Sumbul

Musk root, a Central Asian plant with a musky scent, traditionally used in homoeopathy for nervous, fidgety, emotional states, numbness and poor sleep.

Sumbul is musk root, Ferula moschata, a tall plant of the carrot family from the mountains of Central Asia. Its spongy root has a strong musk-like smell and was traded through Russia and Persia as a nerve tonic and for perfume.

In homoeopathy it is traditionally associated with nervous, emotional, fidgety people. Homoeopaths turn to it for sleeplessness, numbness on becoming cold, a choking feeling in the throat with constant swallowing, and making mistakes in writing and adding. Its picture also includes hot flushes around the menopause, a bloated, uneasy abdomen and blackheads.

• Nervous restlessness
• Sleeplessness
• Numbness
• Hot flushes