A branchy bush or a small (4-8 m tall) tree of the rose family. It has two types of shoots: elongated vegetative and shortened generative. The bark on one-year-old shoots is reddish-brown, on the branches – gray-brown, on the trunk – gray-black. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate, glandular-serrate, pointed. Flowers are regular, 5-lobed, bisexual, almost sessile, single or arranged in pairs; petals are white or light pink. The fruit is a drupe; bone pitted, compressed, oval, smooth on the surface. Blooms in February – March, before the leaves bloom. There are two forms of common almond that are morphologically indistinguishable: with a sweet kernel (var. sativa, synonym — var. dulcis) and with a bitter one (var. amara).
Distribution . Bitter almond trees grow wild in the mountains of Kopetdag (Turkmenia), in the western Tien Shan and in southern Armenia. Almonds are grown in Ukraine, mainly in Crimea. In the culture, mainly varieties with a sweet core.
Procurement and storage . For medical purposes, fruit kernels (Semina Amygdali excorticate) and leaves (Folia Amygdali) are used. Fruits are harvested fully ripe, when they begin to turn yellow and fall out of the fruit. They are dried in the sun or in a well-ventilated room. The finished raw material is stored in a dry place, making sure that it is not damaged by rodents. The storage period is 4 years.
Chemical composition . Sweet almond seeds (Semen Amygdalae dulces) contain fatty oil (30-62%), protein (up to 20%), sucrose (10%), glucose, gummy substances (2-3%), mucus (3%), emulsin, lipase and other enzymes, B vitamins (0.15-0.22 mg %), B 2 (0.62 mg %), B 5 , B 6, PP (4.8 mg %), C (6-18 mg %), carotene (0.02-0.17 mg %), tannins (0.17-1.39%), asparagine and choline, 18 macro- and microelements (up to 3%) — calcium, magnesium, sodium, iron, manganese, copper, barium and others. Bitter almond seeds (Semen Amygdalae amarae) are characterized by a lower content of sugar (3-5%) and fatty oil (35-38%) and the presence of amygdalin hydrocyanic acid glycoside (1.5-8%). Fatty oil of sweet and bitter varieties of almonds consists of oleic (more than 70%), linoleic (20%) and palmitic (3%) acids, phytosterol (0.3%) and glycerides of saturated fatty acids (up to 5%).
Pharmacological properties and use. Sweet almonds are recommended for use in anemia, asthenia, after suffering debilitating diseases, growth retardation in children and as a medicine for convulsive cough, increased acidity of gastric juice, stomach ulcer, especially in heavy smokers (relieves epigastric pain). Bitter almonds are not suitable for food. It contains amygdalin, which under the action of hydrochloric acid of the stomach and the enzyme emulsin (found in the almond itself) decomposes into glucose, benzoic aldehyde and very poisonous hydrocyanic acid. About 1 mg of hydrocyanic acid can enter the body from one bitter almond fruit. It is believed that the fatal dose for an adult is 30-60 fruits of bitter almonds, and for a child – 7-15. Almond milk (Emulsio Amygdalarum) is obtained by pounding the core of sweet almonds with water or milk. which is used for burns and other skin injuries, for itching, as a cosmetic for diffuse alopecia and for skin care of all types. Almond oil (Oleum Amygdalarum), which is obtained by cold pressing the kernels of sweet and bitter almonds, is used in gastritis, colitis, as a laxative for constipation (especially in babies) and as a base for liniments and other galenic products, as well as a solvent for preparations, which are used in the form of injections. As an external remedy, almond oil is used for itching and bedsores. Refined almond oil obtained by hot pressing is used as a food product and in the perfumery industry, and unrefined almond oil is used in soap making. Almond bran (Furfur Amygdalarum) is made from sweet almond cake, which is used in cosmetics as a means, that softens and cleanses the skin. Bitter almond water (Aqua Amygdalarum amararum) is obtained from bitter almond cake by steam distillation. To do this, the cake is ground into powder, poured with water in a ratio of 1:7, left for several hours to ferment, and then distilled. The bitter almond water obtained in this way contains up to 0.25% hydrocyanic acid and is used as an effective sedative for bronchial asthma, catarrhal bronchitis, gastralgia, cough, insomnia, and from uncontrollable vomiting; locally as an analgesic. In homeopathy, bitter almond tincture is used for asthma, epilepsy, and diphtheria. pour water in a ratio of 1:7, leave for several hours for fermentation, and then carry out distillation. The bitter almond water obtained in this way contains up to 0.25% hydrocyanic acid and is used as an effective sedative for bronchial asthma, catarrhal bronchitis, gastralgia, cough, insomnia, and from uncontrollable vomiting; locally as an analgesic. In homeopathy, bitter almond tincture is used for asthma, epilepsy, and diphtheria. pour water in a ratio of 1:7, leave for several hours for fermentation, and then carry out distillation. The bitter almond water obtained in this way contains up to 0.25% hydrocyanic acid and is used as an effective sedative for bronchial asthma, catarrhal bronchitis, gastralgia, cough, insomnia, and from uncontrollable vomiting; locally as an analgesic. In homeopathy, bitter almond tincture is used for asthma, epilepsy, and diphtheria.
Medicinal forms and applications.
Internally – infusion of dry leaves (1 tablespoon of raw material per 200 ml of boiling water) for half a glass 4 times a day between meals as an antitussive;
almond oil is drunk on an empty stomach (adults — 3 tablespoons, children and the elderly — 1) as a laxative;
Crush 30 g of sweet almond kernels and one bitter kernel, mix with 100 g of milk and 50 g of cream and take 2 times a day for stomach ulcers (take 30 minutes before Ida);
oil infusion (finely chop 100 g of sweet almonds, mix with 2 tablespoons of powder from real rosemary leaves, add 800 g of olive oil, infuse for one month, strain) 1 tablespoon every 2 hours for acute inflammation of the small intestine with diarrhea;
almond milk (pound 100 g of sweet almonds with a small amount of water and sugar, add 2 liters of water in which 100 g of sugar was dissolved, stir well) half a glass 3 times a day before meals as a softening agent for cough and gastritis;
use 10 sweet almonds three times a day before meals for 3 days, and the next week – only in the morning, 20 pcs. with increased acidity of gastric juice.
Externally – almond milk (grind the required amount of almonds with milk in a ratio of 1:10 to a gruel state) and use almond oil for lubrication.