Common Name: |
Poison Nut |
Other Names: |
Strychnine, Nux-Vomica |
Botanical Name: |
Strychnos nux-vomica |
Genus: |
Strychnos |
Family: |
Loganaceae |
Cultivation: |
Well-drained, rich soil in sun or partial shade. |
Native Location: |
India and Myanmar (Burma) |
Propagation: |
By seed sown in spring; by semi-ripe cuttings in summer. |
Harvest: |
Seeds are collected when ripe, and dried for elixirs, liquid extracts, pills, or tinctures, and for commercial extraction of alkaloids. |
Height: |
20m (70ft) |
Width: |
15m (50ft) |
Hardiness: |
Min. 15°C (59°F) |
Parts Used: |
Seeds |
Properties: |
A very bitter, tonic herb that stimulates the nervous system and improves appetite. |
Medicinal Uses: |
Internally in minute amounts, for nervous exhaustion, debility, and poor appetite (especially in the elderly and children). It is also used as a central nervous system stimulant in chloroform or chloral poisoning, surgical shock, and cardiac arrest. Used (as nux-vomica) in homeopathic preparations. |
Economic Uses: |
Strychnine is extracted commercially for use in vermin poisons. |
Warning: |
All parts are toxic; handle with care; Excess causes paralysis (notably risus sardonicus, a fixed grin), convulsions, respiratory failure, and death. Used by qualified practitioners only; This herb and strychnine are subject to legal restrictions in most countries. |
Bibliography: |
Encyclopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright © 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited. pp 376 |