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Pichi

Botanical: Fabiana imbricata (RUTZ. and PARON.)
Family: N.O. Solanaceae

 ---Synonym---Fabiana.
---Parts Used---Dried leaf and twig.
---Habitat---Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentine Republic.

---Description---A neat half-hardy shrub, very like a heath in general appearance. Fastigiate habit, has small branches covered with scale-like imbricated leaves, colour bluish green, leaves are smooth, entire, flowers solitary, terminal, corolla tubular, usually white, sometimes purple. A dwarf decorative plant; will grow in warmer parts of England; it needs a bright sheltered sunny spot, and would do well on a rockery. The fruit is a capsule containing a few sub-globular seeds. The odour of the drug is aromatic, the taste bitter, and terebinthinate.

---Constituents---Volatile oil, fat, resin, bitter fluorescent glucoside, and an alkaloid fabianine and tannin.

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Tonic, cholagogue, a valuable terebinthic diuretic, largely used in acute vesical catarrh, giving very favourable results where urinary irritation is caused by gravel. Is said to ease the irritability and assist in the expulsion of renal, urethal or cystic calculi, very useful in the treatment of jaundice and dyspepsia due to lack of biliary secretion. Is contraindicated in organic disease of the kidneys, though cases of renal haemorrhages from Bright's disease have been greatly benefited by its use; it has been used also for gonorrhoea and gonorrhoeal prostatitis.

---Dosage---Solid extract, 2 to 10 grains.

Fluid extract, 1 to 40 minims.

A strong tincture is made from the resinoid precipitate and is considered the best preparation of the drug.

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