Flora Palaestina Ethnobotany

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Family

Arecaceae

Synonym(s)

English name(s)

Date Palm

Hebrew Name(s)

tamar matzuy

תָּמָר מָצוּי

Arabic Name(s)

balah بلح
hish حيش
nakhil نخيل
tamr تمر

Life Form

Tree

Habitat

Humid habitats

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Medicinal Complaints / Uses

Phoenix dactylifera L.

System/State	Traditional Complaint/Use	Activity / Interpretation	Traditional Preparation/ Administration	Parts Used	Source
Ageing	Strengthen memory (Z)/ Memory weakness (B)	Nootropic	Eat dates (Z) x3-4/day. (B)	Fruit	B, Z
Cancer	Cancer	Anti-carcinogenic	1. Eat x1-7 fresh fruits/day. 2. Eat x3 fresh fruits/day before breakfast until recovery.	Fruit	B
Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT)	Nosebleed	Haemostatic	Burn seeds until like coal (carbonized), grind into powder & inhale through nose.	Seed	Z
Gastrointestinal	Constipation	Laxative	Eat x3-4 fruits/day.	Fruit	B
Gastrointestinal	Regulate digestion	Digestive, Stomachic	Eat fruit (dates).	Fruit	Z
Haematology	Anaemia (in pregnancy) (B) / increase blood production where lack of blood (Z)	Anti-anaemic	1. Preganacy: eat x7-10 fresh fruits/day in 9th mth of pregnancy. (B) 2. Eat fruit (dates). (Z)	Fruit	B, Z
Men`s Health/ Sexuality	Increase virility	Aphrodisiac	Eat fruit (dates).	Fruit	Z
Opthalmic	Eye treatment	Non-specific	Crush burnt seeds & mix + lead sulphide (PbS). (Admin. not specified.) (See NOTES).	Seed	Z
Women`s Health	Facilitate delivery (increase uterine contractions) & improve energy	Oxytoxic, Parturient, Tonic	1. Eat x3-4 fruits/day. 2. Eat x7-10 fruits/day in 9th mth of pregnancy.	Fruit	B

Notes

In the recipe for eye treatment, Lead sulphide (PbS or Galena ) is used. Known as "kohl" it was applied in ancient medical traditions to the eyelid to protect against the harmful effects of sunlight, especially amongst populations living in desert conditions. "Kohl " often had other ingredients including in this case, crushed seeds of Phoenix dactylifera.

Cautions

The authors of FLORAPALE, (Flora Palaestina Ethnobotanical) web site do not take responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of the plants described here. Always seek advice from a health professional before using a plant medicinally or for other purposes. See DISCLAIMER.