MUQIL
English : Gum-guggul/Muqul/indian bdellium
Urdu : Muqul/Gugul/Guggul
Telugu : Guggilamu
Description :
It is a small tree or shrub with spinescent branches occuring in the arid rocky tracks.It is sometimes planted in hedges.It is about 1.20-1.80 m high,having greenish yellow outer bark,shining and alternate leaves and few flowers,solitary or in clusters.A gum-resin i.e Muqul is obtained by incision of the bark.Each plant yields about 1.5-2 lb of the gum which is collected in the cold season.The resin occurs in rounded irregular tears or lumps of agglutinated tears of variable sizes.It is pale-yellow,brown or dull green in colour with a bitter aromatic taste and balsamic odour.It burns in fire.
Muqul resin is resolvent,anti-lipid,coctive,anti-coagulant,warming,carminative,intestinal disinfectant and phlegmagogue.Hence it is beneficially used in internal and external inflammatory swellings,rheumatism,gout and sciatica,paralysis esp.Hemiphlegia,hyper-cholesterolaemia,hyper-triglyceridaemia,chronic dyspepsia,colitis and intestinal tuberculosis and also in haemorrhoids.
It is stimulating expectorant,anti-spasmodic,uterine stimulant and emmenagogue.Hence it is successfully used in chronic bronchitis,bronchial asthma and pulmonary tuberculosis,also in amenorrhia and menorrhagia to regulate menses.
Ibn sina’s view:
It is resolvent to the extent of resoving coagulated blood,lexative,coctic and carminative.It is very useful in hard swellings,spasmsand stiffering of nerves,chronic coughs,tracheal pains and pleuritic pain.Its drink or suppository or fumigation is useful in piles and their bleeding.It is also lithontriptic,diuretic and emmenagogue.