Nutmeg

Myristica fragrans

COMMON NAMES

• Mace
• Nutmeg
• Rou Dou Kou

Nutmeg and mace both come from the nutmeg tree and have very similar medicinal properties. They are infrequently used in the West because of their toxicity at high dosages, but nonetheless are important medicines, employed principally to stimulate the digestion and to treat infections of the digestive tract. Nutmeg has also long been valued as an aphrodisiac and as a remedy for eczema and rheumatism.

The fruit of the nutmeg tree is fleshy like an apricot and about 2-4 inches in length. Upon ripening, it splits in half, exposing a bright-red, netlike aril wrapped around a dark reddish-brown and brittle shell within which lies a single seed. The net-like aril is mace, which on drying turns from red to yellowish or orange brown. The dried brown seed, after the shell is broken and discarded, is nutmeg.

Nutmeg and mace have been used for centuries to treat gas, indigestion, nausea, vomiting and other stomach as well as kidney problems. Mix thoroughly 1-1/2 tsps. of powdered slippery elm bark and dashes of powdered nutmeg and mace together with a little cold water in order to form a smooth paste that's not lumpy. Then bring a pint of half-and-half to the boiling point, removing immediately from the heat and quickly adding the powdered herb and spice paste. Keep stirring with a wooden ladle for about half a minute until the paste is thoroughly mixed in. Let it cool until lukewarm before drinking 1/2 cup. Repeat this procedure three times daily, always drinking the mixture warm to help heal stomach problems.

PARTS USED

Seed kernel - nutmeg.
Aril - mace.

USES

Digestive problems - Nutmeg essential oil has an anesthetic and stimulating effect on the stomach and intestines, increasing appetite and reducing nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. It is a helpful remedy for many digestive problems, especially gastroenteritis.
Chinese medicine - In China, nutmeg is used specifically for diarrhea, helping to bind and warm the intestines and relieve abdominal pain and distension due to "cold."
Aphrodisiac - In India, nutmeg has a long reputation as an aphrodisiac. Nutmeg is believed to increase sexual stamina.
External uses - Ointments based on the fixed oil (nutmeg butter) are used to treat rheumatic conditions. They have a counterirritant effect, stimulating blood flow to the area. In India, nutmeg is ground into a paste and applied directly to areas of eczema and ringworm.
Safety - Low medicinal doses and culinary amounts of nutmeg and mace are safe. In excess, however, the herbs are strongly stimulant, hallucinogenic, and toxic. The consumption of just 2 whole nutmegs has been known to cause death .Myristicin is the constituent most responsible for this toxicity, and it is also hallucinogenic. In addition, safrole in isolation and at a high dosage is carcinogenic.
Other medical uses - Homeopathy.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Native to the Molucca Islands of Indonesia, nutmeg trees are now widely cultivated. They are propagated from seed, sown when ripe. The tree yields fruit after about 8 years, and can continue to fruit for over 60 years. The fruit is picked when ripe and the nutmeg and mace are separated and dried.

CONSTITUENTS

Nutmeg

Volatile oil (up to 15%), including alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, alpha-terpinene, beta-terpinene, myristicin, elincin, safrole
Fixed oil ("nutmeg butter"), myristine, butyrin

Mace

Volatile oil (similar to nutmeg but with a higher concentration of myristicin)

APPLICATIONS

KERNEL:

DECOCTION - Decoct 5 g with 2 g ginger, 2 g licorice, 5 g wu wei zi, 5 g wu zhu yu, and 10 g bu gu zhi in 600 ml water (three doses), and take one dose three times a day for early morning diarrhea or chronic colitis.

CAPSULES - Take 1-2 x 200 mg capsules for nausea, indigestion, gastric upsets, and chronic diarrhea.

ESSENTIAL OIL:

OIL - Put 1-2 drops on a cotton swab, and apply to the gums around an aching tooth until dental treatment can be obtained. Use 3 - 5 drops on a sugar lump or in a teaspoon of honey for nausea, gastroenteritis, chronic diarrhea, and indigestion.

MASSAGE OIL - Dilute 10 drops in 10 ml almond oil, and use for muscular pains associated with rheumatism or overexertion. Can also be combined with thyme or rosemary essential oils. To prepare for childbirth, massage the abdomen daily in the three weeks before the baby is due with a mixture of  5 drops nutmeg oil and no more than 5 drops sage oil in 25 ml almond oil.

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