Vacha, (Acorus calamus Linn.) commonly known as ‘‘Sweet Flag’’ or ‘‘Calamus’’, is a species of semiaquatic, perennial, aromatic herb with creeping rhizomes. In India, the plant is found growing wild as well as cultivated up to an altitude of 2200 m in the Himalayas. It is plentiful in the marshy tracts of Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Naga hills, and is regularly cultivated in Karnataka.
Vacha possesses grass-like or sword-shaped, long slender leaves that fan out from a pinkish base and grow up to 1.5 m in length. The rhizomes of the plant are the most important part which possesses strong, characteristic, and aromatic odours and are bitter in taste. The plant’s rhizomes are brown in colour, twisted, cylindrical, curved, and shortly nodded.
In the Ayurvedic system of medicine, the rhizomes of Vacha are considered to possess aromatic, stimulant, bitter tonic, emetic, expectorant, emmenagogue, aphrodisiac, laxative, diuretic, antispasmodic, carminative, and antihelmintic properties. They are used for the treatment of a host of diseases such as mental ailments like epilepsy, schizophrenia, and memory disorders, chronic diarrhoea and dysentery, bronchial catarrh, intermittent fevers, tympanitis, colic, otitis media, cough, asthma, and glandular and abdominal tumours. They are also used traditionally for flatulent colic and chronic dyspepsia. They are also employed for kidney and liver troubles, rheumatism, and eczema. The skin of the rhizomes is said to be hemostatic. The rhizomes are used in the form of powder, balms, enemas, and pills and also in ghee preparations.
Eczema: Paste of rhizomes of Vacha is given with the paste of Haridra rhizomes and Nimba leaves.
Epilepsy, dysentery, mental illnesses, diarrhoea, kidney and liver disorders: Rhizomes paste of Vacha is given with honey.
Gastric disorders: Vacha rhizomes paste is given with cow milk
Cold, Cough & Fever: Rhizomes paste of Vacha is given to children with mother’s milk along with fruits of Jatiphala.
