Abrus precatorius : Gunja (Ratti)
Abrus precatorius - Gunja (Ratti) : By A.K. Bhattacharya
Weight of Gold is measured in terms of 'Tola'. The calculation is simple. Ten ratti was equal to one maasha and twelve maasha was one tola. Neither Tola nor maasha is being discussed in this article but Ratti is the topic.
Ratti, the seeds of Abrus precatorius, commonly known as Rosary pea or Gunja in hindi was used as standard weight in ancient India by the goldsmiths because the seed is fairly constant in weight and on an average, it weighs about 1/10th of a gram. The name is derived from Abrus which means graceful as it has beautiful flowers and precatorius from precor, which means "to pray". The seeds are used as ornamental beans in rosaries and garlands meant for worship and prayers.
The plant is native to tropical Asia, especially India. It is a commonly found herb in mixed deciduous forests. It grows best in fairly dry regions at low elevations. Gunja beans are very beautiful and attractive. See the picture if you don't believe. They are usually scarlet red with black spot at base. The seed is oval or round, with a diameter of about quarter of an inch. It is pale and soft when immature, but hard, dry and glossy when ripe. There are about 4-6 seeds in a pod.
The seeds contain a deadly poison abrin that provides this plant a toxic character. But the seeds are less poisonous when directly taken. However, when powdered and mixed with dhatura it becomes highly toxic and makes it one of the most beautiful poisonous plants of the world. The seeds are first decorticated - ie the outer covering is removed. They also find their place in ancient stories that described the use of 'Sutaris', needles made up of the paste of these poisonous seeds to make a kill. Even kings and often spies used these needles to kill their enemies. Small needles were pricked into the body and the poison would mix with the blood eventually killing the victim.
Rest apart, this plant is used by various tribes for the treatment of scratches, sores and wounds. The seeds are used for making necklaces and other ornaments, garlands etc. Children are attracted by the brightly-colored seeds of Abrus precatorius. They should not be allowed to play with the seeds. Moreover, keep seeds or ornaments made out of seeds away from children. Owing to its poisonous nature, Abrus precatorius is not preferred in home gardens. People should be made aware of the dangers of ingesting seeds of Abrus precatorius.
For more information please visit the following link:
http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/abrus-precatorius.shtml
:: By Parag Bakshi (parag[at]bhopalbirds.com ) ::
