16) Devil Tree

Brief Description:

            The devil tree grows up to 20 meters high. It has furrowed trunk and whorled leaves. It has abundant milky sap. The leaves are shiny in nature. The flowers are numerous, crowded, greenish, borne in cymes. The fruits are slender and cylindrical. Seeds are about 4mm long, with ciliate hairs, on the ends. The tree rows in thickets and forest.

Medicinal Use:

• Used as tonic. Helps in eliminating worms from the body.
• Increase the secretion of milk in nursing mothers.
• Reduces or eliminates fever.
• Can be used in chronic diarrhea and dysentery, asthma and cardiac problems.
• Medicine for boils, ulcers and muscular pains, and rheumatism swellings.
• Relieves earaches.
• Used for the deficiency of vitamin ‘B1’
• Used for certain skin diseases.

 

How to Use:

• The bark of the tree, in decoction is used take care of first four above medicinal uses.
• Te latex is used as a poultice for boils, ulcers, muscular pains and rheumatic swelling. When mixed with olive oil, one or two drops in the ears relieve earaches
• The decoction of the young leaves is recommended for deficiency of Vitamin ‘B’
• The dried leaves in powder form are used for ulcers and skin diseases.

Parts Used:

• The bark, latex and the leaves.

Dose:

• 30grams in 1 liter of water, 3 to 4 cups a day.