Medicinal Plants : Myristica fragrans

Name

Nutmeg

Biological Name

Myristica fragrans

Other Names

Nutmeg, nutmeg flower, black caraway, flower seed, black cumin, nigella seed, bishop's wort, small fennel flower
Jati, Jatikka

Parts Used

Seeds

History

Nutmeg and mace are different parts of the same fruit of the nutmeg tree. These spices have been appreciated since Roman times. It had been a prized spice. Portuguese and later Dutch tried to monopolize the trading on this spice.

Remedies For

Action

Aromatic, carminative, hallucinogenic, stimulant, expectorant, deobstruent, sialagogue, emmenagogue

In small quantities, nutmeg acts on the stomach to improve appetite and digestion. Nutmeg oil is sometimes used to dispel flatulence. It is use din perfumes and ointments. Nutmeg is commonly used for seasoning foods. It helps prevent gas and fermentation in the intestinal tract. It is good for nausea and vomiting. It is mildly hallucinogenic.

Description

Nutmeg is a tropical evergreen tree native to Indonesia and cultivated in the West Indies, South Africa, the Molucca Islands, India and other tropical areas. It grows to about 60 feet and produces fruit fifteen to twenty years after planting. The brown, wrinkled, oval fruit contains a kernel which is covered by a bright red membrane. The membrane provides the spice mace, and the kernel the spice nutmeg.

Dosage

No known.

Safety

Nutmeg is a mild hallucinogenic drug, somewhat like marijuana. In addition to hallucinations and elation, however, eating nutmegs produces stomach pain, double vision, delirium, and other symptoms of poisoning.

CAUTION. Eating as few as two nutmegs can cause death.