ÆGLE MARMELOS.
Sans. vilva. Vern. Bela, Beng. Hind.
The Ægle Marmelos is held in great veneration by the Hindus. It is sacred to Siva whose worship cannot be accomplished without its leaves. Hence this tree is always met with near temples dedicated to Siva. It is incumbent on all Hindus to cultivate and cherish this tree, and it is sacrilegious to up-root or cut it down. The Hindu who expires under a bela tree, expects to obtain immediate salvation, notwithstanding that he may have committed innumerable sins.
The Ægle Marmelos is used in medicine in a variety of ways. The unripe or half ripe fruit is regarded as astringent, digestive and stomachic and as useful in restraining discharges from the alimentary canal. The ripe fruit is described as sweet, aromatic, cooling and laxative. It is not easily digested and has a tendency to cause flatulence. The dried pulp of the fruit, called Vilva peshiká in Sanskrit, is regarded as astringent and a specific for dysentery. The root-bark is considered useful in diseases supposed to be caused by deranged air. It constitutes an ingredient of dasamul or the ten roots, (see Desmodium gangeticum.) The fresh juice of the leaves is given with honey as a domestic laxative and febrifuge.
Only the opening two paragraphs are transcribed; the prescriptions that follow on p. 130 are left out. The Sanskrit name in Devanagari is not transcribed. Words hyphenated across a line break are joined.