Cascarilla
It is native of Bahamas and West Indies. A small tree upto 7 m in height. Leaves scanty, alternate, ovate-lanceolate, about 5 cm long, closely scaled below giving metallic silver bronze appearance with scattered white scales above. Flowers white, fragrant, axillary in terminal racemes 3.7-5 cm long. Female flowers; petals white, villous on the margin, styles bipartite, the branches bifid; male flowers; stamens 10-12. Seed oval-oblong, biconvex, opaque, blotched 8 mm long and 6 mm broad. A homoeopathic tincture is made from the bark. It is covered by Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia of India. It was proved and introduced by Dr. Stapf. It acts on the digestive tract; constipation. It has marked action for inclination to vomit. It is useful in dyspepsia when there is hunger following the meals and in chronic diarrhoea that alternates with constipation. In constipation, the stools are hard and lumpy, attended with backache and debility. There is flatulence and pain in the rectum.
Recommended dose: Ø/1x to third potency.
References:
- P. N. Varma, Indu Vaid, Encyclopaedia of Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia, Updated edition 2007, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi
- A. L. Blackwood, A Manual of Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacology, Reprint Edition 1995, B. Jain Publishers, New Delhi