Kirάtatikta,

Bhunimba.

Vern. Chiretά, Beng. Hind.

The Ophelia Chirata is indigenous to the "mountainous regions of Northern India from Simla through Kumaon to the Morung district in South-Eastern Nopal." Its Sanskrit name kiratatikta, means "the bitter plant of the Kiratas, an outcast race of mountaineers in the north of India." It is also called Andryatikta or the bitter plant of the Non-Aryans. The Bhava-prakasa mentions a variety of chireta, under the name of Naipala, that is, produced in Nepal, and describes it as a febrifuge.

Chireta is regarded as tonic, febrifuge and laxative, and is used in fever, burning of the body, intestinal worms, skin diseases, etc. It is much used in fevers of all sorts in a variety of forms and in combination with other medicines of its class. The following are a few illustrations. Take of chiretά, gulancha, raisins, emblio myrobalan and zedoary root, equal parts and prepare a decoction in the usual way.1 A compound powder called Sudarsana churna, is prepared by taking equal parts of fifty-four different substances and of chireta, equal to one-half the weight of all the other ingredients, and mixing them together. It is largely prescribed by native physicians in chronic febrile diseases.

Kiratadi taila, or oil of chiretά.2 Take of chireta one seer, water sixteen seers, boil together till reduced to four. seers and strain. Boil this decoction of chireta, with four seers each of prepared mustard oil, kanjika and whey, and two tolas each of the following substances in the form of a paste, namely, root of Sanseviera Zeylanica (murvά ), lac, turmeric, wood of Berberis Asiatica ( daruharidrά), madder, root of Citrullus Colocynthis ( in-dravάruni), pachak root, root of Pavonia odorata (bάlά), of Vanda Roxburghii (rάsnά), Scindapsus officinalis (gajapippali), long pepper, black pepper, ginger, root of Stephania hernandi-folia, ( pάtha), indrajava seeds, sonchal, vit, and rock salts, root of Justica Adhatoda (vάsaka ), Calotropis gigantea ( arka ), Ichno-carpus frutescens (shyάmalatά), Cedrus Deodara (devadάru) and the fruit of Trichosanthes palmata (mahάkala). The oil thus prepared is rubbed on the body in chronic fever with emaciation and anaemia.