CUCUMBER (KHEERA OR KAKARI)
It is a creeping plant. Its food value is almost nil. But, as it grows in summer months, it has plenty of water content and, thus, its water is used to quench thirst. It is generally used in raw form, in. salads and rarely in cooked vegetable form. It is a boon in summer days. Excess use of cucumber can inflate stomach, cause excessive urination and also vomiting (especially if there is cholera as a result of its excessive use). Hence, it should be used, in moderately reasonable quantity to quench thirst, for free flow of urine, to ward off ill-effects of heat.
Since it abounds in water-content, no water should ever be taken after eating cucumber. Its seeds are used as a diuretic and in sweet-preparations as part of health-building formulae. It restores and aids in memory improvement. If used as a salad, its skin should be peeled off and some lemon juice and rock salt also added to it. It is often said that it should not be taken on empty stomach but as an inter-current food. Excessive use is also said to cause pain in stomach, particularly if ingested on empty stomach. There is no denying the fact that it aids in digestion and also subsides bile (pitta). It also prevents heat-stroke, sun-stroke and allergy and also reduces requirement of frequent water intake.
PUMPKIN (BENINCASA HISPIDA)
It is a commonly used vegetation, growing almost all over India and is used in cooked, steamed, steam boiled form, in raita, as a sweet, in juice. From it has plenty of pulp and soft seeds in it. Since it is used by rich and poor alike, it needs hardly any more elaboration. Its dried seeds are as excellent remedy for enhancing and retaining memory and are considered as brain tonic. Its cooked vegetable is considered to be light, fat-free, and suits both healthy persons and bed-ridden patients.
It is easy to digest, corrects digestive errors and, thus, is stomachic,an excellent tonic, useful in heart ailments (a heart-tonic), fortifies functioning of lungs; removes flatulency, consumption, worms, pleurisy; it is a brain tonic, keeps sexual desire of males under reasonable control. Its sliced small pieces are used to bring down high fever, excess heat in body, modifies tension, cools down agitated nerves, provides relief in blood vomiting.
Pleurisy and Blood Vomiting: Administer juice of pumpkin with addition of sugar to it.
Local Application: It will bring down fever, excessive heat arising from heat-stroke/sun stroke or any other cause if its raw juice is taken, and head, temples, forehead, soles of feet and palms of hands are rubbed with sliced pieces.
Constipation and Digestion Disorders: Being rich in pulp and water, its vegetable (cooked) or juice will remove constipation, regulate bowels, induce appetite, remove flatulence.
Heart & Brain Tonic: Its prepared sweet is called as ‘Murabba (Jam), and, in fact, tastes like a jam. Not only its juices but also its jam (sweet) provide strength to heart and tone up its function. As for brain, its juice cools down mental agitation, enriches retentive memory, as it is both cool and sedative, induces sound sleep. Some persons even eat raw pumpkin,while others use it even in salads. For human use, in any form, its skin is removed and pulp is used. Mini white pumpkins are soft but the bigger are hard and have hard skin—the later variety is used for preparing sweets. Some say that if hands are wet with juice of pumpkin, such hands must not touch hair which, if done so, can turn grey.
PUMPKIN (LAUKI OR SEETA-PHAL-RED OR WHITE VARIETY)
Americans call it squash. It weights 4 to 10 kgs or even more. Us rind is hard which is removed before use. Us seeds are flat, small and white and lie within rows of it. Its seeds are full of medicinal value and its pulp is used for cooking purposes, Pumpkins are rich in minerals, vitamins A,B,C and G. It is especially beneficial in summer months, as it keeps the body cool and protects body from heat and its bad effects. It lias almost identical uses as with white pumpkin variety. Only discerning difference is that it is oblong sized whereas other variety is round-shaped.
Its juice is applied externally to remove blemishes, and dirt from facial skin; as it has the property of keep the skin soft, silky and attractive.
Leucoderma: Apply juice of flowers of pumpkin, 3-4 limes a day, to white palches and continue for 3-4 months.
Acidity: Juice of roasted pumpkin will remove acidity.
Piles and Fistula: Take orally its juice and apply its mashed pulp over piles locally.
Cataract: Apply pumpkin juice, mixed wnli vater, locally.
Pyorrhoea: Gargle with juice of roasted pumpkin.
Rest of uses of pumpkin are almost like the round-shaped pumpkin variety (ghia or kaddu).