Guarana

Clinical Notes. Traditional herbal medicinal product for relief of fatigue based on long-standing use contains high caffeine content comply with Ph. Fr. monograph ‘guarana, graine de’ (1997) ( Community ) used by Amazonian tribes as stimulant (

Action and Therapy. Guarana is a gentle excitant acting very much like tea and coffee. It is valuable where the brain becomes exhausted or depressed through mental overwork, or when the body is fatigued or exhausted. It must be carefully used as it sometimes causes difficult urination.

Therapy. The fluid extract of this agent, given in doses of from ten to thirty minims, has been used specifically in the treatment of headaches, other than those due to actual disease of the stomach, as from catarrh or ulceration or cancer. In many forms of headache, and especially the form due to functional gastric derangement, known as “sick headache” it is certainly a serviceable agent.

Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage. Holly leaves are tonic and febrifuge; said to be very efficient in the treatment of intermittent fevers, in doses of 60 grains of their powder administered 1 or 2 hours previous to the chill. The infusion has also proved beneficial in icterus, pleuritis, catarrh, variola, arthritis, etc. The berries are said to be emeto-cathartic and cholagogue; from 8 to 15 of them will act as a hydragogue. According to Dr. Rousseau, ilicin acts decidedly upon the spleen, liver, and pancreas, producing a sedative effect, and is a cheap substitute for quinine. Its dose is 10 grains in pill form, gradually increased to 30 grains.