Herb Guide

Sweet Violet

Shifaa Khan

Shifaa Khan

— 2 min read
Sweet Violet
Photo by Alexandra Marta / Unsplash

Botanical Name: Viola odorata

Unani Tibb Name: Banafsha

Parts used: Flowers, leaves, root.

Mizaj: Cooling & Moistening

Actions:

  • (Wild) anti-tumor, Anti-neoplastic, antiseptic (it stops the growth of morbid matter)
  • mild analgesic (it helps with pain relief)
  • expectorant, demulcent, astringent (it helps balance moisture and dryness in the body)
  • antipyretic, diaphoretic (it helps reduce fevers by pushing the body to sweat)
  • diuretic, laxative, aperient, cathartic (it helps stimulate the bowels whilst cleansing them).

Therapeutic Uses:

  • Mouth ulcers, bronchitis and chest troubles in children, congested lymph glands, and cystitis.
  • It is used in cases of tumors, especially of the brain.
  • Breast and stomach cancer
  • Blood cleanser

Dosage/Applications:

  • Essential oil - two drops of sweet violet essential oil applied to the nostrils as a remedy for insomnia.
  • Infusion
  • Decoction

Popular Formulation:

Hab Banafsha (p.g. 96) - cleanses the brain of phlegm, catarrh, and extraneous matter, removes phlegm from the chest, is useful for optic disease and migraines, antiasthmatic.
Khamira Banafsha (p.g. 121) - laxative, cerebral tonic, cholagogue (promotes bile flow), anti phlegmatic
Roghan Banafsha (p.g. 143) - relieves dryness in the head, is sudorific, and analgesic - especially for headaches.
Sharbat Banafsha (p.g. 176) - Anti-bronchial, Febrifuge, especially effective against cold and catarrh.

Reference:

  • Chishti, Ghulam Moinuddin. The Traditional Healer's Handbook: A Classic Guide to the Medicine of Avicenna. Inner Traditions/Bear, 1991.
  • Bartram, Thomas. Bartram's Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine. Robinson, 1998.
  • Chevallier, Andrew. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine: 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments. DK, 2016.
  • Davis, Claude, et al. The Lost Book of Remedies. Edited by Claude Davis, et al., Global Brother, 2018.
  • Edited by Hakim Mohammed Said. (1970). Hamdard pharmacopoeia of Eastern medicine. [Karachi],[publisher not identified]

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