Botanical name – Linum usitatissimum Linn.
Family - Linaceae
Hindi name - Alasi
English name –Flax, Flaxseed
Sanskrit names - Atasi, Pichchila, Medagandha, Madotkata, Uma,
Rudraneela, Masruna, Kshuma, Parvati,Neela pushpin
Botanical Description - Atasi is a herb attaining height of 1 to 1.25 metre.
Leaves -long, narrow. Flowers- blue. Fruits - circular in shape with shallow
seeds.
Depending on the colour of seeds it is subdivided into 4 types,
(1) white (2) yellow (3) red and (4) black
Habitat - In India - Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, Russia, Britain,
Holand.
Chemical composition - Seeds have 37 to 44% oil. White seeds have more
oil.
Fresh oil is more viscous and colourless but in fresh air it gets solidified.
Therapeutics Properties -
Guna (qualities) – Guru(Heaviness), snigdha
Rasa(Taste)- Madhura (Sweet), tikta(bitter)
Veerya- Ushna(hot)
Vipak - katu (taste conversion after digestion pungent)
Dosha - vatashamak, kapahpittavardhak.
Uses-
External uses –
The poultice of the flour of atasi is used to assimilate inflammation.
This external application of atasi is used in deeper inflammation also.
The external application of its oil Ex. abhyanga is vatanashak.
A mixture of lime water and oil of atasi is very useful in burns.
Internal uses -
Digestive system - Fried atasi seeds are astringent and reduce intestinal motility. Oil is a purgative. Flowers are cardiotonic.
Respiratory system - The decoction of the seeds of atasi is useful in cough, pleuritis, pneumonia and whooping cough in children. It works as an expectorant.
Urinary system - Hot infusion is useful in cystitis and pyuria. Seeds are not virilizing.
1-2 teaspoons of atasi seeds are soaked in a cup of water for overnight. Then next day filtered. This is consumed before food for the useful in burning urination
Part used - Seed, oil, flower
Dosage - powder - 3 to 6 gms.
References -
अतसी मधुरा तिक्ता स्निग्धा पाके कटुर्गुरुः ।
उष्णा दृक्शुक्रवातघ्नी कफपित्तप्रकोपिणी ।। (भा.प्र.)
अतसी तैलमाग्नेयं स्निग्धोष्णं कफपित्तकृत् ।
कटुपाकमचक्षुष्यं बल्यं वातहरं गुरु ।।
मलकृद्रसत: स्वादु ग्राहि त्वग्दोषहत् घनम् ।
बस्तौ पाने तथाभ्यंगे नस्ये कर्णस्य पूरणे ।।
अनुपानविधौ चापि प्रयोज्यं वातशान्तये । (भा. प्र.)
(Reference - Ayurvedic pharmacology & Therapeutic uses of Medicinal plants)
