Inji – Herbal Remedy for Cough

Plant name : Inji or Ginger
“Both fresh and dried rhizome of this medicinal plant is useful.”
Fresh rhizhome is called Inji and dried rhizhome, Chukku as per Siddha.

Botanical name : Zingiber officinale
Family : Zingiberaceae
Actions : Anti-inflammatory, Anti-spasmodic, Expectorant, Carminative, Anti-emetic, Diaphoretic.

Siddha Medicinal Uses :

1. For continuous hic-cup, 1- 1/2gm of powder of Chukku is mixed with honey and given three times in a day.
2. The powder of Chukku , jeerakam ( cumin seeds) and karkandu (sugar candy) is mixed in equal amount and given in the dose of 1 to 2 gm for cough three times a day.
3. For pricking pain in ears, 1 to 2 drops of heated inji juice is used as ear drops.
4. A siddha drug for fever and kapha diseases is Vettumaran tablet which is ground with inji juice.
5. A kaya- karpa medicine prepared from fresh ginger as per Siddha called Inji- Thaen. Required amount of fresh ginger is taken, washed properly, and outer skin is peeled off. Then it is made into tiniest slice and soaked in honey. A slice of inji is taken daily for 40 days.
6. Inji surasam is a Siddha medicine. This is prepared by heating fresh ginger juice in a mud vessel called agal. The juice is slowly poured little by little over the agal kept in little flame. This juice is given in dose of 40ml twice daily for patients with cardiac ailments. it is also a good hypocholesterolaemic drug.
7. Inji juice can be given in dose of 1 to 2 teaspoon for flatulence, indigestion and abdominal discomfort.
8. Siddha medicines prepared from fresh rhizhome like Inji Rasayanam, Inji choornam and Pancha deepakini choornam are best medicine for all abdominal ailments.
9. Oil prepared from dried rhizhome is called Chukku thailam which can be used in nasiyam.
10. Chukku is one of the components of Trikadagu choornam which is a Siddha medicine used for diseases pertaining to all 3 humours.
11. A paste of chukku is applied over inflammed knee joints.
12. A decoction prepared from chukku is given for vomiting, abdominal discomfort, fever etc.
13. A thick paste of chukku can be applied on forehead for head-ache.
14. Varmanis or Marmanis or Varma asan chews chukku and blow its aroma near the nose of patients who have undergone unconciousness due to Varma injury.

Note: Siddha treatment is based on complete physical examination of the patient, Naadi diagnosis, and other diagnostic criteria of the disease. The content given in this article is purely meant for information and education purpose only. Kindly consult a Siddha physician before any sort of self medication.