Essence.
There are two sumbuls: aromatic sumbul, also known as passerine sumbul, and nardine, that is, Rumian and Celtic sumbul, which is weaker than Indian and Syrian in all its properties, except for the diuretic. Celtic is close in its strength to Syriac. This is a small plant; it is torn out from the ground and another plant similar to it is mixed with it, and they are distinguished only because this plant has a bad smell.
There is also mountain nardine. Its leaves are similar to the leaves of the dye safflower, and its branches are also the same, but only yellow, smooth and without thorns, and several roots - two or more; and it has neither stem, nor flowers, nor fruit.
Choice.
Dioscorides says: “The best sumbul is the one that is abundantly covered with hairs, has a reddish color, smells pleasant, like nourishment, has small ears and burns the tongue. This is the Syrian sumbul. Indian sumbul is weaker than it; it is longer and has larger ears. They are intertwined with each other, smell bad and quickly completely crumble on their own, with large black dust falling from them. Sumbul is counterfeited in the following way: it is boiled, first soaked in hot water, then it is made heavier by sprinkling with antimonium, and sold. A fake is recognized by the whiteness and flabbyness of the ear, the weakness of its strength and weakness of taste and smell.
Black Indian sumbul is better than red. The best nardine is young, with a pleasant smell, with large dense roots, dense and not crushable. But the one with a whitish stem, especially in the middle, is worth nothing, especially sumbul with a bad smell.
Nature.
Hot in the first degree, dry in the second.
Actions and properties.
Sumbul opens the blockages and resolves them. Indian sumbul is strongly binding and its warmth is not as drying. When you try it, it first seems tasteless, and only then does warmth and acridity spread across your tongue. The aromatic sumbul is used to make a powder that prevents the appearance of strong perspiration, and the soil from the sumbul is a good fragrant hand wash.
Tumors.
Sumbul resolves tumors.
Organs of the head.
Sumbul prevents catarrh and strengthens the brain.
Organs of the eye.
Sumbul promotes eyelash growth if you add it to eye powder and run a needle with this powder over your eyelids. Nardin, I believe, is even stronger in this regard.
Respiratory and chest organs.
All sumbulas help against heart failure, cleanse the chest and lungs and prevent catarrhs and the outpouring of matter into these organs.
Nutritional organs.
Sumbul opens blockages in the liver and stomach and strengthens these organs. Sumbul of all kinds is useful for jaundice, prevents the effusion of matter into the stomach and soothes burning sensation in the stomach. If you drink any kind of sumbul in wine, it is useful for diseases of the spleen.
Eruption organs.
All types of sumbul drive urine and menstruation, but Celtic is more powerful in this regard, because it is hotter and less astringent; it drives away urine and menstruation and helps against all tumors of the uterus if you sit in its decoction. It is useful for pain in the kidneys and prevents the effusion of matter into the intestines. It has the special property of inhibiting excessive bleeding from the uterus.