N
Syndrome. Characteristic reactions reported among 13 infants include coma, drowsiness, loss
of consciousness, metabolic acidosis, and in two, death due to encephalopathy (APA). Nimbidin
LD50 250 mg/kg in frogs.
NEPALESE CARDAMOM (Amomum aromaticum Roxb.) ++According to WOI, A. aromaticum and A. subulatum are pretty much used interchangeably, as
medicine and as spice. WOI entries below actually derived from A. subulatum Roxb., but
probably applicable to both, which have been called Nepal cardamom.
Activities (Nepalese Cardamom) — Alexeteric (f; WOI); Aphrodisiac (f; KAB); Astringent
(f; WOI); Cardiotonic (f; KAB); Carminative (f; DEP); Diuretic (f; WOI); Hepatotonic (f;
KAB); Hypnotic (f; KAB); Orexigenic (f; HH2); Stimulant (f; WOI); Stomachic (f; WOI).
Indications (Nepalese Cardamom) — Anorexia (f; HH2); Biliousness (f; WOI); Chill (f;
HH2); Cholera (f; KAB); Cold (f; HH2); Conjunctivosis (f; WOI); Diarrhea (f; PH2); Dyspepsia
(f; PH2; WOI); Enterosis (f; WOI); Fever (f; PH2); Gastrosis (f; KAB); Gingivosis (f; WOI);
Gonorrhea (f; KAB); Gravel (f; WOI); Headache (f; WOI); Hepatosis (f; WOI); Impotence (f;
KAB); Malaria (f; PH2); Nephrosis (f; WOI); Neuralgia (f; KAB; WOI); Odontosis (f; WOI);
Pain (f; WOI); Proctosis (f; WOI); Snakebite (f; HH2); Sting (f; HH2); Stomatosis (f; WOI);
VD (f; WOI); Vomiting (f; PH2).
Dosages (Nepalese Cardamom) — 30 grains with quinine for neuralgia (DEP); 10–30 seeds
(HH2); 1–2 ml tincture (HH2); 3–6 g drug in decoction (HH2; PH2).
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Nepalese Cardamom) — Not covered (AHP).
“Health hazards not known with proper therapeutic dosages” (PH2). Overdoses may lead to
poisoning. Over-rationalizing, the Herbal PDR hints that the efficacy, if any, of the drug, may hark
back to its cineole content, yet speaks of the potential for life-threatening poisonings due to
overdoses of cineole. (Methinks empirical wisdom will have evolved away from any such intoxi-
cations, and that PH2 is dabbling in nitpickology.) Skillfully, PH2 says, “although scientific data
regarding this are not available.” These are what I call hypothetical activities, positive and negative,
often contemplated, the yea-sayers touting the goods of cineole, the nay-sayers touting the hazards
of cineole. Certainly many species may be richer in cineole, including the well-known true carda-
mom, one of the more expensive of spices. Even if the EO were pure cineole, this species would
contain only 10,000 ppm cineole.