Botanical Name: - Diospyros malabarica
Family name:-EBENACEAE
Sinhala name:-Thimbiri
Tamil Name;-Thumbai
Sanskirt name;-Anilsara,Thinduka
Edibal parts:-None
Grows in;- Sri Lanka,India,Thailand.
Treatment for; -Dysentery,Diarrhoea,Wounds
Parts used to make medicine;-Fruit,Barks
TIMBERI HAS ANTISEPTIC
PROPERTIES
Timibiri is a dry zone tree, but it is also
generally found near streams or damp ground. Botanically it is called Diospyros
malabarcia. In Tamil it isKnown as
Ttmbilik-key or Panichchia.
It
is large densely leaved tree with dark, Rather smooth bark. Its branches Spread
irregularly and it has both male and female flowers. The male flowersAre
rounded or triangular, lobed, pale green in colour and coated with silkyHair.
The female flowers are thick, pointed at
the apex, and have a few dark Hair near the calyx. The fruits conspicuously
larg and are about 11/2 to 3 inches in diameter.
These
are usually solitary, and are coated with a reddish colour. these seeds are
large ,brown, coppressed and variable in nimber.
The wood is nearly white with a trace of black heartwood. The
fruitsafford a gummy juice, and is used for preserving fishing nets and
lines.The ripe fruit is said contain 20 or 40 per cent of tannic acid.
The gum is used medically as an astringent,
and is useful in diarrhoea and internal heamorrhage. A gargle is made from an
infusion of the fruit. The exudation from the trees is an antiseptic and protection against insects.
Timbiri is known as Tinduka in Sanskrit. In
Bengal a preparation is made by heating the fruit in a large vessel, and
boiling and juice which has been extracted and a preservative to planks of
wood.
A brownish liquid used for dying and
tanning is prepared from the half ripeFruit. The ripe fruit is edible and is
Beneficial in blood diseases and in gonorrhea And leprosy.
In India “tunika oil” obtained from the
seeds is used in dysentery and diarrhoea.
Although the
ripe fruit is very sweet insects will not touch it. A infusion or decoction of
the rind is useful in chronic dysentery
and diarrhoea.
The Timbiri tree is sometimes known as wild
mangoosteen. A poultice of the bark can be applied to boils and tumours ; a
decoction of the bark mixed with gees is a very efficacious dressing for burns.
The powder of the bark can be given like
coffee for coughs. An extract of the fruit in dose of one grains with water,
three times a day is an excellent remedy fir chronic diarrhoea and dysentery. A
watery soloution of the extract is a vlabule vaginal douche in leucorrhoea.
The fruit juice is an efficacious agent
which cheek bleeding. An infusion of the ftuit is an excellent gargle for sore
throats. In asthma the dried rind of fruitis smoked in dose of 45 grains.
Thimbiri is a very important for parturient
mothers. The labour room or the special apartment where children were born
in ancient village home was
knownAs “Timbiri Geya”. This is dark
room with one door.Darkness has been found to be good the new born baby.
Timibiri is
another tree that needs our care and protection.
Dr Seela fernandu