Cloves- Syzygium aromatic um; (Myrtaceae)

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Cloves- Syzygium aromatic um; (Myrtaceae)

JoAnn Guest

Dec 15, 2004 14:12 PST

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Cloves- Syzygium aromatic um; (Myrtaceae)

 

http://www.healmarketplace.com/herbs/100herbs/cloves.htm

 

Cloves are just a culinary spice many 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.

 

 

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 plant 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

 

 

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

 

___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). ______________

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

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