Description

Strychnos nux-vomica, the nux vomica tree, is a medium-sized deciduous tree of the family Loganiaceae, native to the tropical dry deciduous forests of the Indian subcontinent — particularly Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka — as well as Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. The round, button-shaped grey seeds contain strychnine and brucine — alkaloids of extreme toxicity — and are therefore classified as a poisonous plant under Indian law, requiring documented Shodhana (classical detoxification) through processing with cow’s milk, butter, or specific herbal decoctions before any legitimate pharmaceutical use. Known in Ayurveda as Vishamushti and in Unani as Azaraqi, processed seeds appear in formulations for nervous system conditions and Vata disorders under highly specialised Ayurvedic compounding practices.