Urine:
i. Mesua with Tribulus, Rhubarb and Saltpeter (as in Powder of Tribulus)
ii. Mesua with Tribulus, Cucumber seed, Cardamon
2. As a tonic to the Blood and Qi, Mesua with Raisin, Cardamon, Cinnamon, Long Pepper, Ginger, Nutmeg, Coriander, Sandalwood (as in Raisin Tonic, Drakshadi Rasayana of Ayurveda)
3. Impotence, Aphrodisiac, Mesua with Tribulus, Ginger, Black Pepper, Long Pepper, Cardamon, Indian leaf, Nutmeg, Tabasheer
4. Acute Viral Hepatitis, Mesua flower with Yarrow, Agrimony, Rhubarb, Chicory root & seed, Dodder seed, Fumitory, Black Nightshade, Swertia (as in Kabdeen, a patent Unani Medicine)
5. Hemorrhoids:
i. Mesue flowers with Pepper, Ginger, Cubeb, Long pepper, Long Pepper root, Cinnamon and Cardamon, made into a confection with Treacle (as in Pranada Gudica of Ayurveda)
ii. Flower in powder, mixed with butter, is applied to Piles
iii. Seeds beaten with henna are applied to piles

Major Formulas:

Powder of Tribulus (Goksuradi Churna) (Ayurveda)
Nutmeg Powder (Jatiphaladi Churna) (Ayurveda)
Raisin Tonic (Drakshadi Rasayana) (Ayurveda)
Pranada Gudica
Sama Sarkara Churna

Cautions:

None noted.