WATER MELON (TARBOOZ, KALINDA, CITRULLS VULGARIS)
Water-melon is a well-known summer fruit. Its superior variety grows in Rajasthan, where it is known as ‘Matira’ and this particular variety can last even for months together but other varieties, grown in other parts of the country, do not last long (say not beyond 7-8 days). It is a water-laden fruit, available mostly in summer season. Its rind is green and hard, seeds black or white, its pulp is red.
In unripe form its rind, seed and pulp are white. It is full of juicy water. Its pulp is used in raw or juice form and its seeds are used as invigorative and nutritive ingredients, in medicines and eaten after divesting the seeds of their hard shells. Its chemical properties are rich in protein, carbohydrates, sugar, iron, phosphorus, and calcium. It is rich in iron and its seeds contain cucurbocitrin.
Curative Properties: Us juice tones up body, prevents heat stroke, quenches thirst, normalises high blood pressure, is sedative, provides strength to brain and heart, improves kidney functions by cleansing the urine from various toxic matters, cures jaundice and enlargement of spleen, improves digestion, induces appetite, cures even chronic headache, controls nausea, vomiting and bile, is a tonic and tranquillizer for calming down agitated nerves, improves mental faculties, dispels mental phobia (fear), maintains water balance in the body and, thus, does not let dehydration set in, is a mild laxative and keeps the body cool and protected from extreme adverse effects of heat stroke.
Its juice is palatable, carminative, light and digestive, if taken after lunch. If one takes juice of water-melon (400-500 ml) it will prove to be a protective shield against probable ravages of heat-stroke.
Kidney functioning: One glassful of its juice in the morning will enable kidney to purge out harmful toxins through excessive urination and thus restore normal functioning of the kidneys. It is a great diuretic hence it will facilitate an unhindered flow of urine, remove strangury and also burning sensation. Alternatively, keep overnight the fruit juice in the open in a fully covered glass and take this juice, after mixing some sugar-candy with it, early in the morning.
Blood Pressure: Its seeds contain plenty of cucurbocitrin,.which helps the blood vessels to dilate, thus halting further damage to vessels by keeping them flexible by allowing free flow of blood.
Dry its seeds under shade and then pound them. Later on, extract juice from the powder. Boil 10 ml of juice, with the hot water (after straining). If juice of seeds is not possible, powder of the seeds be taken with hot water. This dose should be taken after 4-6 hours after meals. It will also subside oedema in the ankles, improve kidney functioning and, above all blood pressure within normal range.
Heat Stroke: Before moving out in open heat-conditions, take 400-500 ml of water-melon juice. But, if heat stroke has already struck give powder or its dried seeds with its fresh juice adding black salt to it. It will quell the after-effects of heat-stroke, restore normal urination, maintain requisite salt-water balance in the body, bring down fever and relieve other incidental symptoms.
To Promote digestion: Add some black salt, black pepper to a glassful of water-melon juice, and take the liquid in the morning and after lunch.
Headache: Take, as a first tiling in the morning, a glassful of water-melon juice, adding some sugar-candy to it, to get rid of even chronic headache, as also headache caused by exposure to sun-rays.
Jaundice : Take juice of water-melon taken regularly 3-4 times a day (250-300 ml each time) to get rid of jaundice. It will also cure enlargement of liver.
Heart and Brain Tonic : Seeds of cucumber, musk melon, watermelon, poppy and some almonds and fresh rose petals, black-pepper should be mixed and reduced to paste form, by adding some water or milk to it. Whole content should be mixed with milk. It will make a very palatable, nourishing, refreshing and above all a nutritive tonic for brain and heart. It is known in Northern India as ‘Thandai’. The said preparation is also a protective and curative device for heat stroke.
Warning: Cut-out pieces of water-melon are unhygienic, unhealthy, a breeding place of bacteria as they generally remain exposed to sun dust and other harmful substances. Hence, such exposed and impure fruit-pieces should never be eaten. Moreover, juice should always be prepared and drunk fresh. It should never be stored, exposed or kept in a refrigerator, as most of its nutritional values diminish by so doing. Even ripe and raw fruit should be eaten only afresh and never stored/preserved for anticipatory use in future.
MUSK MELON (KHARBOOZA)
It is found all over the country and due its having various soils to grow, it is available in many varieties but its utility remains almost identical. Like water-melon, it is also a water-laded fruit whose, rind, pulp and seeds are all used for various applications. There are also hybrid qualities of musk-melon also but their medicinal and food values remain similar to the more popular varieties. It grows in sandy areas and near river banks. It grows on creepers. Its taste, colour, shape, weight, pulp, rind, seeds and water-content vary as per the soils and regions on which they are grown.
But, all said and done, lukhnavi musk-melon is, by far, the most popular and tasty fruit which has very soft skin covering, yellow from out side and white/saffron coloured from inside and its seeds are also soft. Melons from Jaunpur are also identical to Lucknow’s variety. Musk melons of Bihar are longer size, more juice and watery, weighty and are saffron-coloured from, within and without, their skin (rind) and seeds are hard and thick. Musk melons, which are rich in alkalinity and salt are unsuitable for health and use. There is a story in the Puranas that Lord Vishnu’s all ten fingers are carved over and that is why it is called ‘Dashangul’ (having the fingers— a finger here denotes each stripe).
Musk melon is sweet in taste, is cool, keeps all the three humors (Bile, wind and phlegm), well balanced and also controls and regulates bile, quenches thirst, is diuretic, cleanser of system, removes constipation, builds up fresh blood and controls body temperature, is carminative, digestive and helps to expel toxic substances. Its rind, after being dried up under shade, is boiled in hot water used to remove formation of stones, strangury, dysruria, retention of urine. Being a mild laxative, if cleans the bowels. Us seeds are dried up, and used in many household edible items, desserts, puddings, jams, sweetmeats, to add to and also fortify faculties of memory, brain and heart.
Curative Properties: It should always be taken after an hour or so after meals and rarely on empty stomach, but in moderate and divided quantities only. Excessive intake can cause excess in bile secretion, distorted and perverted appetite, bloating of abdomen due to accumulation of gas, bile, fever etc. It is often advised, and quite rightly so, that milk should never be taken after use of musk melons, instead it should always be followed with sugar-candy based liquid or syrup to ward off side effects.
In case of mango use, it should be followed with diluted sweetish milk. Its main effect (salutary) is on liver and its functioning but, taken in excess quantity, it is likely to be harmful for liver. Taken in moderate quantity, it will cure many liver problems and jaundice and to improve digestion, arouse appetite, remove weakness etc.
Its juice is also effective as is its raw form of ripe fruit. It is so much laden with water that hardly any effort is needed to gulp it. It is useful for all persons and all ages, provided it is taken in moderate and limited quantity and never on empty stomach.