Vasaka

Vasaka Adhatoda vasica

Description and composition:
Vasaka, also called malabar nut tree, is well known throughout India. It is tall with several branches, dense and an evergreen shrub. Leaves are large and lance-shaped. It has capsule in colour. Its trade name is vasaka is based on Sanskrit name. The leaves contain an alkaloid vasicine besides an essential oil.

Healing power and curative properties
The leaves, roots and the flower are extensively used in indigenous medicine as a remedy for cold, cough, bronchitis and asthma.

Bronchitis and asthma:
In acute stages of bronchitis it gives unfailing relief, especially where the sputum is thick and sticky. It liquefies the sputum so that it is brought up more easily. For relief in asthma.

Tuberculosis:
In Ayurveda a preparation made from vasaka flowers known as gulkand is used to treat tuberculosis. A few fresh petals of vasaka flowers should be bruised and put in a pot of china clay. Some sugar crystals are added and the jar kept in the sun .It should be stirred every morning and evening. The preserve is ready for use in about a month.

Cough:
For cough 7 leaves of the plant are boiled in water, strained and mixed with 24 grams of honey. This decoction provides relief. Similarly a confection of vasaka flowers eaten in doses of 12 grams twice daily relieves cough. About 60 grams of flowers and 180 grams of jaggery should be mixed for preparing this confection.

Intestinalworms:
Its leaves bark the root bark; the fruit and flowers are useful in the removal of intestinal parasites. The decoction of its root and bark in doses of 30 gram twice or thrice daily for 3 days can be given for this purpose .The juice of its fresh leaves can also be used in doses of a teaspoon thrice a day for 3 days.

Skin Diseases:
A poultice of its leaves can be applied with beneficial results over fresh wounds, rheumatic joints and inflammatory swellings. A warm decoction of its leaves is useful in treating scabies and other skin diseases.

Methods for used and dosages:
The drug vasaka is often taken in the form of juice extracted from its leaves, mixed with ginger or honey, in doses of 15-30.The leaves can be made in to a decoction or the dry leaves can be given in powder form in doses of 2 grams. Both the decoction and powder are constituents of many preparations used in Ayurvedic medicine for various affections of the respiratory tract. The root and the bark have the same medicinal uses as the leaves.