MOCHRAS POWDER

Bombax ceiba, like other trees of the genus Bombax, is commonly known as cotton tree. This tropical tree has a straight tall trunk and its leaves are deciduous in winter. Red flowers with 5 petals appear in the spring before the new foliage. It produces a capsule which, when ripe, contains white fibres like cotton. Its trunk bears spikes to deter attacks by animals. Although its stout trunk suggests that it is useful for timber, its wood is too soft to be very useful.

BENEFITS: Young roots (Semul-musali)-astringent, (used for dysentery) stimulant, demulcent. Fruits-stimulant, diuretic, expectorant. Used for chronic inflammation of bladder, kidney also for calculus affections. Flowers-astringent and cooling, applied to cutaneous affections. Leaves-anti-inflammatory. Stem bark-demulcent, styptic. Aqueous extract with curd is given for blood-dysentery.The bark, on analysis, possesses tannins and non-tannins. It also contains lupeol, ß-sitosterol and its D-glucoside. The bark is given as a demulcent, emetic and tonic. Externally, it is used as a styptic, and also for fomenting wounds. The gum is credited with astringent, tonic, and demulcent properties and is used for dysentery, hemoptysis in pulmonary tuberculosis, influenza and menorrhagia.