nux vomica
the seed of a plant, Strychnos nux vomica, that grows in tropical Asia and has been used as an emetic (the name means literally “a nut that causes vomiting”). Nux vomica contains two substances, strychnine and brucine, which are CNS stimulants and highly poisonous, causing powerful, painful convulsions and eventually death from paralysis of respiratory muscles. In low doses, nux vomica increases glandular secretion in the gastrointestinal tract, and it has been used as a homeopathic remedy to stimulate digestion and treat a variety of gastrointestinal conditions.