Cinnamon
Botanical Name: Cinnamomum verum
Unani Name: Darchini
Mizaj: Hot and Dry to the second degree
Properties/Action:
- Antispasmodic
- Antidiarrheal
- Antimicrobial
- Anti-emetic
- Carminative
- Anti-putrescent
- Aromatic
- Febrifuge
- Mild analgesic
Therapeutic Uses:
- Flatulent dyspepsia, colic, irritable bowel, diverticulosis - when the intestines become too cold
- Influenza, colds & infections of the like - to expel the abnormal phlegm/matter
- Leucorrhoea and delayed menses (5 drops of oil or 1 teaspoon of powder in honey before meals) - cinnamon is a uterine stimulant
- Lung affections: chest rub - brings vitality to the lungs
- Loss of weight and malaise - by also expelling abnormal matter
- Deficiency of stomach acid and other digestive disorders such as flatulence nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting - to bring heat to the GI tract
- Snakebite
- Neurodegenerative diseases: Parkinson’s and Alzheimer's, anti-inflammatory - by improving circulation and expelling abnormal matter causing those conditions
- Improves sensitivity to insulin, regulating metabolism and blood sugar - by bringing heat to the kidney (diabetes is a disease of the kidneys in Unani Tibb)
- Palpitations of the heart - by bringing heat to the heart and aiding circulation
Dosage:
- Thrice daily, or more frequently in acute cases.
- Tea: Quarter to half a teaspoon in each cup of boiling water, hot tea, or other beverage.
- Inhalant: Inhale steam from 20-30 drops of oil or essence in 1 pint of boiling water, with head covered.
- Chest rub: 5 drops of oil in 2 teaspoons of Almond or Olive oil.
Cautions
- Not a front-line remedy. Often used to flavor medicines and toothpaste. Avoid during pregnancy.
- Cinnamon is deeply heated - avoid using it for choleric. It is preferably used for the phlegmatic types and elderly people.
Reference:
Bartram, Thomas. Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. Robinson, 1998.
Davis, Claude, et al. The Lost Book of Remedies. Edited by Claude Davis, et al., Global Brother, 2018.
Culpeper, Nicholas. Culpeper's Complete Herbal: Consisting of a Comprehensive Description of Nearly All Herbs with Their Medicinal Properties and Directions for Compounding the Medicines Extracted from Them. W. Foulsham, 1952
Chishti, Ghulam Moinuddin. The Traditional Healer's Handbook: A Classic Guide to the Medicine of Avicenna. Inner Traditions/Bear, 1991.
“A Greek And Unani Herbal: Cinnamon.” Greek Medicine, http://www.greekmedicine.net/A_Greek_and_Unani_Herbal/herb.php?id=2. Accessed 19 September 2023.
