Sans,

Kantakάri,

Nidigdhikά.

Vern. Kantakάri, Beng. Kateli, Katai, Hind.

The root of Solarium Jacguinii is much esteemed as an expectorant and is used in cough, asthma, catarrhal fever and pain in the chest. It is an ingredient of dasamula (see Desmodium gauge-ticum), and is thus largely used in a great variety of diseases. The fruits are said to possess properties similar to those of the roots and are eaten as a vegetable.

Kantakari is used in medicine in various forms, such as decoction, electuary, ghrita, etc. A decoction of the root is given with the addition of long pepper and honey, in cough and catarrh, and with rock salt and assafoetida in spasmodic cough.1 Several compound decoctions made along with other expectorant and demulcent drugs are in use. The following is an example. Take of kanta-kάri, root of Justicia Adhatoda (vάsaka), pulse of Dolichos uniflorus (kulattha) and ginger, equal parts, in all two tolάs; prepare a decoction in the usual way and administer, with the addition of pachak root, in cough with difficult breathing.2

Kantakάryavaleha3 or electuary of Solarium Jacquinii Take of kantakari root twelve seers and a half, water sixty-four seers, boil till reduced to one fourth and strain. Boil the strained decoction till reduced to the consistence of a fluid extract, and add to it the following substances in fine powder, namely, gulancha, Piper Chaba (chavya), plumbago root, tubers of Cyperus rotundus (mustaka), Rhus succedanea, (karkata sringi), long pepper, black pepper, ginger, Alhagi Maurorum (yasa), Clerodendron Siphonan-thus (vargi), Vanda Roxburghii, (rάsna) and zedoary root, each eight tolas, sugar two seers and a half, sesamum oil and clarified butter each one seer, and boil together till reduced to the proper consistence. Lastly add honey one seer, bamboo-manna and long pepper in fine powder, each half a seer. This electuary is given in various sorts of cough.

Kantakari ghrita.1 This is prepared in the usual proportions with the fresh juice of kantakάri, clarified butter and the following substances in the form of a paste, namely, Vanda Roxburghii (rάsnά), Sida cordifolid, (bάlά), ginger, long pepper, black pepper and the fruits of Tribulus terrestris (gokshura). It is used in the same cases as the electuary.