Peppermint acts as antiseptic to diphtheria

November 9, 2008

Mentha (Pudina) is a genus of strongly scented, perennial herbs, which comprises about 25 species. Of these only two are important. They are: Mentha arvensis and Mentha piperita. Common name of Mentha arvensis is Pudina. It is a fragrant herb with thick succulent lanceolate leaves rich in oil. It has square stems and horizontal slender rhizomes and planted kitchen gardens and occasionally cultivated for commercial purpose in some areas of Bangladesh. Mentha piperita is well known as Japanese mint or peppermint. It is widely cultivated in temperate regions of Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. It is occasionally cultivated as commercial and research purpose in our country. Peppermint thrives well in humid and temperate climates and is sensitive to drought. It grows well on light calcareous soils or deep rich loams in open sunny situations. It is planted in February or March, the plants flower in July of the second year, when the crop is harvested; a second flush may be taken in September after the rains.

Peppermint oil is one of the most popular and widely used essential oils. It is emoloyed for flavouring pharmaceuticals, dental preparations, mouth washes, cough drops, soaps, chewing gums, candies, confectionery and alcoholic liqueurs. It is valued in medicine both for internal and external uses; for internal use, it is preferrd to menthol because of its more pleasant taste. It is widely employed in flatulence, nausea, and gastralgia. It may be administered with sugar or in the form of tablets and lozenges. The oil has mild antiseptic and local anaesthetic properties. It is used as an external application in rheumatism, neuralgia, congestive, headache. (Wealth of India, Raw Materials, Vol. VI)

Medicine: Peppermint is the most agreeable and powerful of all the mints, possessing aromatic, carminative, stimulant, antispasmodic and stomachic properties. These qualities are especially possessed by the oil, which, as the most convenient and elegant preparation, is generally prescribed. It is needless to enter into a detailed account of the numerous applications of this well-known medicine. Suffice it to say that the oil, with its preparations, a water and a spirit, are officinal in the Indian Pharmacopoeia, and that the the herb and oil of this and other species of mint are largely employed as carminative and flavouring agents by the vegetarian natives of India. In European medicine it has lately been recommended for internal administration, as an antiseptic in cases of phthisis and diphtheria.

Menthol has lately acquired considerable reputation in European medicine as an antiseptic and antineuralgic, and has been used with success as an external application in sciatica, neuralgia, toothache and ringworm. In the Lancet for 1885, 11, 128, it is stated that it may be employed with advantage as a local anaesthetic to mucous membranes in a 20 to 30 percent, solution in alcohol or ether. The anodyne virtues of menthol have long been known to the Chinese and Japanese who employ the “Chinese oil of peppermint,” which as already stated, is very rich in menthol, as a local remedy for neuralgia.

The dried plant is refrigerant, stomachic, diuretic and stimulant. It is used by the natives as a remedy for jaundice and is frequently given to stop vomiting. The scent of the fresh herb is said to relieve fainting. Ainslie states that mint is placed by the Arabians ans Persians amongst their malittifat (attenuentia). Fleming observes that it fully possesses the aromatic flavour, as well as the stomachic, antispasmodic and emmenagogue virtues common to most species of the genus.

Special Opinions: “Cooling and stomachic. Juice of fresh leaves also applied to relieve headache” (Assistant Surgeon S.C. Bhuttacharji, Chanda, Central Provinces). “Useful as a stimulant and carminative” (Assistant Surgeon Nehal Sing, Saharanpore). “A decoction of the leaves is used for stopping vomiting and nausea.” (Surgeon A.C. Mukerji, Noakhally) “The cold infusion of the plant is a good carminative for infants” (Assistant Surgeon N.L. Ghose, Bankipore) (Dictionary of the Economic Products of India, Watt, Vol. V)

Medicinal Properties: Mentha Arvensis The plant has a bad taste and smell; expectorant, emmenagogue, tonic to the kidney; useful in diseases of the liver and spleen, asthma, pains in the joints (Yunani).

The dried plant is refrigerant, stomachic, diuretic and stimulant. It possesses antispasmodic and emmenagogue properties. It is used in jaundice and is frequently given to stop vomiting. In China, the leaves and stems are made into infusion, and used as carminative, sudorific and antispasmodic.

In Annam, the plant is considered an excellent diaphoretic. An infusion given in fevers, indigestion and cephalagia. The juice of the leaves is applied to the sting or bite of poisonous animals. The leaves pounded with salt are applied to the whitlow.

Mentha piperita

A volatile oil obtained from the plant is well known in medicine for its antiseptic, stimulant and carminative properties. In Europe, the herve is considered stimulant, stomachic, carminative; and is used for allaying nausea, flatulence, sickness, vomiting. Its bruised fresh leaves, if applied, will relieve local pains and headache. A hot infusion taken as tea, shooths stomach-ache, allays sickness and stays colicky diarrhea. This will also subdue menstrual colic ( Indian Medicinal Plants, K.R Kirtikar & B.D. Basu, 1980-83)

Properties and Uses: Aerial parts of the plant are refrigerant, stomachic, carminative, stimulant and diuretic. They possess antispasmodic and emmenagogue properties, and are also given to stop vomiting and to treat jaundice. The oil is a valuable anti-neuralgic due to presence of menthol and is helpful in relieving the symptoms of bronchitis and sinusitis

Peppermint acts as antiseptic to diphtheria

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