Calotropis gigantea / Erukku / Milk Weed

Kunni / Abrus Precatorius/ Crab's Eye induce abortion

Botanical name : Abrus precatorius
Family : Leguminosae
English : Crab's Eye, Lucky bean
Malayalam : Kunni
Hindi : Ratti

  It is a perennial climber that twines around trees. Ingested seeds can affect the gastrointestinal tract, the liver, spleen, kidney, and the lymphatic system. Infusion of seed extracts can cause eye damage after contact.

  The roots of this plant are used to induce abortion and relieve abdominal discomfort.  The seeds were also used to treat diabetes and chronic

nephritis.

The plant is also used in some traditional medicine to treat scratches and sores, and wounds caused by dogs, cats, and mice, and is also used with other ingredients to treat leucoderma. The leaves are used for their anti-suppurative properties. They are ground with lime and applied on acne sores, boils, and abscesses. The plant is also traditionally used to treat tetanus, and to prevent rabies. Various African tribes use powdered seeds as oral contraceptives (Watt & Breyer, 1962).

 
  The seeds of this plant are so uniform in size and weight that they are used as standards in weight measurement.