Nux vomica - The Poisonous Remedy
Perhaps among the many pillars of wildlife in India or Sri Lanka, swaying gently in a warm breeze, you might catch a glimpse of a modest tree — moderate in height, with a thick trunk and bright orange fruit bearing deadly seeds.
The fruit, resembling a glowing miniature sun, may tempt the forager with the promise of citrus sweetness. But the moment it touches the tongue, it delivers an excruciatingly bitter taste — one you’ll likely spit out immediately.
This is the Nux vomica tree.
In the medical craft of Unani Tibb, we harness its potent properties — not for the faint-hearted, but for those willing to work with nature’s extremes.
And it’s not just us. Nux vomica has earned its place in various traditional systems around the world, known for treating conditions that modern doctors sometimes reduce to a simple sentence: “You’ll just have to live with it.”
Botanical Name: Nux vomica
Unani Name: Azraki
Family: Loganiaceae
Taste: Bitter
Mizaj: Heating & Drying
Actions: Brain tonic, Nerve tonic, Nervine stimulant, Cardiac stimulant, Aphrodisiac, AppetizerExpectorant, Blood purifier, Anti-inflammatory (1)
Therapeutic uses: Hemiplegia, Facial palsy, Tremor, Polyarthritis, Weakness of heart, Cough, Weakness of stomach (2)
Important Formulations:
- Habb - e - Azraki
Dosage/Application:
- 200-500 mg
Reference:
- Bano, H., Kumar, S., Zeyaullah, M. and Ahmad, A. (2023) ‘Pharmacognostic and pharmacological review on Strychnos nux-vomica’, Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, 13(1), pp. 165–170.
