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Contents:
Common Names
Parts Usually Used
Plant(s) & Culture
Where Found
Medicinal Properties Legends, Myths and Stories
Uses
Formulas or Dosages
Bibliography
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Common Names
Cape gum
Egyptian thorn
Gum Arabic tree
Gum acacia
Gum Arabic
India gum tree
Bablah pods
Acacia bambolah
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Parts Usually Used
Gum
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Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Acacia is a small, spiny, leguminous tree or shrub. After the rainy
season ends, the stem begins to exude gum, which is collected
from December to June for marketing as gum Arabic. The acacia
has alternate, bipinnate leaves and axillary racemes of yellow
flowers arranged in globose heads. The fruit is an oblong pod.
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Where Found
Grows in sandy soil, mostly in tropical Africa
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Medicinal Properties
Demulcent, mucilaginous
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Legends, Myths and Stories
Acacia was a sacred wood for the ancient Hebrews. Moses used
acacia wood in building the Ark of the Covenant and
the sacred Tabernacle (see Exodus, chapters 25-40).
According to Near-Eastern Christian legend,
a thorny
species of acacia was used for Christ's crown of thorns.
Moapa Paiute name for acacia is "Pah
oh pimb." Used for inflammation
of the eyes, due to dust; vaqueros and travelers habitually
carry acacia seeds and put 4 in each eye on retiring.
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Uses
Gum Arabic's main effect is to form a protective, soothing coating
over inflammations in the respiratory, alimentary, and urinary tracts.
It is helpful for coughs, sore throat, and catarrh, eyewash,
diarrhea, and dysentery. Sweetened, it is sometimes used for typhoid fever.
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Formulas or Dosages
Gum Arabic is usually dissolved in water to make a mucilage.
Mucilage: a dose is from 1 to 4 tsp.
Syrup: mix 1 part mucilage with 3 parts of a syrup. A dose is from 1-4 tsp.
