The margosa (neem) is a very common tree in India. It is a large ever green, dense, shady tree, 10 to 10.5 metres high with a girth of two to three metres. The leaves of this tree are divided into numerous smaller segments called leaflets, each leaflet looking like an ordinary leaf. The tree has small, white flowers in auxiliary bunches and 1.2-1.8 cm. long green or yellow fruits with one seed in each fruit.
The botanical name of margosa is Azadirachta indica. It has played a key role in Ayurvedic medicine since time immemorial. It is indigenous to South Asia, where up to twenty million trees line the roads and provide welcome shade. The tree occurs naturally in Deccan Peninsula, but is cultivated all over India near habitations and on roadsides. It is also common in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Pakistan, Japan and tropical regions of Australia and Africa.
Composition
The seeds contain up to 45 per cent of an essential oil, known as margosa or neem oil. The bitter constituents separated from this oil are nimbin, nimbinin and nimbidin. The main active constituent of these is nimbidin which contains sulphur. The blossoms yield 0.005 per cent of a glucoside, nimbosterin and 0.5 per cent of highly pungent essential oil, nimbosterol nimbecetin and fatty acids. The flowers contain a bitter substance and an irritant bitter oil. The fruits contain a bitter principle, baka yanin and the trunk bark yields 0.04 per cent nimbin, 0.001 per cent nimbidin and 0.02 per cent nimbinin and 0.04 per cent of an essential oil.
Curative Properties
Neem tree is generally considered to be an air purifier and a preventive against malarial fever and cholera. All parts of the tree possess medicinal properties. The leaves are useful in relieving flatulence, in promoting the removal of catarrhal matter and phlegm from the bronchial tubes. The bark is a bitter tonic and a stimulant. The root bark has the same properties as the bark of the stem.
Malaria: An infusions or a decoction of the fresh leaves is a bitter vegetable tonic and alternative, especially in chronic malarial fevers because of its action on the liver. It should be given is doses of 15-60 grams.
Constipation: Margosa leaves posses laxative properties. They are thus valuable in constipation. For better result they should be given with 2 to 4 black pepper seeds.
Piles: The use of three grams of the inner bark of neem with six grams of jaggery every morning is very useful in piles. To check profuse bleeding from piles, three or four neem fruits should be administered with water.
Skin Disorders: The leaves, applied externally, are very useful in skin diseases. They are especially beneficial in the treatment of boils, chronic ulcers, eruptions of smallpox, syphilitic sores, glandular swellings and wounds. They can be used either as a poultice, decoction or liniment.
An ointment prepared from neem leaves is also very useful in the healing of ulcers and wounds. This ointment is prepared by burning 50 grams of the leaves in 50 grams of pure ghee and rubbing them thoroughly in the same ghee till it attains the shape of an ointment. A paste prepared from the bark by rubbing it in water is also useful in the healing of wounds.
Eye Diseases: Neem is very useful in eye diseases. Application of the juice of neem leaves to eyes every night is highly beneficial in the treatment of night blindness. The leaves should be pounded in mortar and made into a thin paste by sprinkling a little water while pounding. Then the juice should be pressed out through a clean piece of cloth and applied to the eyes with an eye rod.
Ear Ailments: Neem is a fine remedy for ear ailments. Steam fomentation with neem decoction provides immediate comfort in case of earache. A handful of neem leaves should be boiled in a kg. of water and the ear fomented with the steam thus produced. The juice of neem leaves mixed with equal quantity of pure honey is an effective remedy for boil in the ear. The juice should be warmed a little and a few drops put in the ear. Its regular use for a few days will cure this ailment.
In case of insect in the ear, the juice of neem leaves, mixed with some common salt should be warmed a little and few drops put in the ear. This will kill the insect and provide immediate relief. Putting two drops of lukewarm neem oil in the ear every morning and evening relieves deafness.
Oral Disorders: Cleaning the teeth regularly with a neem twice saves them from diseases. It firms up loose teeth, relieves toothache, removes bad odour and protects the mouth from various infections.
Diabetes: The juice of Margosa leaves is helpful in controlling diabetes. One tablespoon (five ml.) of this juice should be taken early in the morning on an empty stomach for this purpose. This treatment should be continued for three months. In the alternative, 10 leaves should be chewed daily in the morning.
* The author is based in Mumbai and writes on health-related issues