Swertia Chirata(Wall.)C.B.Clarke.

Family: Gentianaceae

Synonym(s) : Swertia chirayita (Roxb. ex Flem.) Karst.

English Name : Chirata Brown

Origin : North India

Description

The plant is an erect annual. The stems are robust, branching, cylindrical below and 4-angled upwards, containing a large pith; the leaves are broadly lanceolate, 5-nerved and sub-sessile; the flowers occur in large panicles, are lurid greenish yellow, tinged with purple; the capsules are egg-shaped, many-sided, sharp-pointed; the seeds are smooth and many- angled.

Habitat

Pastures and slopes in the Himalayas to 3,000 metres.

Parts Used : Whole plant, powder, root and stem

Herbs Effect

Bitter tonic, stomachic, febrifuge, anthelmintic, appetizer, laxative, alterative, antidiarrhoeic, antiperiodic.

Active Ingredients

Beta-amyrin, gentianine, gentiopicrin, lupeol, mangiferin, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, swerchirin, swertianin, tannin (plant)

Medical Use

As tonic to heart, liver and eyes, resolvent, drying, astringent, liquifying, balgham, cough, scanty urine, melancholia, dropsy, sciatia, skin diseases. An excellent drug for intermittent fevers, skin diseases, intestinal worms, bronchial asthma, burning of the body, regulating the bowels.

Dosage

Root: 5 to 30 grains with honey.
Dose of chirata: 10 to 20 grains.
Fluid extract: 10 to 20 minims.

Reference

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