संस्कृत नाम- दार्वी
Botanical name - Berberis aristata
Description - A large thorny shrub; wood yellow; branches whitish grey. Leaves characteristic, fascicled in axils of branch simple spines, coriaceous, usually sharp-toothed, veins fine. Flowers yellow, in short bunches. Fruit ovoid, purple; seeds few. south India, the stems of Cosciniun fenestratum Colebr. of the family Menispermaceae are used
Chemical_Constituents- The drug contains berberies alkaloids. It contains berberine upto 3.5 %, saponin, ceryl alcohol, sitosterol, hentri- acontane, palmitic acid, oleic acid, sitosterol, glucoside and resinous matter.
Uses - Anti tubercular activity has also been attributed to this drug. It is useful in fevers, oriental sores, bleeding piles and ulcers. A dry extract is sold in the Indian market as Rasout. Bitter, tonic, stomachic and antiperiodic.YAJURVEDA : cleans bile-gland, removes any disease caused by bile disorder; CHARAKA SAMHITA : cures bleeding piles, itching caused by bile, pus in earholes, healing up of wounds; SHUSHRUTASAMHITA : Decoction of wood: anti-dote of snake poison, effective in gonorrhoea and eye troubles; BAGBHATTA : Extract of wood: useful in most types of common eye troubles, hydrocele and scrofula