Origin:
The sub-Himalayan tract, plains of Punjab and the upper Gangetic plain.
Action:
Astringent, febrifugal (given in intermittent fever), stimulant, aperient, diuretic. Used for the treatment of gout and rheumatism; also for amenorrhoea.
Juice of the leaves—blood purifier. The powder is used for burns and boils. The leaves are used in fever as a substitute for cinchona. An aqueous extract of the leaves showed diuretic activity. An alkaloidal fraction showed stimulant action on the perfused frog heart. The plant exhibited anticancer activity.
Khare, C.P./ Indian Medicinal Plants. -- Nueva Dheli: Springer, 2007 . - p. 836.