What is Incha?
Incha(scientific name: Acacia caesia) is a medicinal plant. In North Kerala it is also known as Chetanga. Also known as Nikunchika in Sanskrit .This plant, also known as white ginger or palincha, is found in most Asian countries. This large creeping shrub grows to the size of a tree. Perennials are found in dry deciduous equatorial, forest margins and plains.]
Incha grows in clusters on trees, abundant in forests of Kerala. Although the growth of the tree is stunted due to overgrowth of the branches, the medicinal value of the ginger is still valuable. There are two types of ginger found in Kerala, Pezhinja and Kolincha. Mainly used for bathing newborns. The bark of the Kolincha tree is cut, beaten and dried. It is beaten, dried and used with a flat iron blade.
Encha or Eanja Incha – Used as a scrubber during bathing.
It is traditionally used for bathing after ayurvedic oil massage.Carefully dried and hygienically packed, incha fibre can be used as a natural bath scrubber for a long time.It is a good natural antibacterial and commonly used for burning sensation and other skin diseases. The crushed stem is used as a natural scrubber for bathing.
Different parts of the plant are used by herbalists to cure different diseases. The stem juice is administered internally in respiratory troubles . The bark decoction is used as lice killer . The soft beaten bark has cleansing property and protects the skin against micro-organisms . The fruit powder used in skin disease ointments wounds, burns and for ulcerous conditions. It is antidote to snake bite by tribal people. Fresh roots 100g are grounded to paste 1-2 spoons paste given orally with betel leaves immediately after snake bite to the patient once in every two hours as an antidote. A Avoid sleep and head bath until the patient gets relieved from the poisonous effect .Flowers used by santal women to treat menstrual disorders . The plant is used for treating Tuberculous, Fistula, Cough, Evil eye and Small pox.
Considering the vast potentiality and many herbal uses of plants as source for antimicrobial drugs with reference to antimicrobial agents a systematic investigation was taken on the plant Acacia caesia leaf extracts
How to use Incha as a scrubber -Take out fiber from the bunch and split in to small pieces. Use this for bathing as a scrubber.
