CARDAMOM Properties Cardamom (large) tastes sharp, is an appetizer, light, dry and hot.

It has curat ive effects in excessive phlegm, excessive bile humors in the body, and blood di sorders, itches, breathing problems, thirst, nausea, poison, disease connected w ith urinary disorders, disease connected with mouth, vomit and cough. Cardamom ( small) tastes sharp but is cool and small. It is very beneficial in flatulence, phlegmatic disease, cough, breathing problem, stomachache and urine disorders. Uses: Small cardamom is mainly used as mouth freshener. Both large and small cardamoms are used in the preparation of vegetables to increase its flavour. Large cardamom when mixed with palmyra palm and honey if taken in small quantity cures cough, asthma and weakness. Burning the small cardamom on a frying pan till it becomes cool, after it become s cool, crushing it into powder and taking its four rattis (1 ratti=8 grains of rice) four times a day, mixed with ghee and honey, cures dry cough. Crush the large cardamom seeds to fine powder, four "rattis" of this powder alon g with four "rattis" of powdered dry ginger, when taken with honey cures cough. (1 ratti=8 grains of rice) Powdered large cardamom, powdered rock salt mixed with ghee and honey cures dise ase connected with phlegms. Large cardamom if taken along with either "Amla" juice or powder of "Amla" cures inflammation, it also cures the burning sensation in hands and feet and inflamm ation while urination. If a large cardamom is burnt along with its skin, if 5 "rattis" of this ashes ar e taken with honey at regular intervals, then it stops the occurence of vomit du e to phelgm. Six "rattis" of powdered large cardamom, one "ratti" of asafoetida (hing). After roasting these mixtures of powder, mix it with lemon juice and have it, it will cure flatulence, abdominal pain etc. Mixing equal quantities of powdered large cardamom and powdered fig roots and ha ving it daily in the morning with "honey", cures heart disease. Powder of large cardamom if taken with honey cures "Uraemia". Powder of four seeds of large cardamom when taken with honey stops vomit due to excessive humor of bile in the body.

Powder of large cardamom when taken with curd neutralizes the poison of a mangoo se. Cardamom should not be used by a pregnant woman because there is a fear of abort ion. SALT Properties Salt is considered as the king among all the tastes. It is found in many provinc es. There are many types of salt out of which the following five types are main.

Rock salt or mineral salt. (Sendha Namak). It increases appetite, it is digestive, small and relishing. It is also aphrodis iac (increases sexual sensation), good for the eyes, has the ability to get tran sformed into the most minute of particles and retains water in it. It destroys t he cause of heart disease and maintains the balance of all the three humor i.e. phelegm, wind and bile in our body. Sage "Charak" considers it as the best among all the salts. Black salt It is relishing, salty and sharp, an appetizer and a retainer of stool during dy sentery. It also destroys the worm in the body, blech or eructation, cures enlar gement of skin, swelling of stomach caused by indigestion and indisposition. Thi s salt is minute, hot, relishing, an appetizer and harsh. It also cures colic in the stomach, gastric troubles,diabetes, and enlargement of skin, indigestion, p helgm and inflammation. Sambhar salt This salt is a destroyer of phlegm, is an appetizer, causes excessive humor of b ile in the body, cures gastric troubles, is minute, very hot. It cures piles and phlegmatic disease. Common salt: This salt is an appetizer, only if taken in small quantity, increases virility a nd controls foul breath. It cures indigestion, worms in the stomach, hernia, and excessive humor of phlegm and gastric troubles. Uses Gargles done with hot salted water cures throat pain and throat swelling. It als o cures dry cough influenza and tonsils. One hundred and twenty grams of salt dissolved in water, if taken, acts as a sto mach cleaner by causing vomit. This method can extract out even the poison from the stomach. Vomit can be stopped by having plain cooked rice mixed with some gh ee. A mixture of salt and powdered black pepper stops vomit. Salt roasted in a copper vessel till it becomes red and then had with warm water

, cures fever of all variation, gastric troubles and indigestion. A mixture of salt and powdered thymol, if taken cures stomach ache. Salt mixed in the juices of ginger and lemon if taken daily during morning and e vening time, has curative effects in many diseases like pain due to gastric trou ble and enlargement of skin. It also strengthens the digestive system by purifyi ng the humor of the wind in the body. Salt dissolved in hot water and one spoonful of lemon juice added to it, has ben eficial effect on the person suffering from influenza. Note Salt should be used in low quantity as it invites old age prematurely. It also d estroys virility. In short, use of excessive salt in our diet acts as a poison. CLOVE Properties & Uses If the handkerchief wet with clove oil is sniffed, it cures cold. Clove oil put on a piece of cotton cures the tooth ache if it is kept at that pl ace. Swelling of any type gets cured if clove oil is massaged on it. A pregnant woman stops vomiting if the water in which cloves were boiled is take n by her. Sucking of clove controls cough and if roasted clove is kept in the mouth, it cu res coryza and swelling of the throat. Massaging the clove oil on the head, cures headaches and rheumatism. While travelling in buses or trains, if it is given to nouseatic person, it cont rols the vomit. If the collyrium of rubbed clove is applied to the eyes of unconscious person, h e regains his consciousness. If there is fever due to heat, and the quantity of urine has decreased, then tak ing the paste of seven rubbed cloves cures the disease. WISHEP'S WEED OR AJOVA SEED (Ajwayan) Properties The wishep's weed is "hot", "sharp", "light", helps in digestion, is an appetize r, destroys worms and germs in the body, etc. Uses

Chucking wishep's weed into the mouth cures coryza and cough. If a pregnant woman takes wishep's weed then it helps her in digestion of food, increases her appetite, controls her flatulation and her uterus gets purified. Grinding dry wishep's weed and wrapping the powder thus formed in a piece of clo th and then smelling or sniffing this cloth, cures coryza. Taking powdered wishep's weed along with powdered sesame, cures diabetes. If three "rattis" of the flowers of wishep's weed and along with ghee and honey is taken thrice a day, it cures cough by clearing out the phlegms from the body. If wishep's weed is taken with hot water, it cures cough too. If 3 gms of powdered wishep's weed is taken with hot water, flatulation gets cur ed. If powdered wisheps weed is made into paste and then pasted on to a cold body, i t regains temperature. If a bundle of wishep's weed is heated on a heating pan and applying this heat o n the cold hands and feet of a person suffering from cholera or asthma, helps in regarding the temperature. Drinking warm water after having wishep's weed, cures indigestion, flatulation, pain and excessive formation of saliva. If the oil of wishep's weed is applied on the joints of a rheumatic patient and then trying a bundle filled with wishep's weed is applied on it, gives relief fr om pain. The flower of wishep's weed controls the intensity of Hysteria. Eating the flower of wishep's weed controls the development of worms in the inte stines. Use of wishep's weed by a woman who has just given birth to a child, helps her i n producing milk. If a bundle of wishep's weed is kept in the vagina after the birth of a child, i t gives protection against germs.

If the oil of wishep's weed is massaged on the part of the body having sweeling, it gives relief. CORIANDER Properties It is an appetizer, helps in digestion, is diuretic, harmful for the semen, reli shing, cures fever, retains stool, pacifies bile and destroys inflammation. Uses It is widely and variedly used from diet to the worship of deities. Six grams of coriander boiled in water and then taken with milk and sugar, helps in improving the digestive system. A mixture of powdered coriander and powdered aniseed taken with water, controls inflammation, thirst, uneasiness, inflammation while urinating and gives relief from fever by causing excessive perspiration. Twelve grams of coriander kept for the whole night in a saucer and mashed in the same water in the morning and after filtering the water and mixing 12 gms of su gar and then drinking it, cures the inflammation caused by bileous fever, it als o gives relief from the inflammation in the stomach and hands and feet. If a partial suffering from fever due to malaria is vomiting frequently then giv ing to him, the filtered water in which half grinded coriander has been mashed, one spoonful of this juice at regular interval checks his vomit. If three grams of powdered coriander and twelve grams of sugar if mixed in rice water, is given to a pregnant woman, it checks her vomit. It also cures the coug h and breathing problem in children. Mashed coriander, which has been soaked in the water for the whole night. If the water is applied to the eyes, then it gives relief from inflammation in the eye s, red eyes, and prevents the occurrence of small pox in the eyes. If the water in which coriander has been mashed and soaked for 10-12 hours is mi xed with sugar, is given to a person affected by sunstroke, it cures him instant ly. The use of coriander neutralizes the effect of intoxicants. Note Excessive use of coriander, diminishes the potency of a man and checks the menst ural discharge of a woman. BLACK PEPPER Properties Black pepper is scented, a stimulator, helps in digestion, an appetizer, is reli shing, causes sweat and destroys worms. It causes excessive urine and is also be neficial to people suffering from gonorrhoea. Sage dhanwantari considered it to be the destroyer of all kinds of bacterias and viruses.

Uses . It is beneficial in many diseases. If taken in adequate quantity, a man never suffers from flatulation. It helps in digesting the food of those people, who are accustomed to having ric h food. Using rice in the diet with kidney beans, neutralizes its power of causing the f ormation of excessive wind. It becomes cool and gives complete nourishment. Ashtagun Mand (Rice water having eight qualities).If equal quantities of kidney beans and roasted rice are taken and the 14 times quantity of water is added to it and then asafoetida, rock salt, dry ginger, coriander, black pepper and leave s of fig (peepal) tree is added to it (all in powdered form) and cooked on a slo w flame, it becomes very nourishing. This rice water cures fever increases blood , hunger and strength. It also removes the weakness because of fever. The rice water, which remains after the rice, has been cooked, if this is taken while it is still warm mixed with honey cures thirst. Rice water neutralizes the effort of the intoxication due to hemp (bhang). CASSIA Properties Cassia is "hot" an appetizer. It eliminates the excessive humor of phlegm and wi nd in the body. It also eliminates aversion and coryza. Uses Drinking the semi liquid solution of cassia cause excessive formation of urine. It is also beneficial in the initial stage of the fever. The mixture of powdered cassia, powdered cinnamon and powdered cardamom helps to clear out the impurities of uterus after the birth of a child. The use of cassia in our food helps to clear out the accumulated gases from our body. One to four grams of cassia mixed with honey or water cures stomachache, clears out phlegm's and improves the digestive system. FENUGREEK (Methi) Properties Fenugreek is scented an appetizer, milk developer an uterus contractor and elimi nator of excessive wind humor in the body. Uses Fenugreek eliminates the excessive wind humor in the body. It also eliminates ph legm's and excessive wind humor in the body. It cures fever.

Methi pak: take one kilogram of fenugreek, mix two kilogram s of ghee and twelve kilograms of milk in it. Heat this mixture on a slow flame till it becomes as d ense as honey. Now add sugar equivalent to three times the quantity of the prepa red solution.The daily use of 24 to 48 gms of this mixture with water cures flat ulation and it also helps in the comlication after the delivery of a child. It g ives nourishment to the body and increases virility. Eating a "laddu" of fenugreek (methi) made by fenugreek flour, raw sugar and ghe e drives away the gastric problems. 4 gms of fenugreek mixed with 4gms of dry ginger and raw sugar is beneficial in disease related with wind humor. Three grams of powdered fenugreek mixed with raw sugar or water is beneficial to people having constipation and their liver becomes strong. The vegetable prepared from the delicate leaves of fenugreek prevents constipati on. It also purifies the blood and gives strength. It is also beneficial for peo ple suffering from piles. Fenugreek soaked in the water for whole night and mashed up in the in the same w ater in the morning. If this water is given to a patient suffering from diabetes daily, he is cured. Note Though beneficial this should be used with great caution. CUMIN SEED Properties According to "sushrut", cumin seed is an appetizer, eliminates format ion of excessive wind humor and bile humor. It cures enlargement of skin and col ic in stomach. Cumin seed strengthens the stomach, liver and intestines. It elim inates the worms, which are present in the intestines. It also cures flatulation , stomachache etc. Cumin seed is very beneficial for a woman after childbirth. Uses It increases the capacity of producing milk in a woman. A daily use of handful of cumin seeds, cures night blindness and decreases the l evel of temprature in the body. Twelve grams of memordic- charantia (kereal) mixed with one spoon of powdered cu min seeds cure ague. A mixture of powdered coriander seeds, powdered cumin seeds and sugar, cures aci dity and inflammation in the chest due to it. Use of cumin seeds checks hiccups, eliminates colic in stomach, swelling of inte stine due to indigestion.

Six grams of powdered cumin seeds mixed with old raw sugar and after making smal l pills of one gram each, if taken, it cures fever. A baked mixture of cumin seeds, black pepper and rock salt (all in powdered form ), dissolved in butter milk or whey, if taken after lunch, cures diarrhea, piles and sprue. ANISEED Properties Aniseed is scented, an appetizer, hepls in digestion and eliminates t he causes for the formation of urine in the stomach. Uses It is beneficial in dry cough and stops foul breath. If its grinded powder is mixed in water with some sugar, it cures the inflammati on caused during urination. If the filtered juice made from powdered aniseed mixed in water is given to chil dren, it cures their stomach pains. Its use is beneficial in diarrhea, indigestion, fever, cough, kidney diseases, a nd in enlarged spleen. MINT Properties Mint is tasty, relishing, and hot, an appetizer that eliminates the e xcessive formation of wind phlegm. It is beneficial in cough, indigestion, sprue , diarrhea, cholera, and chronic fever and eliminates the worm's from the stomac h. It also increases the digestive powers. Uses A fresh juice extracted from the mint is very beneficial in cold. If a semi liquid juice made from the powdered leaves of mint and basil is taken, it cures fever and its relapsing. Mixed juice of mint and ginger cures ague. It also cures all types of fever by c ausing excessive perspiration. This juice is also beneficial in flatulationan an d coryza. A mixture made of six grams of mint, six grams of ginger juice and 1 gram of pow dered rock salt, cures colic in stomach. A semi liquid mixture of basil leaves, mint and powdered black pepper, cures fla tulation and increases appetite. Mint juice cures diarrhea, cholera and it also checks vomit. It eliminates the w orms in the stomach.

For a man, suffering from chronic intestinal diseases, mint juice is like a pana cea. It increases the milk producing capacity of a mother.