Rare 50-Year-Old ‘Capsicum Tincture’ Preserved At Sagar University Museum in Madhya Pradesh
The rare tincture is among the things received by Dr Harisingh Gaur, the founder of Sagar University, when he established the university in 1946.
Published : September 10, 2025 at 8:00 PM IST
Sagar: A rare bottle of capsicum tincture, which traces its origin to more than five decades, is preserved at the medical museum of Dr Harisingh Gaur University in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. Once widely used for pain and stomach ailments, the capsicum tincture is no longer popular in contemporary medical usage.
The University Hospital doctor, Abhishek Jain, said the rare tincture kept in the museum was among the things received by Dr Harisingh Gaur, the founder of Sagar University, when he decided to establish the university in 1946.
“Medical equipment from the Second World War is also kept in the Gaur Museum's medical museum. Apart from this, there are some rare medicines as well. These include equipment that was used during the war and many medicines that were used at that time. One of these is capsicum tincture,” he said.
Jain said the capsicum tincture, made by Vino Pharma and Chemicals of Nagpur, is believed to be 55 to 60 years old. “This tincture is still useful today. It has 60 per cent alcohol content, which is made by capsicum using a special method. However, the exact method by which it is made can only be known from the company,” he said.
According to him, the same tincture type is also preserved in the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. “This is a very unique thing; it will soon be kept in the museum for the university students and common people,” Jain said.
More about tinctures
Once made from Ayurvedic medicines, including ginger, cardamom and basaka, tinctures were often consumed orally as well as applied.
“If we talk about the capsicum tincture present here, then it is a herbal formulation. It is made from any kind of herbal thing, like herbs, etc. Like capsicum tincture is made in it. We have an Ayurvedic medicine made of ginger, cardamom and Basaka; its tincture is also there,” Jain said.
“Like capsicum tincture. It is used for pain in the nervous system. Just like we apply an ointment, it is also used for pain. Apart from this, it is also used for indigestion. It is used in some special diseases related to the stomach. It can be drunk in very small quantities, from .5 ml to 1 ml,” he said.
During modern times, iodine tincture is the only variety in medical use, mainly to disinfect wounds. “The availability of medicines, the effect of medicines, and scientific testing of medicines have been done. At the same time, the method of making it has, in a way, become extinct, which is rarely seen. I also searched for the method of making it, how it was made in the old times. However, its use has not stopped completely. This tincture is still being used in some other formula or in some other way,” Jain said.
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