HOMOEOPATHIC USES OF RAUWOLFIA SERPENTINA
Botanical
name
Rauwolfia serpentina Benth. ex. Kurz.
Family
Apocynaceae
Common names
Bengali Sarpagandha
English
Sepentina, Snake root
Hindi Chhotachand
Malayalam
Sarpagandhi
Sanskrit
Sarpagandha
Tamil Chivanmelpodi
Occurrence & Distribution
Grows in
waste places and in shady forests in different parts of India
from Punjab eastwards to Nepal , Sikkim , Bhutan and Assam ,
also in certain parts of Central India and Western
Ghats
Description
Glabrous
under shrub. Leaves in whorls of 3 or 4 rarely opposite, shining green above,
pale beneath, elliptic- lanceolate or obovate acute or acuminate. Inflorescence
many flowered cymes. Corolla salver shaped, tube cylindric, white with red
tinge, mouth constricted , throat usually hairy within. Fruits obliquely
ovoid drupes, purple black when ripe. Seeds ovoid. Root finger sized, thick,.
On breaking it is circular with centripetal lines. Roots are haphazard and 48
cms long
Flowers and
fruits almost throughout the year but chiefly during February
Parts used
Roots
Chemical
constituents
Arachidic,
lauric, linoleic, myristic, oleic, palmitic, stearic, alkaloids –
Indoles- ajmalicidine, ajmalicine, corynanthine, deserpidine, indobine,
indobinine, rescinnamidine, rescinnamine, rescinnaminol, renoxidine,
reserpiline, reserpine, sarpagine, serpentine, serpentinine, yohanabinine, ,
yohimbine, Indolines- ajmalimine, ajmaline, ajmalinimine, ajmalinine,
isoajmaline, rauwolfinine, sandwicolidine, sandwicoline, tetraphyllicine,
serposterol, b-sitosterol and its 7- dehydro derivative and serpoterpene
Therapeutic
uses
Leaves- Juice applied to remove corneal opacities
Root- Decoction
employed to increase uterine contractions and for expulsion of foetus in
difficult cases, the extract is particularly used for intestinal disorders . It
is anthelmintic, bitter tonic and febrifuge, . The total extract of the root
induces bradycardia, hypotension, sedation, and produces tranquillizing effect.
Used in hypochondria , neuropsychiatric disorders , psychosis and schizophrenia
Reserpine
was found to be the most active principle responsible for the antihypertensive
and tranquillizing properties of the plant. The other alkaloids like
ajmalicine, deserpidine, rescinnamine and serpentine also show similar
properties with reduced activity, Ajmaline in combination with other
hypotensive agents, is used in the treatment of hypertension complicated with
arrhythmia
HOMOEOPATHIC USES-
HYPERTENSION- It is an excellent remedy
for controlling high blood pressure. High blood pressure without marked
atheromatous changes in the vessels
INSOMNIA- A good sedative , especially in
insanity
POTENCY- Mother tincture
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