In a country that has reached a population of over 1.1 billion there must be an extensive knowledge of what might increase reproductive behaviour. In the following article, some recommendations from Ayurvedic medicine, as well as from modern Indian herbalists have been brought together.
Ajwain: or Bishop’s Weed (Trachyspermum ammi) is a shrub, occurring from Egypt to India, and which has been used for medical purposes for several thousand years. The seeds are rich in thymol and are considered an effective aphrodisiac. The seeds should be crushed and fried in ghee (clarified butter), normal butter or olive oil together with an equal quantity of crushed tamarind seeds. A teaspoon of this fried product, taken together with honey and milk before bed, increases virility and cures premature ejaculation, according to traditional Indian herbal medicine.
Arjuna: Terminalia arjuna, is a tree found in India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. A decoction of the powdered white bark with milk is alleged to be an effective sex stimulant if taken regularly over a period of time. Further uses suggested in Ayurvedic medicine include treatment of asthma and heart disorders.
Butea: The leaves of the Indian tree Butea monosperma, “Flame of the forest”, have been used in Indian herbal medicine as an aphrodisiac and to stop bleeding and diarrhoea. However, do note that an infusion of the leaves is also said to lower blood sugar, which could have detrimental effects.
Castus: Saussurea lappa (Compositae), also known in Chinese herbal medicine as mu xiang, occurs amongst other places, in Kashmir at an altitude of 2,500 - 4,000 metres above sea level. The root of the plant is well known in Ayurvedic medicine as an aphrodisiac, and contains an essential oil that is partly excreted in urine. During the passage of urine through the urethra the presence of the oil causes considerable irritation, which can give rise to a somewhat painful erection. This mechanism is similar to that of Spanish fly.
Cardamom: Powdered cardamom seeds, boiled with milk, produce a remedy against impotence and premature ejaculation, when taken together with honey in the evening. At least according to traditional Indian herbal medicine; but be careful as excessive use might lead to impotency, according to the same sources.
Hydrophilia: Asteracanthus longifolia is a stout, rough, thorny annual plant occurring in swamps in India and Pakistan. The seeds, the dried plant and the roots are used as a popular aphrodisiac. Fifty grams of the root boiled with one litre of water until the volume has been reduced to half a litre will provide a tonic of which three tablespoons should be taken daily for optimal effects.
Indian aloe: Aloe barbedensis of the Liliaceae family, is a 50-80 centimetre high plant with long, fleshy leaves and small yellow or orange flowers. The leaves are believed to be a useful aphrodisiac, but the skin must be removed before administration.
Indian liquorice: is a common name of the root of Abrus precatorius. However, it is the seeds, sometimes known as jequirity, that are believed to be an aphrodisiac. Do note that they contain the extremely toxic polypeptide abrin, which is as toxic as ricin, and five crushed seeds have been a lethal dose. During the early 20th Century, the seeds were used in India to poison English cavalry horses, although the normal use of the seeds is for ornamental purposes, e.g. in necklaces.
Indian mallow: Abutilon indicum has seeds which are believed to be both an aphrodisiac and a laxative (a rather bizarre combination of properties). Its leaves have been used to treat diarrhoea as well as Gonorrhoea and bladder inflammations.
Kuthimithi: All parts of the shrub Withania somnifera, known as Winter Cherry, Kuthimithi or under its Sanskrit name Ashwagandha, are said to promote libido, with the root being the most potent part. A traditional Indian recipe calls for two to four grams of the powdered root to be taken with milk. The plant belongs to the potato family, Solanaceae, but contains relatively few tropane alkaloids. However, somniferine is present, an alkaloid which can induce sleep if taken in sufficient quantities.
Salt: Sodium chloride can be regarded as the most basic spice. In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, rock salt obtained from the salt mines of Sindh was considered to be an aphrodisiac and a heart tonic.
The Kama Sutra
Otherwise known as Aphorisms on Love, by Vatsyayana, The Kama Sutra is a classical Indian treatise on the art of making love and related subjects. Its exact date of origin is not known, only that it must have been written between the first and the sixth century, A.D. It was first translated into English in 1883 by Sir Richard F. Burton.
Part seven deals with methods of “attracting others to yourself” and contains numerous recipes for internal as well as external use. Many of them are based on plants which are identified only by their Hindi names, and which are virtually impossible to obtain outside of India.
To make a woman surrender: If a man wants to make a woman subject to his will, he can prepare a mixture of the powders of white thorn apple Datura stramonium (Warning extremely toxic), long pepper (tippali, Piper longum) and black pepper, combine it with honey and anoint his penis before intercourse. It should be noted that the tropane alkaloids of the thorn apple will be readily reabsorbed through the mucous membranes of the penis and the vagina, and might cause severe poisoning. Alternative, and less risky, ointments to achieve the same purpose include constituents such as flowers thrown on a human corpse when carried out to be burned and the remains of a kite that has died a natural death. Another suggestion, to apply a mixture of arsenic and honey to the penis just before intercourse would also be extremely dangerous to both parties.
Increase sexual vigour: Several Kama Sutra preparations are said to increase sexual vigour. The easiest to prepare consists of equal parts of ghee (clarified butter), honey, sugar, liquorice, the juice of fennel bulbs and milk. This is “a nectar-like composition” which is “provocative of sexual vigour” and a “preservative of life”. Milk, liquorice and sugar/honey play a central role in many of the recipes. Additional ingredients can include the asparagus relative shitawari (Asparagus racemosus), long pepper (Piper longum) and the seeds or roots of Trapa bispinosa.
Slightly more exotic is the suggestion to boil the testicle of a ram or goat in milk, add sugar, and drink the concoction. The Kama Sutra does not specify whether the testicle should be pureed before serving.
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