Sankhapushpi.

Vern. Dankuni, Beng. Sankhahuli Hind.

This little plant is regarded as laxative, alterative and tonic and is much praised as a nervine. It is used in insanity, epilepsy and nervous debility. The fresh juice of the plant, in doses of about an ounce, is given, with the addition of honey and pachak root, in all sorts of insanity.1 A paste made of the entire plant, including roots and flowers, is recommended to be taken with milk as a nervine and alterative tonic.2 The following compound powder is used in similar cases. Take of gulancha, Achyranthes aspera (apάmάrga), bάberang, pάchak root, root of Asparagus racemosus (satamuli), Acorus Calamus (vachά), chebulic myrobalan, and Canscora decussata, in equal parts; powder and mix. It is said that the use of this powder for three days will enable a student to learn by rote a thousand couplets of poetry.3