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Centaury, Chilian

Botanical: Erythraea chilensis
Family: N.O. Gentianaceae

---Synonym---Canchalagua.
---Part Used---The herb.
---Habitat---Chile.


---Description---A small, herbaceous plant, with branched stems and pink or yellow flowers, widely used in Chile as a mild tonic.

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Stimulant bitter, tonic. Useful in dyspepsia and indigestion. An infusion may be made of 1 oz. to 1 pint of boiling water.

---Dosage---Of infusion - a wineglassful. Of fluid extract - 1/2 to 1 drachm.

---Other Species---
Erythraea acaulis, a native of Southern Algeria, has roots that yield a yellow dye.

Sabatia angularis, or American Centaury, is a simple bitter used as a tonic and antiperiodic, in doses of 1 drachm of fluid extract or decoction of the whole plant. It has been found to contain a small proportion of Erythrocentaurin. The root of S. Elliottii is used in a similar manner in the south-eastern United States, and the whole plant of S. campestris in the south-western. S. Elliottii is known as the Quinine Flower, its properties resembling quinine.

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Bear in mind "A Modern Herbal" was written with the conventional wisdom of the early 1900's. This should be taken into account as some of the information may now be considered inaccurate, or not in accordance with modern medicine.

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