Jugulans Nux, Walnut, He Tao 核桃
He Tao, Hu Tao (TCM)
Akhrot (Unani)
Star ka སྟར་ཀ་ (Tibet)
Della Materia Medicinale,
Andrea Valuassori, 1562
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578
Botanische wandplaten, 1904–1914
Kohler’s Medizinal Pflanzen, 1887
Botanical name:
Jugulans regia
Parts used:
Ripe Nut; Confected Nuts
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, dry. Sweet
“Hot in the third degree and Dry in the second degree”. (Avicenna)
Confected Walnuts are Warm, moist and Sweet.
Classifications:
2K. RESOLVENT. 2S. STRENGTHENING
3C. ALEXIPHARMIC. 3F. LITHONTRIPTIC. 3I. APHRODISIAC. 3J. INCREASE SEMEN
4a. CEPHALIC. 4e. STOMACHIC. 4g. HEPATIC. 4j. NERVINE
Uses:
1. Resists Poison:
-long regarded as effective to resist Infection during Epidemics and to preserve from Toxin and Venom (West)
-“Against rabies: the kernels are eaten, they are said to be an excellent remedy”. (Dorsetn, 1540)
-“disperses pyogenic infection, accelerates the development of Smallpox, and detoxifies the toxin of Copper”. (Li Shi Zhen)
2. Warms and strengthens the Kidneys:
-Lower back pain, frequent Urination, Spermatorrhea (TCM, West)
-Infertility (TCM, West)
-Increases Semen
-“blackens the Hair … makes one plump and healthy”. (Kai Bao Ben Cao)
-“tonifies Qi and Nourishes Blood”. (Li Shi Zhen)
3. Strengthens the Brain and Nerves:
-benefits Memory and Brain, increases Intelligence
-Paralysis
-Tinnitus and degenerative Brain diseases (preserved Walnuts are stronger)
4. Strengthen the Lungs, Stops Cough:
-Cough and Wheezing from cold and deficiency (TCM)
-fried Walnut is used in Unani
5. Strengthens the Heart:
-Benefits the Heart and Circulation: Heart weakness, Heart disease in the aged
-Hypertension, high Cholesterol
“Walnut is good for Palpitations”. (Rhazes)
6. Moisten the Intestines:
-constipation in the old or weak (TCM, West)
7. Astringes:
-old walnuts are burned to make them more astringent: Diarrhea, excess Menstruation
8. Clears Stones:
-fried Walnuts powdered are effective for Kidney and Gall Stones
9. Kills Worms:
-“The use of walnut in larger doses expels small Worms and Tapeworm”. (Avicenna)
10. Externally:
-“Its oil is useful in Rodent Ulcers, Erysipelas and Fistula of the Eye.” (Avicenna)
-“all kinds of Walnut … are plastered over swollen Breasts”. (Avicenna)
-“Oil from the walnut, which is called Carynum, as Pliny says, is useful for Alopecia“. (Dorsetn, 1540)
CONFECTED WALNUTS:
Walnuts confected with Sugar or prepared with Honey have similar effects.
-more strengthening and tonifying
-better to strengthen the Brain and Nerves in Mental weakness, poor Memory and Paralysis
-stronger to strengthen the Kidneys, nourish Semen and as an aphrodisiac
-confected Walnuts were also regarded as warming and strengthening to the Liver
INTERIOR DIVIDING WALLS of the NUT:
-Angina Pectoris and Heart disease.
-Pleurisy (in 1 dram doses)
-Burning or sharpness of Urine
-It was the only medicine which benefited the English forces in Ireland when afflicted with an Epidemic Dysentery.
-‘A specific in a Cancer, if long continued’. (Pharmacopoeia Universalis, R. James, M.D., London, 1743)
Dose:
Nuts in Decoction: 10–30 grams
Or eat 5–7 nuts per day
Interior Dividing Wall in Powder: 1–3 grams
Correctives:
1. Citrus fruit; Sours in general
2. “Oxymel is its antidote in hot-tempered persons”. (Avicenna)
Substitutes:
1. Almond, Almond oil as a Brain tonic
2. White Behen as an aphrodisiac and Kidney tonic
Preparation:
1. Roasted Walnut:
“The roasted walnut is very astringent” (Avicenna)
Walnuts are raosted until browned.
This is a stronger astringet, suitable for Diarrhea or excess Menstruation, especially with Kidney weakness.
2. Honey-prepared Walnut:
“Walnut .treated with Honey, is useful in Cold Stomach”. (Avicenna)
This is more strengthening and tonifying, strengthens the Spleen and Stomach.
3. Vinegar prepared Walnut:
“For persons having a weak stomach, walnut treated with vinegar, is useful”. (Avicenna)
Main Combinations:
1. King Mithridates Remedy Against all Poison (Electuary of Nuts), Walnut, Fig, Rue, Salt and Honey. Beat together to form an Electuary; take as much as a Hazelnut every morning to protect from Infection.
2. To Warm and strengthen the Kidneys:
i. Walnut, Psoralea Bu Gu Zhi, make pills with Honey. (Su Song)
ii. Walnut with Pistachio, Sesame, Sea Holly root, Asparagus root (as in Antidote for Cold Lumbar, for Venery, and Defect of Semen of Nicholas)
3. Sterility, Walnut with Ram Testicles, Hare Uterus, Cinnamon, Clove, Saffron, Pistachio (as in Decoction for Sterility)
4. Back Pain from Kidney weakness:
i. Walnut with Sweet Almond, Pistachio, Ginger, Cinnamon, Saffron, Galangal, Clove, Aniseed, Mastic (as in Antidote for Back Pain)
ii. Walnut with Eucommia Du Zhong and Psoralea Bu Gu Zhi (TCM)
5. Paralysis, Walnut with Sage, Cowslip, Lavender, Cress (as in Compound for Paralysis)
6. To strengthen the Brain and Nerves, confected Walnut is taken with confected Chebulic Myrobalan
7. Wheezing from Kidney and Lung deficiency, Walnut with Gecko Ge Jie (TCM)
8. Constipation with dryness, Walnut with Cannabis seed (Huo Ma Ren) or Sesame seed or Linseed
9. Diarrhea, roasted Walnuts (3 drams), Ameos (1 dram), Olibanum (5 drams), as in Powder of Walnuts of Unani. It is taken as a powder with warm water for Diarrhea from Pituitous (Damp) Humors. (Pharmacopoeia Persica, 1681)
Major Formulas
Decoction for Sterility (Quercetan)
Electuary of Nuts (Mithridate)
Antidote for Back Pain (Galen)
Antidote for Cold Lumbar, for Venery, and Defect of Semen (Nicholas)
Compound for Paralysis (Salerno)
Ren Shen Hu Tao Tang
Cautions:
1. Heat-Cough or Phlegm-Heat
2. Deficient Heat
3. “Physicians state that walnut causes Headache”. (Avicenna)
4. “Fresh walnuts are more pleasant. Dry, more harmful, useless to the stomach, bilious, difficult to digest, causing headaches”. (Dorsetn, 1540)
Main Preparations used:
Preserved Nuts, Expressed Oil of the Nuts
1. Expressed Oil of the Nuts
The Walnuts are bruised, then heated in a double boiler, and pressed strongly.
It is Pectoral; also expels wind and colic. It has been termed vegetable arsenic because of its value in obstinate skin diseases including Eczema and Psoriasis. It heals burns, scalds, and “pricks of the Nerves”. (Salmon)
Click the above Tabs for more information on this medicine
-The Doctrine of Signatures was applied by both TCM and some old Western writers: “Walnuts have the perfect Signature of the Head: the outer Husk or green covering, represent the Pericranium, or outward skin of the Skull, whereon the hair groweth, and therefore salt made of those husks or barks are exceedingly good for wounds of the head. The inner woody shell hath the Signature of the Skull, and the little yellow skin, or Peel that covereth the Kernel, of the hard Meninga and Pia-mater, which are the thin scarfes that envelope the brain. The Kernel hath the very figure of the Brain, and therefore it is very profitable for the brain, and resists poisons”. (William Cole, 1657)
-From the School of Salerno (taken from the English version by Sir John Harington):
Some (Wal-)Nut against poison is preservative …
With every Nut ‘tis good to eat a Raisin.
For though they hurt the Spleen they help the back.
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