Rauwolfia Serpentina
(Rauwolfia serpentina [L.] Ex Bentham. Kurz.)

Tribe: Apocynaceae
Crude Name: Rauwolfiae Radik .

Description
This plant is sometimes found in the yard of the house as an ornamental plant, but more often grows wild in fields, forests of teak, or other places to a height of 1000 m above sea level.
Upright shrub, annual, high-reach 1m, gummy, cylindrical stem, branch, brown-gray, issued a clear fluid when broken. Leaves single, short-stemmed, sit facing rocky or crossed, the form of spurs or elongate ovate, tip pointed, base narrowed, margin flat, bone pinnate, 30-20 cm long, 2-9 cm wide, upper surface green, lower surface color younger. Compound interest, the shape of an umbrella that comes out from the tip of the stem, crown flower color is red. Stone fruit fruit, round egg, young black color is green when ripe, seed one. Long and large roots. Called Rauwolfia serpentina root dry.

Natureand Usefulness
The roots are bitter, cold, and slightly toxic. Efficacious as a sedative (sedative), causing sleep (hypnotics), high blood pressure (hypotensive), blood flow, pain relievers (analgesics), reliever fever (anti pyretic), mitigate the heat in and heat the liver, anti-inflammatory. Stems and leaves are bitter, sweet, and cool the powerful to resist wind, hiptensif, and removal of frozen blood.

Chemical content
The roots contain alkaloids three groups, the type and amount depends on the growth of local origin.
Group I, including strong alkaline (quarterary ammonium compound): serpentine, serpentinine, and samatine. Poor absorption when used peroral (drinking).
Group II (tertiary amine derivate): yohimbine, ajmaline, ajmalilicine, tetraphylline, and tetraphyllicine.
Group III includes weakly alkaline (secondary amines): reserpine, rescinamine, deserpinidine, raunesine, and canescine. efficacious hypotensive reserpine, ajmaline, serpentine, and nutritious rescinnamine sedatives, yohimbine stimulates the formation of testosterone that can arouse sexual desire.

Portion used
Roots, stems, and leaves. Before use the roots washed and cut into small pieces and dried for storage.

How to Use
Roots, leaves, or stems as much as 25-50 g of boiling water, then drink.
For external use, the material is milled smooth then apply to where the sick or boiled water to wash the skin scabies.

Note
• These plants increase the release of stomach acid that can cause stomach bleeding.
• Patients with gastric diseases and weak body condition do not drink this stew.
• Have created the tablet with tablet trade name Reserpin, ancom tablets, and tablet Mainshujing.