Khas, Kesar, Nagakesar, Khaskhas- Traditional Family Medicine (Health Series: An Old and Rare Book)

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The term Khas or Cuscus grass in English refers to an aromatic grass botanically known as Vetiveria zizanoides familiar all over as the fragrant roots employed in making hand fans or ceiling fans in old type travellers' bungalows. Kesar is the famous saffron or Crocus sativus from Kashmir. Naga kesar is a densely fragrant flower called Cobra's Saffron in English or Mesua ferrea in botany. All of these three plants are aromatic or sweet smelling plants that are also of great medicinal value in their own ways. The term Khas khas refers to the well known poppy plant or Papaver somniferum yielding opium, the great narcotic the or intoxicating plant drug which also has remarkable value and importance in medicine.

The fact that plants are natural and exquisite factories that manufacture unique organic chemical substances of far reaching and unparalleled significance in medicine and science is most beautifully illustrated by such aromatic and the narcotic plants as above. For, these unusual substances because of which they gain their importance are produced by these plants as but normal and routine products of their biosythesis or, metabolism. In many cases moreover their own role in the life of the plants concerned is not at all clear although there is no doubt whatsoever regarding the value of these substances to man.

It is wholly the ingenuity of man that has discovered these remarkable substances that are widely scattered in various and quite often, totally unrelated plants and to have utilised them to his own benefit. Very usually these substances are produced in but little qualities and often, in but some stages only of these plants so that their gathering and commercial cultivation offer problems that need to be carefully considered and overcome.