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♤ Distribution: Sub Himalayan tract from Punjab eastwards to Nepal, Sikkim, Assam, Eastern & Western Ghats, parts of Central India & in the Andamans.
♤ Uses: Rauvolfia roots are of immense medicinal value and has steady demand. It is used for treating various central nervous system disorders. The pharmacological activity of rauvolfia is due to the presence of several alkaloids of which reserpine is the most important, which is used for its sedative action in mild anxiety states and chronic psychoses. It has a depressant action on central nervous system produces sedation and lower blood pressure. The root extracts are used for treating intestinal disorders, particularly diarrhoea and dysentery and also anthelmintic. It is used for the treatment of cholera, colic and fever. The juice of the leaves are used as a remedy for opacity of the cornea. The total root extracts exhibits a variety of effects, viz., sedation, hypertension, brodyeardia, myosis, ptosis, tremors, which are typical of reserpine.