Kalmegh

Kalmegh, the intensely bitter Indian herb, traditionally used in homoeopathy for a sluggish liver, poor appetite, bilious upsets and weakness after fever.

Andrographis paniculata, known in India as kalmegh and in English as green chiretta or creat, is an annual herb of the acanthus family native to India and Sri Lanka. It has slender square stems, narrow leaves and small white flowers marked with purple, and is so bitter that it is called the king of bitters. Bengali households have long used its leaves for the liver.

Homoeopaths traditionally use it for a sluggish liver with yellowish skin and dark urine, poor appetite, a bitter taste, loose bilious stools and flatulence. It is also used for recurring fevers and for weakness during recovery from a long fever.

• Sluggish liver
• Poor appetite
• Bitter taste
• Bilious upsets
• Weakness after fever