ASPARAGUS KACE3JOSU5. 261 



mention only the fresh juice of the leaves which is regarded as 

 cathartic, cooling, tonic and useful in fevers, enlarged lymphatic 

 glands, spleen and liver, eye diseases, etc. The fresh juioe is 

 much used in making up various Borts of pill-masses and 

 particularly those of a purgative character, as for example the 

 preparation called Taruna jvardri rasa, described under Mercury 

 (see page 32). In glandular, enlargements and spleen disease, the 

 juice of the leaves is given with the addition of powdered 



more 



turmeric. 1 



ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS, Willd. 



Sans, smreft, Satdvari, m^t, Satamuli. 

 Vern. Satamuli, Beng. Satdvari, Hind. 



The Sanskrit name satamuli (that is possessing a hundred 

 roots), is in allusion to the numerous fusiform tubers of this 

 plant. These are regarded as oooling, demulcent, diuretic, tonic 

 and aphrodisiac, and are used both internally and in the prepara- 

 tion of several medicated oils. The tubers are candied and taken 

 as a sweet-meat. This preparation howerer has scarcely any 

 other taste dr flavour besides that of the sugar. The fresh juice 

 of the root is given with honey as a demulcent in bilious 

 dyspepsia or diarrhoea. 2 As an aphrodisiac tonic, it is need in a 

 variety of forms. A ghrita is prepared as follows : 



Satdvari ghrita. 3 Take of clarified butter four seers, juice of 

 Asparagus racemosus four seers, milk forty seers, boil them 

 together and prepare a ghrita. This is given with the addition 

 of sugar, honey, and long pepper. 



Phalaghrita. This is prepared with four seers of clarified 

 butter, and sixteen seers each of the juioe of Asparagus racemosus 

 and oows milk, with the addition of a number of other medicines 

 ia small quantities, in the form of a paste. Its use is said to 

 increase the secretion of semen, to cure barrenness in women and 

 to remove disorders of the female genitals. 







ffreg^ 



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