Myrobalan, Chebula

Haritaki (Ayurveda)
He Zi 诃子 (TCM)
Halela (Unani)
A Ru Ra ཨ་རུ་ར (Tibetan)

Chebulic Myrobalan
Roxburgh, W., Plants of the coast of Coromandel (1795-1819)

Chebulic, Emblic, Belleric, Citrine (Yellow) and Indian (Black) Myrobalan
A Complete History of Drugs, Pomet, London, 1748

1. Yellow (Citrine) Myrobalan
2. Black (Indian, Nigrum) Myroabalan
3. Chebulic Myrobalan
4. Emblic Myrobalan
5. Belleric Myrobalan
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578

Left to Right: Yellow Myrobalan, Chebulic Myrobalan, Belleric Myrobalan, Emblic Myrobalan (stoned), Black Myrobalan (Adam, 2017)

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Botanical name:

Terminalia chebula

Parts used:

Fruits, stoned
Chebula should be oblong, large, fleshy, with few wrinkles and dark yellowish-brown

Temperature & Taste:

Cool and dry. Sour, Bitter.
Some sources regard it as mildly Warm, TCM views it as Neutral.

Classifications:

2F. PURIFYING.    2O. ASTRINGENT.    2P. HEMOSTATIC.    2S. STRENGTHENING
3C. ALEXIPHARMIC.    3D. CORDIALS & CARDIACS.
4a. CEPHALIC.    4b. OPTHALMIC.    4c. CARDIAC.    4e. STOMACHIC.    4g. HEPATIC

Uses:

1. Strengthens and Regulates Qi, Astringes Essence:
-chief medicine to regulate Vata-Air-Qi; increases and regulates Qi while settling Wind.
–Rasayana, increasing all 7 Tissues, Qi and Essence, protecting the Yin, and increasing Longevity
-Impotence and Senility; as an Aphrodisiac and Sexual Restorative

2. Separates the Pure from the Impure:
-Chebulic Myrobalan has a special effect to separate the pure from the impure,
-for Melancholy in Unani and Europe.
-Tumors, Cancer, Rheumatism, chronic skin diseases, as well as various other obstinate and chronic disorders.

3. Astringes to Stop Leakage:
-Diarrhea, Dysentery, Leukorrhea;
-Prolapses and Hernia

4. Benefits the Lungs and Throat, Stops Cough:
-Hoarseness of the Throat or Voice, Cough; also Asthma.
-chronic Cough, Asthma with debility in which case it astringes the Lung energy to stop Cough.

5. Strengthens Stomach, Benefits Digestion:
-benefits Digestion and Assimilation, and improves gastro-intestinal motility
-Obesity, Malabsorption, Anorexia, Indigestion, Poor Appetite and Abdominal distention
-good for Chronic Constipation.

6. Clears Damp, Promotes Urine:
-Dysuria, Strangury, Gravel, Stones, Edema and Ascites, as well as Scrotal Enlargement.
-obstinate Urinary diseases which includes Diabetes. (Ayurveda)

7. Clears Heat and Toxin:
-Fevers including Periodic Fevers; also Erysipelas
-to bring down pathogenic Heat in Fever (Buddhist classic)

8. Kills Worms and Parasites.

9. Externally:
-applied to Chronic Ulcers and bleeding Piles
-as a gargle for mouth Ulcers and Sores
-used as a tooth powder for Tooth Cares and Swollen, Bleeding and ulcerated Gums
-ashes mixed with oil or butter to Sores
-crushed in Rose water or steeped in water overnight and applied to the eyes for heat, redness and tearing of the Eyes
-decoction is used as a wash for Leukorrhea and Vaginitis
-applied to Apathae

Dose:

Decoction: 3–9 grams
Powder: 1–3 grams

Substitutes:
… available in PRO version

Correctives:
… available in PRO version

Comment
1. The Myrobalans are some of the important medicines in all Traditional Medicine systems except TCM where only Chebulic Myrobalan is used, and that, sparingly. The special thing about these fruits is that they are regulators, and when used together, they can balance and regulate the Humors. Each has a regulatory effect on one of the Humors: Chebula for Wind; Emblic and Yellow Myrobalan for Blood and Bile; Belleric for Phlegm; Black Myrobalan for Melancholy.
2. The three main Myrobalans: Chebulic, Emblic and Belleric, when used together form Triphala, the Three Fruits. These are both a household remedy and the basis for some of the most complex formulas of Traditional Medicine intended to treat some of the most obstinate diseases.
3. There are a great many Myrobalan based formulas used in Traditional Medicine. These are called Triphala in Ayurveda, Itrafal in Unani and Tryphera in the West.
4. Taken in Infusion, they only purge; in Decoction, they purge and bind (purging more); the Powder purges and binds (binds more).
5. Buddhist texts state that when worn on the skin they can treat all diseases.

Preparation:

… available in PRO version

Main Combinations:

1. Diarrhea from Cold, weak Kidneys, Chebula … available in PRO version
2. Chronic Cough, Chebula … available in PRO version
3. Loss of Voice, Chebula … available in PRO version
4. To separate the pure from the impure, Chebula … available in PRO version
5. To regulate the flow of Qi, stop Wind, and anchor the Qi in the lower abdomen (‘Dan Tian‘) Chebula … available in PRO version
6. Anal Prolapse, Chebula with … available in PRO version
7. To increase Qi and strengthen the Brain, Heart and Stomach, confected Chebula … available in PRO version
8. As a Brain and Heart stimulant and tonic, Black and Chebulic Myrobalans, … available in PRO version
9. Poor Eyesight, confected Chebula, … available in PRO version
10. Cataract, Yellow, Chebula … available in PRO version
11. Dizziness, preserve Chebula and … available in PRO version

Major Formulas:

Decoction of Myrobalan (Mesue)
Pills of Fumitory (Avicenna)
Pills for Migraine (Galen)
Pills for Mixed Humors (Mesue)
‘Pills without which I would not be’ (Nicholas)
Arabian Pills (Nicholas)
Electuary of Life (Arnold de Villa Nova)
Electuarium Alcharif (Mesue)
Electuary of Micleta (Nicholas)

Triphala Electuary of Raisins (Unani)
Triphera of Dodder of Thyme (Mesue)
Triphala Electuary of Dodder (Unani)
Triphala Electuary of Fennel Seeds (Unani)
Triphala Electuary for Epilepsy (Itrifal Zabeeb)
Triphera Persica (Mesue)
Triphera of the Saracens (Triphera Saracenica Magna)
Triphera Minor (Triphera Phoenonis) (Mesue)
Triphala Electuary Lesser (Unani)
Triphala Electuary Greater (Unani)
Triphala Electuary to Purge Phlegm and Black Bile

Nutmeg Powder (Jatiphaladi Churna) (Ayurveda)
Frankincense 10 (Spos dkar 10) (Tibetan Medicine)

Cautions:

1. Caution in Pregnancy
2. Careful in Yin deficiency and excess Heat conditions

ALL MYROBALANS:
Mesue said the only deleterious effect of the Myrobalans was their potential to create obstruction. This is why they are regularly mixed with Ghee or Oil and Honey in Ayurveda and Unani. They are also used with medicines to prevent likelihood of obstruction such as Stoechas, Indian Spikenard, Ginger or Pepper etc.

Main Preparations used:

Confected Chebula