The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

HEALTH

Campaign against AIDS
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 2
To launch a massive campaign against AIDS, the Skin Department of Dayanand Medical College and Hospital in collaboration with the People’s Health Organisation (PHO) will organise a function at Dumra Auditorium on May 3.

According to an official press release, Dr I.S.Gilada, Secretary General, PHO, a pioneer in spreading AIDS awareness in the country, will deliver a lecture on this occasion.

The skin department of the DMCH will be declared the headquarters of the Ludhiana branch of the PHO. Dr Alka Dogra, Head of the Skin Department, has been nominated as the president and Dr Sunil Gupta as the secretary of the Ludhiana Chapter of the PHO.

The Ludhiana Chapter of PHO will educate the general public, about the special risk groups like sex workers, truck drivers, blood donors etc.

HERBS & HEALTH
Amaltas — a tree of many uses
Dr. R. VATSAYAN

Famous for its laxative properties, amaltas (botanical name — Cassia fistula, Sanskrit name — aragvadha or chaturangula) is a medium-sized tree, which is also the favourite roadside tree of the planners. In full bloom in the summer, amaltas is conspicuous by its bright yellow flowers and long cylindrical fruits.

The ancient Indian system of medicine attributes medicinal properties to almost all parts of amaltas tree, but it is the pulp of its fruit which is considered as an excellent laxative. The amaltas’ pulp has a peculiar flavour and is sweet in taste and cold in effect. It also has digestive, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic and blood purifying properties. A strong purgative, the root of amaltas is used in various skin diseases, while its leaves form an important part of many ointments and poultices. The bark of the tree, which is known as sumari, has astringent properties.

Amaltas is considered the safest laxative to be used in cases of constipation and other allied diseases. Here are a few tips about the various uses of this tree —

In case of an adult person suffering from constipation, put 10 gm of amaltas pulp in a glass of water overnight. Take this water in the morning after filtering it. This helps to cleanse the bowels very gently and without griping.

Amaltas is an anti-inflammatory agent, both locally and systemically. In throat infection such as tonsilits and other mucosal inflammations of the mouth, its decoction is used in gargles. Similarly, the famous classic ayurvedic medicine rasna saptak qwath which contains amaltas as an important ingredient is very effective in rheumatoid arthritis and gout. It reduces tenderness and inflammation of the joint thus improving mobility.

In alopecia areata, which is characterised by non-inflamed patches of baldness on the scalp, eyebrows and bearded portion of the face, a paste of ash of amaltas’ leaves mixed with goat’s milk is very effective.

As a laxative for an adult person, 10 to 20 gm pulp of amaltas fruit is sufficient. For the sake of purity, it is better to buy the dried fruit of amaltas and extract small cakes of pulp by breaking the hard shell, than using the pre-extracted pulp.

ADMINISTRATION

New duties for MC officials
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, May 2
The Municipal Corporation Commissioner, Dr S.S. Sandhu, has given new duties to two Assistant Commissioners and 8 superintendents of the MC. The Additional Commissioner, Mr Raminder Singh, who had assumed office past week, will now officiate as Commissioner till May 11, as Dr Sandhu has to be abroad on a study tour.

The Assistant Commissioners and Zonal Commissioners, Mr B.K. Gupta and Mr O.A.K. Sondhi, will swap places and look after zones C and A, respectively.

Among the superintendents, Mr Jagmohan Singh has been shifted from zone D to zone B, Mr V.C. Puri goes to zone D from zone B, Mr Basant Kumar of zone B will look after the tehbazari branch and Mr Kulwinder Singh has been shifted from the tehbazari branch to the accounts branch. Mr Madan Lal Kochar has been promoted and sent to zone D, Mr Manohar Lal and Mr Subhash Kapoor go on promotion to the octroi branch and Mr Harbans Singh has been sent on promotion to zone C.

By a separate order, the Additional Commissioner, Mr Raminder Singh, has also been asked to supervise recovery and income from octroi, house tax, survey, license fee, advertisement tax, advertisements on containers, additional excise duty, court and police fines, show tax and entertainment tax. He will also look after the accounts branch, the audit branch, the purchase cell, stores, computerisation of purchase and octroi collection, inventory and disposals, e-governance, birth and death certificates, public grievances, single-window system, policy decisions on buildings and roads, contractors’ data bank, landscaping, horticulture, newsletters and works of the other officials.

The orders were revised at least thrice in the past fortnight. Sources in the MC said senior officials had manipulated to grab “selective” branches, which led to the revision.