This document discusses 15 medicinal herbs found in the Baran district: Bhumyamalaki, Nahi, Parpoti, Apamarg, Shankhapushpi, Datura, Kantakari, Makoi, Duddhi, Gorakshaganjaa, and others. For each herb, it provides the Latin name, a brief physical description, and their therapeutic uses to treat conditions like hemorrhage, jaundice, pain, fever, diabetes, skin diseases, and more. The conclusion notes that while medicinal plants can be effective alternatives to modern medicine with fewer side effects, some plants like Datura are poisonous, so care must be taken when using herbs.

1. Department of Dravyaguna Vigyan
DR. SARVEPALLI RADHAKRISHNAN RAJSTHAN AYURVED UNIVERSITY ,
JODHPUR
Presented by:
Dr.Gulab Chand Meena
PG Scholar
Guided by:
Dr. chandan singh
(HOD)
Dr.Manoj adlakha
(Asst.prof.)

2. Introduction:
Herbal medicines are in great demand in both developed and developing
countries as a source of primary health care owing to their attributes
having wide biological and medicinal activities, high safety margins and
lesser costs. More and more people are rediscovering the simple way of
life and are turning to natural foods and fresh herbs in order to stay
healthy. I have chosen some fresh herbs available around baran district,
that people can use daily working life and for promoting healthy life.
These are:

3. Bhumyamalaki:
Latin name Phyllanthus urinaria
Family Euphorbiaceae
DESCRIPTION:
This is an annual herbs with the main
stem erect, unbranched or sparsely
branched. The side branches with their
two rows of alternate leaves resemble
a compound leaf. The leaves
themselves are finely hairy, nearly
sessile (stalkless), blunt at the ape.
The unisexual flowers are whitish,
tiny and inconspicuous, and they are
borne singly or in small clusters in the
axils of the leaves. These capsules are
about 1/8 inch in diameter when ripe,
and are held beneath the leaves.

4. Therapeutic use of bhumyamalaki:
•Haemorrhage: seeds of Bhumyamalaki taken with rice water alleviate,
in two or three days, meno-metrorrhagia, hamaturia and diarrhoea with
blood.
•Jaundice: paste of Bhumyamalaki made with butter milk removes
jaundice.
•Pain in eye: paste of bhumyamalki mixed rocksalt and sour gruel is
rubbed in a copper vessel. When solidified, it is applied as paste on
eyelids.
•Pradara: root of Bhumyamalaki taken with rice water for 2-3 days
checks bleeding.
•Prameha: Bhumyamalaki 20 gm. And marica twenty in number are
pounded together and taken. It alleviates all types of prameha.

5. Nahi,Chota chirayata:
Latin name Enicostemma littorale
Family Gentianaceae
DESCRIPTION:
E. littorale is an erect, perennial
herb, 5–30 cm tall, simple or
branched at the base. Stem cylindric,
glabrous with a decurrent ridge
below each leaf. Leaves are sessile
sometimes narrowed into a petiole-
like base, longer than the internodes.
Flowers are white with green lines,
drying yellowish, sessile or
subsessile.

6. Therapeutic use of nahi:
•The hot aqueous extract of E. littorale has also been used by the
traditional healers for the treatment of dyspepsia and malaria.
•E. littorale is traditionally used in India as a stomachic, bitter tonic,
carminative to reduce fever and as a tonic for appetite loss.
•Nampalliwar and Godatwar observed that E. littorale enhances glucose-
dependent insulin release.
•In Indian ayurvedic medicine, E. littorale is taken in combination with
other herbs, especially for diabetes.

7. Chirpoti, Parpoti:
Latin name Physalis minima
Family Solanaceae
DESCRIPTION:
A small, delicate, erect, annual,
pubescent herb, 1.5 metres tall;
internodal length, 8.2 cm; more or
less the whole plant is pubescent.
dorsal surface of the leaves, dark
green. Cream to yellowish flowers
are followed by edible yellowish
fruit encapsulated in papery cover
which turns straw brown and drops
to the ground when the fruit is fully
ripe. fully mature fruits primrose
yellow. Seeds, globose, Dresden
yellow.

8. Therapeutic use of parpoti/chirpoti:
•Earache, ulcer, urinary problems, cough, fever and pain.
•Especially leaves are used as medicine. According to Ayurveda, Physalis
minima used as antibacterial, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic.
•Root extract used for fever.
•Poultice of leaves, smeared with oiled and heated, applied to ulcers.
• Fruit used as alterative, diuretic and aperient; used in dropsy, urinary
diseases, and gout.
•Used for colds and fever, swelling pain of the throat, bronchitis.
•Poultice of fruits used for headaches and intestinal pains.
•Pounded fresh material may be used as poultice or decoction of the
same may be used as wash for eczema infection.

9. Apamarg, Chirchita:
Latin name Achyranthes aspera
Family Amaranthaceae
DESCRIPTION:
Achyranthes aspera (Latjeera) is an
erect or procumbent, annual or
perennial herb, often with a woody
base. Stems angular, ribbed, simple
or branched from the base, often
with tinged purple colour , branches
absolutely quadrangular, striate,
pubescent , leaves thick, flowers
greenish white, numerous in axillary
or terminal spikes up to 75 cm long,
seeds subcylindric, truncate at the
apex, rounded at the base, reddish
brown.

10. Therapeutic use of apamarg:
•Ear pain, Infection in ear: Take fresh leaves of Apamarg and wash to
remove dirt. Grind and extract its juice. Put few drops in ear to cure
infection of ear.
•Eye problem, redness in eye: Take fresh root of Apamarg and clean it
carefully to remove dirt and soil. Grind it with rose water and apply in
eyes to cure eye infection.
•Mouth ulcer: Chew few clean, fresh leaves of Apamarg.
•Back ache: Take leaves of Apamarga and rub on affected areas on back.
•Wound: Extract leaves juice and use this to wash wounds to heal
quickly.
•Paralysis: Prepare root powder of herb. Take this with glass of milk.
•Bleeding piles: Take fresh leaves of Apamarg and wash to remove dirt.
Grind with water and make paste. Mix til oil in this paste and apply this
on affected areas.

11. Shankhapushpi:
Latin name Convolvulus pluricaulis
Family Convolvulaceae
DESCRIPTION:
Shankhapushpi is a prostrate, spreading,
perennial, wild herb commonly found on
sandy or rocky ground. The species is
marked by great morphological
variability especially in size of the
flower. Stems are ascending or prostrate,
10-40 cm long, densely velvety with
appressed to spreading hairs. Leaves are
nearly stalk less, linear to oblong,
lanceshaped or inverted-lanceshaped,
wedge-shaped at the base, pointed to
blunt at the tip. Flowers are white or
pale pink, midpetaline areas velvety.
Seeds are 2-4, about 2-2.5 mm long,
dark brown.

12. Therapeutic use of shankhpushpi:
•The shankhpushpi plant extract is well known for treating insanity and
hematemesis.
• Leaves of shankhpushpi plant are used to treat bronchitis and asthma.
•The plant root is herbal remedy to treat childhood fever.
• shankhpushpi plant extract avoids fluid retention in the body and
supports digestion.
•In Ayurveda shankhpushpi plant is also used for treatment of epilepsy.
Improving memory with Convolvulus pluricaulis:
•Take 3 to 6 grams of shankhpushpi powder with milk early in the
morning to enhance the memory power. Fatigue would vanish if you
are studying for long hours.
•Give 2 to 4 grams of shankhpushpi powder with 1 gram of Sweet Flag
(bach) powder to raise intelligence in children and to make them sharp.
•Take its powder 2-4 grams, adding it to honey or sugar for 6 months.
Wrinkles would disappear from your face in the old age. Memory power
and astuteness would be increased.
•For Sharp memory take 3 to 6 grams shankhpushpi powder and honey
with milk.

13. Datura:
Latin name Datura metel
Family Solanaceae
DESCRIPTION:
Datura metel is a shrub to 1.4 m tall
and somewhat variable in appearance.
Its stems are slightly furry, with dark
violet young shoots. D. metel has
almost hairless leaves, oval to broad
oval, smooth and are often dark violet
in colour. Also, leaves are less sharply
toothed or more or less entire. Flower
colour ranges from white to cream,
yellow, red, and violet. They are
pleasantly scented particularly in the
night. The fruits are knobby, not spiny
with blunt protuberances, or with
longer prickles.

14. Therapeutic use of datura:
•The paste of its roots mashed in cow`s urine or the juice of the leaves is
applied externally to alleviate oedema, and pain in sciatica.
•The mustard oil medicated with the pulp of Datura seeds is used with
great benefit for dressing the cracked feet.
•Internally: it dries up the mucous secretions in the respiratory tract and
is a broncho-dialator as well, hence, it is beneficial in bronchial asthma
and cough.
•It is used in abdominal pain, associated with hyperacidity.

15. Kantakari:
Latin name Solanum surattense
Family Solanaceae
DESCRIPTION:
Solanum surattense, is a very spiny
diffused herb, with a height of up to 1.2
meters. The young branches are densely
covered with minute star-shaped hair, while
the mature branches are zigzag, covered
with yellow, sharp shining prickles and
spread close to the ground. The midribs and
other nerves of the leaves have sharp
yellow prickles and grow up to 10 cm in
length. The purple flowers, can be seen in
small bunches, sometimes opposite to the
leaves. Kantkari plant bears glabrous,
globular drooping berries as fruits, yellow
or pale in color, with green veins.

16. Therapeutic use of kantkari:
 Cough: Take whole kantkari plant or panchang (3-4 gm) and boil in
water (200 ml) till water reduces to 50 ml, filter and drink twice a day.
This is very good remedy for chronic cough. Or take fresh kantkari
plant juice (1-2 ml) mixed with honey.
 Epilepsy: Put fresh kantkari leaves juice (2 drops) in each nostril
empty stomach in morning. Do it regularly.
 Liver Swelling and infection: Kantkari is very good liver tonic. Its
decoction is very beneficial in liver swelling and infection.
 Vomiting and nausea during pregnancy: Take Kantkaripanchang (5
gm) and munakka (5-6) and make decoction by boiling in water. This
helps to cure nausea, vomiting and low appetite.
 Migraine: For chronic migraine put fresh kantkari juice (4 drops) in
each nostril.
 Hair fall: Take fresh kantkari leaves juice and massage on scalp to
cure hair fall and dandruff.
 Tooth ache: Take fresh leaves of kantkari and grind to extract juice.
Now soak cotton in this juice and apply on tooth.

17. Makoi:
Latin name Solanum nigrum
Family Solanaceae
DESCRIPTION:
Solanum nigrum also known as
Makoi / Kakamachi short-lived
perennial shrub. It reaches a height
of 30 to 120 cm, leaves; ovate to
heart-shaped, with wavy or large-
toothed edges; both surfaces hairy or
hairless. The flowers have petals
greenish to whitish, recurved when
aged and surround prominent bright
yellow anthers. The berry is mostly
6 to 8 mm in diam., dull black or
purple-black.

18. Therapeutic use of makoi:
•Arthritis, joint pain: poultice of leaves is prepared and applied externally
on the painful joints.
•Insomnia or sleeplessness: the root are boiled in water and a decoction
is prepared which is filtered and taken 10-20ml.
•Skin diseases: a paste of leave is prepared and applied externally.
•Stomatitis: for this ailment, chewing 5-6 leaves of plant is helpful.
•Solanum nigrum is helpful for the treatment of chronic fever.
•It protects liver and fights against jaundice.
•It has been proved useful against burns because of it anti-inflammatory
nature.

19. Duddhi, Dugdhika:
Latinname Euphorbia thymifolia
Family Euphorbiaceae
DESCRIPTION:
A prostrate, annual herb; stems
many, spreading on the ground.
Leaves opposite, obliquely oblong,
small, unequal sided at base,
glabrous and green or reddish above.
Fruits ovoid-globose, 1-1.5 mm in
diameter. Seeds obtusely
quadrangular, up to 1 mm long, pale
brown, transversely rugose.

20. Therapeutic use of duddhi:
•According to Charak the soup of Dugdhika is beneficial in diarrhea
and painful bleeding of piles. He has prescribed its latex for ring worm
and for eruptive boils. extract of this plant is applied for the cure of
ringworms.
•Bhaavaprakash states that Dugdhika is expectorant as it can cure
aggravated cough. Besides this a paste of the plant cures skin diseases
and parasitic infections. If used internally, its extract promotes
conception.
•Bleeding piles: ghee cooked with kantakari and dugdhika alleviates
bleeding piles with pain.
•Ring worm: after rubbing with dried cow dung, the spot should be
pasted with latex of dugdhika.
•Eruptive boils: dugdhika mixed with eranda seeds destroys boils.
•Dysentery: dugdhika steamed with cooked rice and taken with the same
after adding oil checks dysentery with blood.

21. Gorakshaganjaa:
Latin name Aerva lanata
Family Amaranthaceae
DESCRIPTION:
Aerva lanata is a prostrate dioecious herb
having a tap root which is cylindrical,
branched, 7-12 cm long, 2-8 mm thick,
straight or slightly twisted with many
slender, fibrous lateral roots, pale
yellowish brown externally, whitish
internally, it has many branches,
branched from the root base. Leaves are
simple, alternate, entire margin, hairy
above. Flowers are very small, sessile,
usually bisexual, greenish/ hoary white.
Fruits are greenish, round, compressed
membranous utricle capsule. Seed are
Reniform.

22. Therapeutic use of gorashaganjaa :
•Kidney stone: take 2tsp leaf juice of aerva lanata . have it twice a day.
•UTI: make a decoction of aerva lanata . drink 50ml of it twice a day.
•Roots of aerva are used for treating headache. It can also comfort
injuries and inflammation on the skin as it has good antimicrobial
activities.
• Form people infected with jaundice are given the ground roots of aerva
mixed with yogurt.
•The leaf extract is also used for treating fever. Decoction made from the
leaves of this plant is beneficial for sore throat and cough.
•The flowers of aerva are also having medicinal properties and are
widely used for lowering the lower back pain. The ashes of flowers are
used to rub on the back.
•The decoction of the aerva lanata is used as a diuretic which is a
substance that tends to increase the flow of urine and in turn causes the
body to get rid of excess water. Further inhaling the smoke produced by
burning this dried plant can give relief from asthma.

23. Conclusion:
On this paper I have discussed about only a few medicinal herbs, but
there are more medicinal plant grow in our country. But all plants have
not medicinal effect. Some plants have toxicity. like datura is known as
poisonous. So we should be careful when using medicinal plant. These
medicinal herbs can be a good alternative for many diseases and
conditions in all age of patients. They are low cost, and tend to have
fewer side effects. So people use them in various easy methods. The
herbal drugs act selectively and gently without disturbing other system.
Whereas, modern medicine affects several metabolic activity in the
human system and has side effects which makes body more susceptible
to other diseases.