Ammi, Bishop’s Weed, Ajowan

‘Bishop’s weed has been in use in India as a condiment and medicine from a very remote period; we find it mentioned by the early Sanskrit writers under the name of Yamani. It is the Nankhwah of Ibn Sina. The Persians call it Zinian and Nankhwah, a name derived from Nan, bread, and Khwah, desire, and given to it on account of its stimulating effect on the appetite. The author of the Persian Dictionary, Burhan-i-katia, gives Talib-el-khubz as the Arabic name, which is equivalent to the Persian Nankhwah. In the Makhzan-el-Adwiya, Kamun-el-muliki is given as the Arabic, and other writers again give different synonyms, so that there is a difficulty in deciding which of the notices in Arabic works have reference to this drug. As pointed out by Fliickiger and Hanbury, the fruits of Ammi majus, L., and Sison amomum, L., have often been confounded with it. The Tuhfat-el-muminin gives Ammi as the Greek name of Ajwan.

In native practice, Ajowan is much used as a carminative, either alone or in combination with rock salt, asafoetida, myrobalans, &c. It is also thought to check discharges of a chronic kind, and is therefore used in making lotions, collyria, &c.; upon the same principle it is prescribed in bronchitis with copious expectoration. A plaster or poultice of the crushed fruit is said to relieve pain. The Ark or distilled water of Ajowan is prepared and sold in the bazars.’ (Vegetable Materia Medica of Western India, Dymock, 1885)