Plumbago, Chitraka

Leadwort, Ceylon Leadwort
Chitraka, Chitrak (Ayurveda)
Tsi tra ka  ཙི་ཏྲ་ཀ  (Tibet)
Sheetraj Hindi, Chitrak (Unani)
Venkodiveli (Siddha)
Bai Hua Dan (TCM)
Plumbago zeylanica
Edwards’s Botanical Register, 1846

Plumbago zeylanica
(Photo by David Eickhoff) (Wikimedia)

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Botanical name:
Plumbago spp.
  1. P. zeylanica (syn. P. rosea) (White variety)
  2. P. indica (Red variety)
  3. P. capensis

Parts used:
Root-bark

Temperature & Taste:
Very Warm, Dry. Pungent, Bitter. Slightly Toxic. The Red variety is hottest.

Uses:
1. Warms Yang, Clears Damp:
-Indigestion, Colic, bloating, poor appetite

2. Clears Wind-Damp, Eases Pain (TCM, Ayurveda):
-Arthritis

3. Warms the Kidneys, Promotes Urine:
-Edema, Obesity

4. Opens obstruction, Clears Damp:
-Cold-Damp-type Jaundice

5. Moves the Blood, Clears Stasis: (TCM, Ayurveda)
-Blood stagnation (TCM)

6. Resists Poison: (TCM, Ayurveda)
-chronic Skin diseases

7. Kills Worms:
-Worms and Parasites

8. Externally:
-applied to toxic sores


Dose:
... available in PRO version

Preparation:
... available in PRO version

Correctives:
... available in PRO version

Substitutes:
... available in PRO version

Main Combinations:
One of the Trimada group of Drugs, along with Embelia ribes and Cyperus rotundus
One of the Triptighna group of Drugs, used for Phlegm diseases with Ginger, Long Pepper, Cyperus rotundus, Calamus etc.
One of the Dipaniya group of drugs, used to promote Appetite with Ginger, Long Pepper, Black Pepper, Asafetida, Ajowan etc
One of the Lekhaniya group of drugs, used to reduce Fat, with Cyperus rotundus, Berberis asiactia, Calamus, Turmeric, Picriorrhiza etc.

1. Digestive Cold and weakness:
i. with excess Ama, Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
ii. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
ii. with indigestion and poor appetite, Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
2. Severe Abdominal pain, Abdominal Tumors:
i. Plumbago ... available in PRO version
ii. Plumbago, ... available in PRO version
3. Clear Phlegm:
i. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
ii. Phlegm in the Lungs with Cough and Congestion, Plumbago, ... available in PRO version
4. Obesity:
i. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
ii. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
iii. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
5. Arthritic disease:
i. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
ii. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
iii. Ama-Vata: Plumbago, ... available in PRO version
iv. Rheumatic Arthritis, Hemiplegia, Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
6. As a strengthening tonic:
i. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
ii. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
7. Female tonic:
i. Plumbago, ... available in PRO version
ii. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
8. Amenorrhea with Blood stasis, or for Scrofula, decoct Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
9. Obstinate skin diseases:
i. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
ii. Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
10. Leucoderma, Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
11. Leprosy, Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
12. Depression: Valerian, Plumbago, ... available in PRO version
13. Viral Hepatitis, Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
14. Hemorrhoids, Plumbago with ... available in PRO version
15. Fistula-in-Ano, Plumbago with ... available in PRO version

Main Formulas:
Chitrakadi Kashayam (Plumbago Decoction)
Powder of Emblic Myrobalan (Ayurveda)
Electuary of Dodder
Triphala Electuary of Dodder (Unani)
Powder of Emblic Myrobalan of Ayurveda
Citrakadi Taila

Cautions:
1. Not used during Pregnancy
2. Heat-type conditions or Hot constitutions
3. Overdose can cause burning, vomiting and diarrhea; leading to respiratory depression and cardiac arrest.
4. Very strong anti-fertility effects have been noted in animal experiments (100-200mg/kg)

Main Preparations used: