Cloves: Syzygium aromatic um, (Myrtaceae)

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Cloves- Syzygium aromatic um; (Myrtaceae)

 

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But Cloves are just a culinary spice, most people think. Instead, it is one of

the important stimulant herbs, increasing activity and energy in the body,

increasing the power of the pulse and enhancing blood flow to all parts of the

body, and restoring the balance of circulation in all parts.

 

It is also added to other herbs to enhance their medicinal action.

 

Cloves are indigenous to the Molucca, or Clove Islands, although they now are

said to produce no Cloves at all! From very early they were an article of East

Indian commerce, and they were known to the Chinese as early as 266 BC, coming

to Europe in about the fourth century. For a long time they were a very

expensive article of commerce.

 

Ibn Khurdadbah (ca. 869) and Marco Polo thought that the spice came from Java,

but Nicolo Conti in the fifteenth century documented that the spice came to Java

from Banda (Pharmacognosy). Unknown to the ancients, the Arab brought them to

Europe through Venice.

 

After the southern passage to India was discovered, the Spice Islands were

occupied by the Portuguese, who dominated the trade of Cloves until the Dutch

expelled them in 1605.

As in the case of nutmeg, the Dutch wished to secure a monopoly on the Clove

trade, so they destroyed all the trees in their native islands (Ternate, Tidor,

Mortir, Makiyan and Bachian) and cultivated them only in a group of small

islands, of which Amboyna is the largest.

 

They kept these plantations under constant guard. However, in spite of their

diligence, a French governor named Poivre succeeded in the year 1770 in

obtaining plants from the Moluccas and introduced them into colonies under his

control in Mauritius.

 

Five years later the Clove tree was introduced into the West Indies and the

Island of Cayenne, in Sumatra in 1803 and in Zanzibar in 1818, as well as in

Penang, Madagascar, Pemba, and other locations. In 1872, the Clove orchards of

Zanzibar were almost entirely destroyed by a hurricane, but were later

replanted. Today, almost three-fourths of the world’s supply of Cloves is grown

in Zanzibar and the neighboring island of Pemba. In 1952, 1,867,560 pounds of

unground Cloves were shipped into the United States from British East Africa,

Madagascar and Ceylon. In the same year, 456,816 pounds of Clove oil entered the

U.S. from British East Africa, Madagascar, the Netherlands, and France. Brazil

and other locations in the East and West Indies are minor suppliers.

 

The common name Clove derives from the Latin Clavus, meaning a nail, referring

to the resemblance of its dried unripe flowers to nails. Eugenia, from the

Latin, French and Greek, means well-born, or of noble birth, in honor of Prince

Eugene of Savoy, a great patron of botany; he died in 1736. Garyophyllus, from

the Latin, means a nut, referring again to the appearance of the flower buds;

the species is also sometimes termed aromatica, meaning fragrant odor(ShoA:236).

 

Cloves are known in commerce by the names of the locations where they are grown;

Dr. Shook recommended the Malucca and Amboyne varieties (evidently the Malucca

orchards were replanted!), as they are thicker, heavier, darker, most oily and

aromatic (ShoA:236). In former days, Cloves were often adulterated, but as

production increased, the price lowered and fraud has decreased (Grieves -Modern

Herbal208). When they are of good quality, they are fat, oily, and dark brown in

color, and give out their oil when squeezed with the fingernail. When of poor

quality, they are pale and dry and yield little oil. Clove oil is frequently

adulterated with fixed oil and oils of Pimento and Copaiba (Grieves -Modern

Herbal208).

 

MOST POWERFUL CARMINATIVE

 

Cloves are useful for the digestive system, useful to allay nausea and vomiting,

to relieve flatulent colic, to improve digestion, as a healthy stomachic and as

an astringent, also valuable as an ingredient in compounds for the cure of

diarrhea and dysentery.

 

Clove oil stimulates peristalsis and thus relieves flatulence. The infusion is

given to relieve colic pains, or the powdered or bruised cloves wet with alcohol

may be applied between cloths upon the epigastrium to allay nausea or vomiting

and expel gas, and upon the abdomen to relieve colic, but for these purposes the

aromatic powder is preferable.

 

The infusion, being a warm and grateful stomachic, is employed to relieve the

sense of coldness in the stomach which attends certain forms of dyspepsia,

especially such as arise from the abuse of alcohol, from chronic gout, or from

flatulent colic.

 

It is also used when the digestion and elimination are sluggish. When the

stomach is sour and the breath bad from faulty digestion, Cloves can help remedy

the problem, taken as an infusion.

 

If there is diarrhea or even dysentery, or mucus colitis, the infusion can

relieve the symptoms.

 

Clove oil is a powerful germicide, about eight times as strong as phenol (U.S.

Dispensatory, 25th Edition). It is not frequently used, however, except by

dentists, because of its irritant properties.

 

Eugenol, the principle constituent of Clove oil, has been used internally in

daily doses of 3 ml. as an antiseptic antipyretic; it has also been used in

treating patients with gastric or duodenal ulcers by instillation into the

stomach. According to Leubuscher, it is a feeble local anesthetic (Ibid.).

 

Cloves are used in treatment of bronchial and pulmonary disorders. It is one of

the ingredients of the famous Composition Powder, which we gave the formula for

in the newsletter on Bayberry; this Composition is thought to be a cure-all,

especially useful in the treatment of colds, influenza, and similar afflictions.

Dr. Shook also recommended the use of Composition Powder, combined with red

raspberry leaves, for ease in childbirth and especially to remove afterpains,

with which so many women suffer so much. In the case of any congestion in the

system, Composition Powder will help remove it and set the blood flowing freely

again.

 

When a person has become run-down and fatigued, the vital energies depleted, Dr.

Shook recommended a course of Clove decoction to bring up the strength. He

combined 2 ounces of Cloves, 1 1/2 pints of distilled water, and simmered over a

very low fire for 15 minutes. Removing this from the heat and letting it cool

slightly, it was strained and thoroughly mixed with 8 ounces of pure glycerine.

 

The Cloves should be thoroughly pressed out, to obtain the oily glyceride. This

is a very powerful medicine, Dr. Shook warned, and he advised using one spoonful

three or four times a day, one hour before meals. It will warm the body and

produce a sensation of well-being, restfulness, and relaxation. However, he

warned patients not to use this feeling of well-being to perform unusual labors;

they should relax and rest, and let the energy to gradually restore vitality to

the batteries of the system, in Shook’s words. Do not overdose, as this will

exhaust the body.

 

Small and repeated doses of this Strong Decoction were known to cure chorea,

epileptic fits, and hysteria in high-strung, nervous women and children. While

taking this course of the decoction, you should watch the stools, particularly

of children, as worms are often passed, thus showing Cloves to be an effective

vermifuge.

 

Cloves are often combined with other herbal agents, used in any herbal

combination requiring a stimulant. It is also often added to bad-tasting

medicines to cover their taste. The oil of (loves is a popular medicine applied

to toothaches, usually with a bit of cotton.

 

It will relieve the aching of a cavity until proper dental help can be obtained.

As a local excitant, it was formerly used in cases of paralysis of the tongue

(Philips, 1879). The Cloves are sometimes chewed to temporarily treat bad

breath, although their carminative and digestive properties may help to get to

the cause.

 

For morning sickness in pregnancy, Dr. Christopher gave the following formulas:

 

1 teaspoonful Cloves, 1 teaspoonful Turkey rhubarb, 1 teaspoonful Cinnamon, 1

ounce Spearmint. Simmer the first three herbs in 1 pint of water for 5 minutes;

pour this decoction over the Spearmint and infuse until cool; strain, sweeten

and take 2 tablespoonfuls to 1/4 cupful every half hour until the nausea

subsides. Adding adequate and high-quality protein to the diet, with

more-than-usual doses of the B Vitamins, also helps in morning sickness. Most

importantly, the bowels should be open and free, as we have noticed that many

cases of morning sickness result from the eliminative organs being thrown out of

balance through the stresses of the pregnancy. No laxatives should be taken,

however, without the consent of a physician during pregnancy. Dr. Christopher’s

second nausea-in-pregnancy formula: 1 part Cloves powder, 1 part Quaking Aspen

bark powder. Fill #00 capsules and take at onset of nausea or vomiting, as

needed.

 

In India, Cloves are generally used as spice in curry foods and condiments.

Medicinally they are used to correct griping caused by purgatives, to relieve

flatulence, various forms of gastric irritability, colic, dyspepsia, and to

increase the flow of saliva. An infusion of Cloves is given to relieve thirst

(IMM:836).

 

Pills made of Cloves and various other ingredients are sold to aid in

indigestion. A powder made of Cloves, dried Ginger, black pepper is sold to help

with bronchitis. Another combination, containing Cloves, sandalwood paste, and

saffron is said to help in syphilitic affections as an alterative and tonic

(Ibid.). This was recently tested in cases of secondary syphilis, with marked

benefits to the patients.

 

Externally, in addition to toothache relief, the oil is used to relieve

rheumatic pains, sciatica, lumbago, headache, and neuralgia(Ibid.). Heat Cloves

over a flame, put them in the mouth and slowly let them dissolve, swallowing the

juice, for sore throat. Paste made of them, applied to the forehead and to the

nose-bridge, is a popular remedy in headache and coryza (Ibid).

 

Cloves also work as a rubefacient-herbs that warm and redden the skin. For

infantile convulsions, place a poultice of Cloves on the nape of the neck.

 

POMANDERS AND COOKERY

 

Most children know the delight of making holiday pomanders using Cloves. Usually

oranges are used, though delightful pomanders are made with the other citrus

fruits, especially lemon. Simply pierce holes in the rind of the fruit with a

knitting or other needle and insert the whole Cloves, being sure to cover the

entire surface with the Cloves. Some people just stick the Cloves in without

making a hole, though some breakage does occur with this method. When the

pomander is completely covered with Cloves, you can dust the entire thing with a

combination of herb powders: orris root, cinnamon and so on being the most

popular. Wrap in nylon net, secure with a ribbon, and hang in a closet for a

long-lasting and delightful scent; these are known to last many years.

 

The well-known Blackberry Cordial of Kentucky is largely spiced with cloves and

cinnamon, its blackberry part being the juice of the ripe berries, its alcoholic

part being whiskey. This was formerly used as a pleasant carminative cordial.

 

CULTIVATION AND COLLECTION

 

Cloves are grown in tropical regions; they are the seeds of an evergreen tree.

At the start of the rainy season, long greenish buds appear; from the extremity

of these the corolla comes, which is of a lovely rosy peach color; as the

corolla fades the calyx turns yellow, then red. The calyces, with the embryo

seed, are at this stage beaten from the tree, and when dried, are the Cloves of

commerce. If the seeds are allowed to mature, most of the pungency is lost. Each

berry has only one seed. The trees fruit usually about eight or nine years after

planting (Grieves -Modern Herbal208).

 

Clove trees absorb an enormous amount of moisture, and if placed near water,

their weight is visibly increased after a few hours; dishonest dealers often

make use of this knowledge in their dealings, and the powdered stems are often

sold as pure, powdered Cloves (Ibid). The Clove stalks are sometimes imported

themselves, and are said to be stronger and more pungent even than the Cloves.

 

The Cloves are dried in the sun, turning from red to brown. They are exported

both in whole form, in powder, and in oil forms.

 

The flower buds are collected in Zanzibar and Pemba twice yearly, between August

and December. The Cloves are collected from movable platforms. The cloves are

dried in the open air on mats and separated from their peduncles, the latter

forming a separate article of commerce known as clove stalks. If left too long

on the tree, the buds open and the petals fall, leaving “blown Cloves”; later,

the fruits, known as “mother cloves” are produced. A small proportion of these,

usually at an intermediate stage, are used to make the oil.

 

The Cloves are exported in bales covered with matting made from strips of

coconut leaves(Pharmacognosy).

 

PREPARATION

 

Cloves are prepared as an infusion and decoction in the usual manner. We have

already described the strong decoction employed by Dr. Shook.

 

The Oil of Cloves is prepared by steam distillation. That distilled in Britain

and Holland requires no purification, but oil distilled before it is imported,

such as from Madagascar and other locations, is usually wet and discolored by

the presence of metallic salts. The latter type of oil is always rectified and

may be sold with different contents of the active medicinal agent,

eugenol(Ibid). The oil must be kept in dark bottles in a cool place. If

distilled with water, salt must be added to raise the temperature of ebullition

and the same Cloves must be distilled over and over again to get their full

essence (Grieves -Modern Herbal208).

 

A poultice can be made by combining the ground Cloves with warm water until the

proper consistency is reached. For delicate surfaces, mix first with Slippery

Elm or other demulcent herbs.

 

DESCRIPTION

 

This is a handsome evergreen tree that grows 3 0-40 feet high, with extensive,

branching, yellowish bark, leaves that are 4 inches long and 2 inches wide,

rose-colored flowers (the rose color is said to be exquisite), and berry-like

fruit. The Clove itself consists of a dark-brown, solid, nearly cylindrical

calyx, somewhat tapering below, and above divided into four ovate lobes; these

lobes clasp the four lighter-colored arched and imbricate petals, which form a

globular head and cover the numerous bent stamens. The ovary is contained in the

upper part of the adherent calyx, is divided into two cells, each containing

about twenty ovules, and is crowned by a quadrangular disk, in the center of

which the style is placed. Cloves are ½ to 2/3 inches long, and, as obtained

from different localities, vary somewhat in the shade of their brown color; the

large, plump and deep-brown cloves, as obtained from the Moluccas, Zanzibar,

etc., are preferred, the smaller, shrivelled and light-colored

varieties, such as are often exported from Cayenne and the West Indies, being

considered inferior.

 

Cloves have a somewhat fatty appearance and a strong and highly aromatic odor,

and a very pungent, warm and aromatic taste. A large number of oil-cells are

observed in the petals and in the outer tissue of the calyx; the latter are

placed in two or three irregular circles beneath the epidermis and yield some of

their oil upon pressure with the fingernail. Cloves partly deprived of their

volatile oil are said to be occasionally used for adulteration; they are quite

moist and usually without the heads. The stalks, which are more pungent than the

Cloves themselves, are either sold honestly or are sometimes used to adulterate

ground Cloves (National Dispensatory, 1887).

 

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

 

The early researcher Trommsdort found in Cloves 18 percent volatile oils, 13

percent of tannin, 13 percent of gum, 18 percent of water, 6 of tasteless resin,

and 4 of extractive. Bonastre, in 1833, isolated Eugenin, also called Eugenol,

which is the active principle of Cloves.

 

Dr. Shook said of Eugenol that it is a mysterious, complicated, unsaturated

aromatic principle which is the active healing agent of Cloves. It is colorless

or pale yellow, a thin, oily liquid, having the odor of Cloves and a pungent,

spicy taste. It becomes darker and thicker with age. When oxidized with

potassium permanganate, it yields vanillin, which is used to make artificial

vanilla and can also be obtained from vanilla beans, balsam of Perus, and

several other plants. Eugenol is the most powerful agent, according to Dr.

Shook, known to medical science. He considered it even more powerful than

mercury bichloride (ShoA:237).

 

The laboratory submitted the following analysis to Dr. Christopher:

 

CLOVES

 

Syzygium aromaticum (MYRTACEAE)

clove

caryophyllus aromaticus

 

No vitamins/minerals found

 

OTHER

caryophyllin

eugenol

eugenine

tannins

gums

resins

calcium oxalate

gallic acid

vanilla

gallotannic acid

ellagic acid

jambosine (alk)

33%

41%

various oleoresins

egallic acid

d-phenyl glucose

jambulol (a pheudic alcohol)

quercitol

cinnamic acid

fatty acids: palmitic, stearic, oleic

palmitic, stearic, oleic

 

DR. CHRISTOPHER’S COMBINATIONS CONTAINING CLOVES

 

The Herbal Composition Powder, mentioned above, and which we consider that no

family should be without, contains Cloves.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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