Andrographis paniculata – a rare remedy in Homoeopathy

Andrographis paniculata – a rare remedy in Homoeopathy

Dr.Kashyap Suvarna
Dr.Jacintha Monteiro 

COMMON NAME – Kalmegh,
– Kirata, mahateekta (san)
– The Creat(Eng) king of bitters

FAMILY NAME   – Acanthaceae

PART USED   – Whole herb

INTRODUCTION
The shrub is well known as “Kalmegh” and forms the principle ingredient of household medicine called ‘alui’ which is mostly used in Bengal. The macerated leaves and juice together with spices are made into little globule which are presented for infants to relieve gripping, irregular stools and loss of appetite. Ayurvedic physician uses this medicine in vomiting of children, enlargement of liver and spleen with fever, fever with kala-azar of children, fever in infantile liver etc. Thus the plant contains many medicinal values known to man. This drug was proved by Dr. Pramada Prasanna Biswas

CONSTITUENTS
The leaves contain two bitter substance and trace of essential oil. The 1^st bitter principle obtained as intensely bitter yellow crystal with formula C₁₉H₂₈O₅ and MP.206⁰. It did not respond to any test for alkaloids and glucosides. 2^nd bitter substance was obtained in an amorphous form and was named kalmeghin C₁₉H₅₁O₅ and MP 185⁰. The plant as whole contained a bitter principle and a considerable quantity of sodium chloride and potassium salts. The plant is very rich in chlorophytes

ACTIVE PRINCIPLE-Kalmeghin (kalmegh Resin). 0.6% alkaloid of crude plant.

ACTIONS
Roots and Leaves are stomachic, tonic, antipyretic, alternative, anthelmintic, febrigue and cholagogne.

CLINICAL
Abscess, boils, catarrh, constipation, cough, debility, diarrhea, dysentery, FEVER STAGE OF COLD AND COUGH, headache, kala-azar, liver disorder, malaria, vomiting, after prolonged fever, general debility. Infantile liver

CHARACTERISTIC INDICATIONS

• Fever with chilliness and heat over the body. Burning all over body. Fever 11am and at 7-8 pm. Intermittent or remittent fever. Excessive Thirst. Headache. Better by cold air application. Disinclined to move during fever.
• Liver enlargement. Painful to touch. Pain felt over liver on pressure. Jaundice. In infantile jaundice urine is highly coloured thick and yellow.
• Abdomen of heaviness without any hungry feeling. Burning and heat in abdomen. Burning in chest.
• Ineffectualurging of stool. Loose stool. Loose bilious stools. Yellow loose stool. Constipation. Blackish hard stool.
• Frontal Headache. Throbbing pain in occiput and heaviness. Headache with thirst. giddiness
• Bitter taste in mouth with dryness and burning in throat and white coating of tongue
• Despondency. No desire to do any workor talk. Restlessness. Angered easily.

RELATION
Compare- chin, chin-ars.

REFERENCES

1. Lotus Materia Medica by Robin Murphy, ND
2. Pocket Manual of Homoeopathic Materia Medica and Repertory by William Boericke
3. Indian Materia MedicaVol I by Nadkarni K.M
4. Andrographis paniculata – A multicentric, randomized, double-blind homoeopathic pathogenic trial by Rajpal et al. published in Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy Vol.5 No. 2, April – June, 2011

Dr.Kashyap Suvarna
MD Part I (Dept of Organon of Medicine)
Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical College, Mangaluru
Under the guidance of Dr.Jacintha Monteiro
Professor and Guide, Dept of Organon of Medicine
Father Muller Homoeopathic Medical College, Mangaluru
Mail : kashyap.s84@gmail.com