Neem - history

The medicinal properties of the neem tree have been well known in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. A symbol of health, the hardy, evergreen tree is a common feature of the drier regions of India and Pakistan. The bark, leaves, flowers, seeds and fruit are used to treat a number of diseases and the tree had a cherished place in all ancient Indian treatises on medicine.

Origins

Neem is thought to have originated in Assam in northeast India, and Myanmar, where it is common throughout the central dry zone. Later it became naturally distributed throughout much of the Indian subcontinent, particularly in drier areas.

Photo of an old package of neem.
Neem has always been used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Ayurvedic texts

Neem's name derives from the Sanskrit Nimba, and it was known as the Sarva Roga Nivarini or Curer of All Illnesses. The Sanskrit treatises Charaka Samhita, Susrutha Samhita and Brihat Samhita, compiled between 6th century BC and 6th century AD, mention neem's properties dozens of times. The neem tree was intimately connected with the everyday life of Indians; its antiseptic properties made it part of 'cradle to death' care. Babies were bathed with neem water and given small doses of neem oil, and neem leaves were hung over their cradles. Forest and agricultural treatises recommended it for soil protection and revival and for pest-repelling.

Neem oil

Neem oil extraction in India was a specialised profession and people undertaking these jobs were called teli, or the oilmen. A traditional oil extractor was called a kohlu. This was originally made of wood and a bit like a pestle and mortar connected to a wooden plank. The pestle had a metallic cover at the base and the inner surface of the mortar was made rough with strips of wood or bamboo. The seeds were fed into the mortar, and the wooden plank was rotated by oxen. This caused the circular movement of the pestle within the mortar, crushing the seeds. The oil was collected by a bamboo pipe inserted in a hole at the base of the mortar.

The modern world

In recent years an understanding of the value and significance of neem has been further heightened by the upsurge of interest in the West in the tree's powers. Issues of protection and patents have been hotly debated; the people of the sub-continent have become protective of the neem's products in the larger world. Legislation to protect a tree which is deemed an Indian national treasure is being discussed.