Tila,

Snehaphala. Vern. Til, Beng. and Hind.

This plant is extensively cultivated in India for the sake of the seeds and their expressed oil, both of which articles are in great demand for various economic, religious and medicinal purposes. The word taila, the Sanskrit for oil, is derived from tila; it would therefore seem, that sesamum oil, was one of the first, if not the first oil manufactured from oil-seeds by the ancient Hindus. The Bhavaprakasa describes three varieties of til seeds, namely, black, white and red. Of these the black is regarded as the best, suited for medicinal use. It yields also the largest quantity of oil. White til is of intermediate quality. Til of red or other colours is said to be inferior and unfit for medicinal use.

Sesamum seeds are used as an article of diet, being made into confectionary with sugar, or ground into meal. They form an essential article of certain religious ceremonies of the Hindus, and have therefore received the names of homadhanya or the sacrificial grain, pitritarpana or the grain that is offered as an oblation to deceased ancestors, etc. Sesamum oil forms the basis of most of the fragrant or scented oils used by the natives for inunction before bathing and of medicated oils prepared with various vegetable drugs. It is preferred for these purposes from the circumstance of it3 being little liable to turn rancid or thick, and from its possessing no strong taste or odour of its own.

Sesamum seeds are considered emollient, nourishing, tonic, diuretic, and lactagogue. They are said to be especially serviceable in piles, by regulating the bowels and removing constipation. Sesamum seeds ground to a paste with water are given with butter in bleeding piles.1 Sweetmeats made of the seeds are also beneficial in this disease. A poultice made of the seeds is applied to ulcers.2 Both the seeds and the oil are used as demulcents in dysentery and urinary diseases in combination with other medicines of their class.