Curcuma, Turmeric, Jiang Huang 姜黄

Tumeric; Cyperus indicus (Dioscorides)
Jiang Huang (TCM)
Haridra (Ayurveda)
Icones Plantarum Medcio-oeconomico, Vietz, 1800

Parkinson, Theatrum Botanicum, 1640

Whole Turmeric Root (Adam, 2016)

LONG AND ROUND TURMERIC
Notes on Pharmacognosy, Otto Augustus Wall, 1902
Long and Round Turmeric, Chengdu Medicine Market
(Adam, 2017)
Botanical name:
Curcuma longa (syn. C. domestica, C. rotunda, C. xanthorrhiza, Amomum curcuma)
Long and Round types were traditionally used.

Parts used:
Root (long and round)

Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Pungent, Bitter
cleansing, attenuating, opening, digesting, discussing

Classifications:
2A APERIENT MEDICINES     2F. PURIFYING
3G. EMMENAGOGUE

Uses:
1. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis, Eases Pain:
-pain from Cold and Blood stagnation: Chest, Abdominal or Joint pain
-Arthritis, Rheumatism, Headache, Sprains, Fractures
-relaxes and loosens Tendons and Ligaments; used as an aid in Yoga
-chronic Inflammatory diseases of the Bowels: Colitis, Ulcerative Colitis, Crohn's Disease

2. Moves the Blood, Promotes Menstruation:
-Dysmenorrhea from coldness and blood stagnation
-given at Childbirth to promote Labor
-it has been advocated for bleeding during Pregnancy

3. Opens Obstructions of the Liver:
-‘proper for the Gall’;
-Jaundice and all obstructions of the Gall Bladder
-poor Liver function, Hepatitis, Fatty Liver

4. Clears Damp, Promotes Urine:
-Edema; retention of Urine
-Cystitis; Turbid Urine
-Diabetes (Ayurveda)

5. Clears Cold Phlegm, Stops Cough:
-Chronic Cough, Bronchitis, Bronchial Asthma
-Chronic Rhinitis, Allergic Rhinitis, Sinusitis

6. Resists Poison:
-Colds, Sore Throat
-Measles, Urticaria, Leprosy

7. It has been used as a Contraceptive:
-root impregnated with Goat urine was said to make a man sterile if taken
-Turmeric taken for 3 days during menstruation and 3 days after is used as a Contraceptive for women (Ayurveda)

8. Externally:
-externally with Alum is excellent for Sprains, Bruises, Wounds, Black Eyes etc; in India a paste of Turmeric with Lime and Salt, or a paste with Myrrh and Egg White is applied
-Also used to cleanse foul Ulcers.
-As a lotion or paste, it is used to promote scab formation in Chicken Pox Eruptions, Measles, Mumps, Herpes lesions, Leprosy sores, Ringworm and Scabies, as well as for Pimples, Boils, Eczema and Psoriasis and all inflammatory skin diseases.
-Boils and Cysts, Turmeric ashes are applied as a paste with water
-The paste has also been applied to poisonous stings and bites, including those of Leeches
-the fumes of burning Turmeric has been used in Ayurveda as a fumigation for Scorpion bites.
-A decoction is used as a wash for eye disorders including Conjunctivitis, Opthalmia, and festering Eye inflammations


DOSE:
1–3 grams in powder; 3–9 grams in decoction; Tincture (1:3 in 45% alcohol): 3–15mls.

SUBSTITUTES:
1. Madder
2. Curcuma amada (Unani)
3. Zedoary

CORRECTIVES:
-Citron; Lemon juice (Unani)

Main Combinations:
Barberry & Turmeric
Turmeric is often combined with Neem in Ayurveda

Liver:
1. Jaundice:
i. Turmeric with Saffron and Myrrh (Western)
ii. Turmeric with Barberry
iii. Turmeric (½ oz.), Saffron (15 grains), Rhubarb (2 drams). Infuse in wine (12 oz.) for 24 hours.  (Tractatus de materia medica, Geoffroy, 1741)
iv Turmeric with Rhubarb, Saffron, Celandine, Fumitory
v. Turmeric, Phyllanthus amarus, Picrorrhiza, Long Pepper
vi. Turmeric, Long Pepper, Neem, Sida cordifolia, Licorice
2. Hepatitis:
i. Turmeric with Gentian, Agrimony, Licorice
ii. Damp-heat with deficiency, Turmeric with Paeonia Bai Shao, Atractylodes Bai Zhu, Scuettlaria Huang Qin, Licorice (TCM)
iii. Damp-Heat, Turmeric, Phyllanthus amarus, Picrorrhiza, Long Pepper

Inflammation, Arthritis:
3. Inflammation (Heat with Blood stagnation):
i. Turmeric with Barberry or Scutellaria Huang Qin
ii. Turmeric with Myrrh, Frankincense, Safflower
iii. Turmeric, Frankincense, Myrrh, Barberry (or Scuettlaria Huang Qin)
iv. Turmeric with Bdellium, Tinospora (Ayurveda)
v. from Damp-Heat (Phlegm-Bile), Neem with Turmeric and Tinospora
4. Arthritis:
i. Turmeric, Frankincense, Bdellium, Black Pepper
ii. Turmeric, Withania, Frankincense, Shilajit (Ayurveda)
iii. Tumeric, Frankincense, Cyperus rotundus, Ginger, Long Pepper (Ayurveda)
iv. Tumeric, Frankincense, Cat's Claw, Licorice, Ginger
v. Turmeric, Myrrh, Rhubarb, Celery seed, Saffron
5. Gout from Phlegm, Turmeric, Emblic Myrobalan, Cyperus rotundus

Blood Stagnation, Circulation:
6. Blood stagnation, Bruising, fixed or chronic Pain:
i. Turmeric, Myrrh
ii. Turmeric, Bdellium, Frankincense, Safflower, Clove
iii. Turmeric, Bdellium, Shilajit
iv. Turmeric, Madder, Rhubarb, Bitter Almond, Myrrh, Black Pepper
7. Chest pain, Angina, Atherosclerosis:
i. Turmeric, Bdellium, Arjuna, Emblic Myrobalan (Ayurveda)
ii. Turmeric, Clove, Sandalwood, Saffron
iii. Turmeric, Salvia Dan Shen (TCM)
8. High Cholesterol:
i. Turmeric, Ginger, Garlic
ii. Turmeric, Bdellium

Gynecology:
9. Promotes Menstruation:
i. Turmeric with Cinnamon (TCM)
ii. Turmeric with Saffron and Mugwort
iii. Turmeric powder (½ dram), Saffron (5 grains), with Syrup of Mugwort, form a bolus. (Tractatus de materia medica, Geoffroy, 1741)
iv. Turmeric with Zedoary, Dang Gui
v. Blood stagnation with pain and clots, Turmeric, Cyperus rotundus, Bdellium, Boerhaavia
10. Cervical Dysplasia, Turmeric, Licorice, Asparagus Shatavari, decocted and used as a douche.

Clear Heat:
11. Acute Sore Throat, Cold, Flu, Fever, Turmeric, Ginger, Licorice, Clove (Ayurveda)
12. Pharyngitis, Turmeric, Licorice, Rock Salt, used as a gargle (Ayurveda)
13. Dermatitis, Urticaria, Itching:
i. Turmeric, Psoralea, Madder, Trubulus seed
ii. Neem, Madder, Turmeric, Picrorrhiza
iii. from Wind-Phlegm, Neem, Turmeric, Licorice
iv. Inflammatory skin conditions, Neem, with Turmeric, Gotu Kola, Madder, Tinospora, Rose
v. Turmeric with Ginger, Black Pepper, Long Pepper, Three Myrobalans, Turpeth, Cyperus rotundus. (Ayurveda)
14. Acne, Turmeric with Neem, Bdellium, Tinospora, Triphala (Ayurveda)

Other:
15. Diabetes:
i. Turmeric with Emblic Myrobalan (Ayurveda)
ii. Turmeric with Emblic Myrobalan, Barberry (Ayurveda)
iii. Tinospora with Emblic Myrobalan, Tinospora, Shilajit
iv. Turmeric, Gymnema, Emblic Myrobalan, Cinnamon, Shilajit (Ayurveda)
v. Turmeric with Neem with Fenugreek, Gymnema
vi. Turmeric with Neem, Gymnema, Bdellium, Bitter Melon, Shilajit (Ayurveda)
vii. Turmeric with Neem, Gymnema, Shilajit (Ayurveda)
16. Memory loss, poor concentration, speech disorders, Turmeric, Calamus, Costus, Ginger, Cumin, Licorice, Rock Salt with Ghee (Chakradatta)

Externally:
17. Topically for skin inflammation or infection:
i. Turmeric with Neem as a wash
ii. Turmeric, Peppermint
18. Hemorrhoids, Turmeric with Mustard oil, applied topically.
19. Eye disorders:
i. Turmeric with Triphala is mixed with Ghee and applied to the eyes.
ii. Turmeric, Barberry, Chebula, Indian Spikenard, Costus, Long Pepper

Major Formula
Turmeric Decoction 4 (Yung ba 4) (Tibetan Medicine)
Emblic 6 (Kyu ru duk pa) (Tibetan Medicine)

Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy (note that it has been used for Bleeding during Pregnancy)
2. High doses aggravate Heat types (Pitta-Bile constitutions)

DRUG INTERACTIONS:
May potentiate anticoagulant and anti-platelet medication.

Main Preparations used:

History
Dioscorides mentions an Indian plant as a kind of Cyperus resembling ginger, but having when chewed a yellow colour and bitter taste: probably turmeric was intended. Garcia de Orta (1563), as well as Fragoso (1572), describe turmeric as Crocus indicus. A list of drugs sold in the city of Frankfort about the year 1450, names Curcuma along with zedoary and ginger.
In its native countries, it has from remote times been highly esteemed both as a condiment and a dye-stuff; in Europe, it has always been less appreciated than the allied spices of the ginger tribe. In an inventory of the effects of a Yorkshire tradesman, dated 20th Sept., 1578, we find enumerated—"x. ouncis of turmeracke, x d."
(Pharmacographia, Fluckiger & Hanbury, 1879)