The meaning of the symbols of wolfs, bane seen in a dream.

Leopard’s Bane. Wolf’s Bane. Arnica Montana L. German: Wolferlei, Arnika. French: Arnica, Aronique. Spanish: Arnica. Italian: Arnica, Polmonaria di Montagna. Dried flowerheads.

Action: external use only.

Uses: Bruises and contusions where skin is unbroken. Severe bruising after surgical operation. Neuralgia, sprains, rheumatic joints, aches and pains after excessive use as in sports and gardening.

Combination, in general use: 1 part Tincture Arnica to 10 parts Witch Hazel water as a lotion. Contra- indications: broken or lacerated skin.

Preparations: Compress: handful flowerheads to 1 pint boiling water. Saturate handtowel or suitable material in mixture and apply.

Tincture. 1 handful (50g) flowerheads to 1 pint 70 per cent alcohol (say Vodka) in wide-necked bottle. Seal tight. Shake daily for 7 days. Filter. Use as a lotion or compress: 1 part tincture to 20 parts water. Weleda Lotion. First aid remedy to prevent bruise developing.

Nelson’s Arnica cream.

Ointment. Good for applying Arnica to parts of the body where tincture or lotion is unsuitable. 2oz flowers and 1oz leaves (shredded or powdered) in 16oz lard. Moisten with half its weight of distilled water. Heat together with the lard for 3-4 hours and strain. For wounds and varicose ulcers.

Wet Dressing. 2 tablespoons flowers to 2 litres boiling water. For muscular pain, stiffness and sprains. Tincture. Alternative dosage: a weak tincture can be used with good effect, acceptable internally: 5 drops tincture to 100ml water – 1 teaspoon hourly or two-hourly according to severity of the case.

Widely used in Homoeopathic Medicine.

First used by Swiss mountaineers who chewed the leaves to help prevent sore and aching limbs.

Note: Although no longer used internally in the UK, 5-10 drop doses of the tincture are still favoured by some European and American physicians for anginal pain and other acute heart conditions; (Hawthorn for chronic).

Pharmacy only sale. ... arnica

Linn.

Synonym: A. acuminata Wall. ex Royle

Family: Ranunculaceae.

Habitat: Native to Europe; grows in temperate Himalayas from Hazara to Bhutan.

English: Baneberry Grapewort.

Folk: Visha-phale (Kannada).

Action: Root—antirheumatic, anti-inflammatory, nerve sedative, emetic, purgative; used in the treatment of rheumatic fever, lumbago, scrofula, nervous disorders, chorea.

The plant is reported to contain trans-aconitic acid, which shows a strong cytostatic action. Its Me ether is active against Ehrlich's ascites tumours.

In folk medicine, roots are used in cases of ovarian neuralgia, uterine tenderness and sub-involution. They are adulterant of the roots of Helleborus niger. Berries are poisonous; used topically for skin diseases. The toxic constituent is protoanemonin (lactone). It is irritant to mucous membrane.... actaea spicata

(American) A decorative symbol Baner, Bannyr, Banyr, Bannor, Bannar, Bannir... banner

Kuntze.

Synonym: Vernonia anthelmintica Willd.

Family: Asteraceae.

Habitat: Throughout India up to 2,000 m in the Himalayas and Khasi Hills.

English: Purple Flea-bane, Achenes.

Ayurvedic: Aranya-Jiraka, Vanajira- ka, Kaalijiri, Karjiri. Somaraaji (also equated with Psoralea corylifolia Linn., Papilionaceae).

Unani: Kamoon barri.

Siddha/Tamil: Kaattu seerakam.

Action: Anthelmintic (against earthworms and tapeworms), stomachic, diuretic; used in skin diseases.

Delta-7-avenasterol is the main active principle of seeds. Seed oil contains vernasterol. Seeds bitter principle is a demanolide lactone. Centratherin and germacranolide from the leaves and stem have been isolated. Leaves contain abscisic acid. EtOH extract of achenes exhibited good results in giar- diasis. Various plant parts are used in syphilis. Clinical studies on vircarcika eczema validated the use of the drug in skin diseases.

The drug exhibited smooth muscle- relaxant and hypotensive activity in animals.

Dosage: Seed—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)

Dosage: Seed—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)... centratherum anthelminticum

Hook. f.

Family: Compositae; Asteraceae.

Habitat: The Himalayas at Lachen and Tungu, and Sikkim.

English: Leopard's Bane. (Arnica montana Linn. is also known as Leopard's Bane.)

Unani: Daarunaj Aqrabi.

Action: Root—used as a constituent of cardiac and nervine tonics. Used as exhilarant. Acts as a stomachic and dissolves trapped gases.... doronicum hookeri

Cypripedium pubescens. N.O. Orchidaceae.

Synonym: American Valerian, Mocassin flower, Nerveroot, Noah's Ark.

Habitat: United States of America.

Features ? Flower supposed to resemble a lady's shoe in form. Rhizome about quarter- inch diameter, many cupshaped scars on top surface; wavy, thickly-matted roots underneath. Fracture short and white.

Part used ? Rhizome.

Action: Antispasmodic, tonic, nervine.

Combined with other tonics in the relief of neuralgia, and to allay pain

generally. Of use in hysteria and other nervous disorders. Dose, 1 drachm of the powdered rhizome. Like other medicines of a similar nature, it is of little use unless the cause of the nervous excitement is traced and removed.

The remarks of Rafinesque, then Professor of Medical Botany in the University of Transylvania, are interesting in view of the "orthodox" attitude towards remedies of the herbalists ? "I am enabled to introduce, for the first time, this beautiful genus into our materia medica ; all the species are equally remedial. They have long been known to the Indians, who called them moccasin flower, and were used by the empyrics of New England, particularly Samuel Thomson. Their properties, however, have been tested and confirmed by Dr. Hales, of Troy; Dr. Tully, of Albany, etc.

. . . They produce beneficial effects in all nervous diseases and hysterical affections by allaying pain, quieting the nerves and promoting sleep. They are preferable to opium in many cases, having no baneful or narcotic effect."

Professor Rafinesque, however, goes even further than would Thomson and his successors when he announces that "all the species are equally remedial."... ladies' slipper

Dog’s bane. Apocynum androsaemifolium L. Root.

Action: diaphoretic, emetic, expectorant. Heart stimulant of value in cardiac dropsy. Old-time antidote for rabies. North American Indians: for venereal disease. Traditional: jaundice, gall stone, sluggish liver conditions, migraine sick headache. Warts: an external wipe with sap of the fresh plant.

Powdered root: dose, quarter-2g.

Liquid Extract, dose: half-2ml.

Internal treatment by practitioner only. ... bitter root

Wall.

Family: Araliaceae.

Habitat: Western Himalayas, Pithoragarh district of Uttaranchal.

English: Indian Ginseng, Indian Pseudoginseng.

Ayurvedic: In Indian medicine, Panax quinquefolium Linn. and Panax schinseng Knees have been equated with Lakshmanaa.

Action: Adaptogen, digestive relaxant, old-age revitalizer. Sustains nerves and immune system in physical exhaustion and during convalescence. Antiarrhythmic (used for angina). Activities comparable with Korean ginseng.

Indian pseudoginseng, including subspecies himalaicus and its varieties, variety angustifolius and variety bipinnatifidus, has been found to be a rich source ofoleanolic acid saponins, while dammarane saponins (panaxa- diol and panaxatriol) are present in minor quantities. Panax burkillianus Bennet & Viswan and P. sikkimensis Banerjee are also related to the commercial ginseng.

Panax quinquefolium (American Ginseng) has been introduced into India in the Kashmir valley during 1983. It is rich in dammarane saponins. The air-dried roots of the plant, introduced in India, contain total saponin content of 11.5%. The saponins isolated include ginsenosides Rb1, Rb2, Rb3, Rc, Rd, Re, Rg1, pseudoginsenoside F11 and chikusetsu saponin V; the major saponin being ginsenoside Rb1. The saponin fraction of the root yielded panaxadiol, panaxatriol and oleanolic acid.

Ginsenosides Rb and Rc are 'diols', while Rg is a 'triol'. ('triol' group is arousing, 'diol' is sedative.) In American ginseng 'diols' predominate.

Panax pseudoginseng, equated with Himalayan ginseng (Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, 2007), is believed to dilate the coronary vessels, re duce vascular resistance and improve the coronary collateral circulation. It increased blood flow while reducing blood pressure.

Panax schiseng, synonym P. ginseng Mey. (Asiatic or Chinese Ginseng) is cultivated in northern China, Korea and Japan.... panax pseudoginseng

Strychnos nux-vomica

Loganiaceae

San: Karaskara;

Hin: Kajra, Kuchila;

Mal: Kanjiram; ;

Tam: Itti, Kagodi, Kanjirai Mar:Jharkhatchura;

Kan: Hemmushti, Ittangi;

Tel: Mushti, Mushidi; Ori: Kora, Kachila

Importance: It is a large deciduous tree, with simple leaves and white fragrant flowers.

Strychnos is highly toxic to man and animals producing stiffness of muscles and convulsions, ultimately leading to death. However, in small doses it can also serve as efficacious cure forms of paralysis and other nervous disorders. The seeds are used as a remedy in intermittent fever, dyspepsia, chronic dysentery, paralytic and neuralgic affections, worms, epilepsy, chronic rheumatism, insomnia and colic. It is also useful in impotence, neuralgia of face, heart disease, spermatorrhoea, skin diseases, toxins, wounds, emaciation, cough and cholera. Leaves are applied as poultice in the treatment of chronic wounds and ulcers and the leaf decoction is useful in paralytic complaints. Root and root bark used in fever and dysentery (Nadkarni, 1982; Kurup et al, 1979).

Distribution: The plant is distributed throughout India in deciduous forests up to 1200m. It is also found in Sri Lanka, Siam, Indochina and Malaysia.

Botany: Strychnos nux-vomica Linn. is a large tree belonging to the family Loganiaceae. Leaves are simple, opposite, orbicular to ovate, 6-11.5x6-9.5cm, coriaceous, glabrous, 5 nerved, apex obtuse, acute or apiculate, transverse nerves irregular and inconspicuous. Inflorescence is many flowered terminal cymes, 2.5-5cm across. Bracts (5mm) and bracteoles (1.5mm) small. Flowers are white or greenish white and fragrant. Calyx 5 lobed, pubescent and small (2mm). Corolla salver shaped, tube cylindrical slightly hairy near the base within and greenish white, tube much elongate than the lobes. Tube 7mm and lobes 2.5mm long. Lobes 5 and valvate. Stamens 5, filaments short, 0.1mm long. Anthers 1.5mm subexerted, linear oblong. Ovary 1.5 mm, pubescent, 2 celled, ovules one to many. Style 9mm, stigma capitate. Fruit is a berry, 5-6cm diameter, globose, indehiscent, thick shelled, orange red when ripe with fleshy pulp enclosing the seeds. Seeds 1-many, discoid, compressed, coin like, concave on one side and convex on the other, covered with fine grey silky hairs.

The leaf fall is during December (do not shed all the leaves at a time) and new foliage appears in February. Flowering is during March - April and fruiting during May - December. Fruits take about 8-9 months to mature.

Properties and activity: Strychnine and brucine are the most important and toxic alkaloids present in the plant. They occur not only in the seeds but also in roots, wood, bark, fruit pulp and hard fruit shells. The minor alkaloids present in the plant are vomicine, -colubrine, -colubrine, pseudostrychnine and N-methyl-sec-pseudobrucine (novacine). Loganin a glycoside is also present (Warnat, 1932; Martin et al, 1953; Guggisberg et al, 1966; Bisset and Chaudhary, 1974). Chatterji and Basa (1967) reported vomicine as the major constituent alkaloid along with unidentified alkaloid in leaves and identified another alkaloid kajine (N-methyl pseudostrychnine) from the leaves of very young plants.

Root bark of S. nux-vomica yeilded 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy strychnine, 4 hydroxy strychine, nor-macusine, a new alkaloid 12 , 13 dihydro-12 -hydroxy isostrychnine named protostrychnine (Baser et al, 1979) methoxy strychnine, and mavacurine (Guggisberg et al, 1966). Leaves and root bark also yeilded 11 new alkaloids. 10-hydroxy strychnine, 3-12-dihydroxystrychnine, 12-hydroxy–11- methoxy strychnine, 3-12-dihydroxy- 11-methoxy strychnine,12-hydroxy strychnine-N- oxide 12-hydroxy-11-methoxy strychnine- N-oxide-19,20–dihydro isostrychnine, 16 , 17 dihydro-17 -hydroxy isostrychnine, O- methyl-macusine B, 16-epi-o-methyl–macusine B and normelinone B (Baser and Bisset, 1982).

De and Datta (1988) isolated 5 tertiary indole alkaloids viz. strychnine, brucine, vomicine, icajine and novacine from S.nux-vomica flowers. Bisset et al (1989) isolated and identified two phenolic glycosides salidroside and cuchiloside – a compound consisting of salidroside and an attached xylose unit, from the fruit of S.nux-vomica.

Rodriguez et al (1979) isolated an indole alkaloid from the seeds of S. nux- vomica and identified as a 3-methoxy icajine. A new alkaloid 15-hydroxy strychnine has been isolated from the seeds and the structure of the alkaloid established by spectroscopic data (Galeffi et al, 1979). Cai et al (1990a) isolated 4 new alkaloids isobrucine, isobrucine N-oxide, isostrychnine N-oxide and 2 hydroxy–3-methoxy strychnine from the heat treated seeds of S. nuxvomica and the structure of the alkaloids were determined by 13 CNMR (Cai et al, 1994). Cai et al (1990 b) studied the changes in the alkaloid composition of the seeds during drug processing. Saily et al (1994) determined the mineral elements in Strychnos nux-vomica. Corsaro et al (1995) reported polysaccharides from the seeds of Strychnos species.

Seeger and Neumann (1986) reviewed the physico-chemical characteristics, occurrence, identification, utilisation, poisoning, toxicity, kinetics, differential diagnosis and therapeutic uses of strychnine and brucine. Aspergillus niger, A. flavus and Pencillium citrinum showed regular association with Strychnos seeds and effectively deteriorated the alkaloid content of the seeds (Dutta, 1988; Dutta and Roy, 1992). Nicholson (1993) described the history, structure and synthesis of strychnine which occur in the seeds of S. nux-vomica. Rawal and Michoud (1991) developed a general solution for the synthesis of 2- azabicyclo (3.3.1) nonane substructure of Strychnos alkaloids.

Villar et al (1984) and Hayakawa et al (1984) developed HPLC method for the analysis of strychnine and brucine. Graf and Wittliner (1985), Kostennikova (1986) and Gaitonde and Joshi (1986) suggested different methods for the assay of strychnine and brucine. Biala et al, (1996) developed new method for the assay of alkaloids in S. nux- vomica.

The seeds are bitter, acrid, alexeteric, aphrodisiac, appetiser, antiperiodic, anthelmintic, digestive, febrifuge, emmenagogue, purgative, spinal, respiratory and cardiac stimulant and stomachic. The bark is bitter, and tonic and febrifuge (Nadkarni, 1954; Kurup et al, 1979; Warrier et al, 1996).

The quarternery alkaloid from the root bark of the Sri Lankan plant exhibited muscle-relaxant activity (Baser and Bisset, 1982). Antimicrobial activity of indole alkaloid isolated from the Strychnos nux-vomica was studied by Verpoorte et al, 1983. Shukla et al (1985) evaluated the efficacy of Rasnadigugglu compound consisting of S. nux-vomica, on rheumatoid arthritis and found to be effective in reducing inflammatory oedoma and rheumatoid arthritis. It also exhibited analgesic activity. A compound Unani formulation containing S. nux-vomica significantly attenuated withdrawal intensity in morphine dependent rats (Zatar et al, 1991). Shahana et al (1994) studied the effect of Unani drug combination (UDC) having Strychnos nux-vomica on the abstinence syndrome in moderately and severely morphine dependent rats. The UDC strikingly suppressed the abstinence syndrome was seen to possess central depressant and analgesic action.

Melone et al (1992) reported brucine-lethality in mice. Panda and Panda (1993) and Satyanarayanan et al (1994) reported antigastric ulcer activity of nux vomica in Shay rats. Banerjee and Pal (1994) reported the medicinal plants used by the tribals of plain land in India for hair and scalp preparation and S. nux-vomica being used to cure alopecia (baldness) by the tribals. Tripathi and Chaurasia (1996) studied the effect of S. nux-vomica alcohol extract on lipid peroxidation in rat liver.... strychnine tree