Aegle marmelos, Bengal Quince

Roxburgh, Plants of the coast of Coromandel, 1798

Dried sliced fruit
(Photo by Susan Slater) (Wikimedia)

Uses:

UNRIPE FRUIT (Alleviates Vata/Wind and Kapha/Phlegm):
1. Stops Leakage:

-Astringent; chronic diarrhea and dysentery (Ayurveda, Tibet, TCM)
-roasted ripe fruit has also been used for Diarrhea

2. Clears Heat and Toxin, Relieves Swelling:

-pain and swelling of the Throat
-migraine, internal abscess

3. Benefits the Stomach:

-digestive, stomachic, carminative; reduces obesity

4. Externally:

-boiled in oil, applied to Hemorrhoids

FRUIT:
1. Stops Leakage:

-chronic constipation, chronic dysentery, diarrhea, colitis, enteritis, vomiting

2. Nourishes Fluids, Benefits Qi:

-nutritive, strengthens the interior, stimulant
-removes roughness of the vessels
-Hemiplegia, Facial Paralysis
-the roasted ripe fruit is given with milk for weakness and as an aphrodisiac. (India)

3. Clears Heat:

-Antipyretic; used as a cooling drink in Summer

ROOT BARK:

-Used in formulas against Toxin, Poison and Venom

LEAF:

-Applied as a paste with Ghee to boils and to heal wounds
-leaf is hepatoprotective

Main Combinations:

1. Diarrhea:
i. Fruit is used with Buttermilk for Diarrhea (Charaka)
ii. Summer diarrhea, dried fruit is used with Celery seed
iii. dried unripe fruit in doses of 2–3 grams, taken as a powder with Treacle.
iv. unripe fruit is also prepared as a conserve for Diarrhea
v. Diarrhea from malabsorption, paste of the fruit with Ginger, Jaggery and Buttermilk (Chakradatta)
2. Dysentery, Aegle with Symplocos, Black Pepper and Honey (Bhavaprakasha)
3. Heat, and to strengthen the Large Intestine, take with Triphala
4. Bleeding from the Gastrointestinal tract, Aegle with Madder and a little Rhubarb

Major Formulas:

Indian Bael Pills (Bilwadi Gutika)
Bilwadi Churna (Ayurveda)